WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 14, 2018
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THE CALL OF ABRAM
(From Shem to Abraham)
(Genesis 11:10-26)
This is the “vertical”
genealogical record that traces the line of descendants from Noah’s son, Shem,
to Abram (later called Abraham). This list successfully shows the legitimate
ancestry of the Shemites, and is generally used to trace the origins of that
group of the human race, who would later be named by GOD as “HIS chosen people”
(Israel), and whom, the world now knows as “the Jews”. This section of chapter
11, is an airtight chronology that distinguishes Abraham as the towering
figure, to whom, all Jews trace their origin.
Unlike the list in chapter 5, this chronology here in verses 10-26 of
chapter 11, does not tell of the total number of years that each person lived,
and at what age they died. Whereas the section of Genesis 5:1-6:8 stresses “death
before the Flood”, here in this section of chapter 11, we see an emphasis on
“life and expansion after the Flood”, even though the earthly lifespan of man
had been decreased significantly by GOD, because of the onset of sin into “the
human race”.
THE FAMILY OF TERAH
(Genesis 11:27-32)
Here begins what is now
known as “the Patriarchal Narratives of the Bible” (Genesis 11:27-50:26). They
detail the history and origin of the Jews, beginning with Abram (later called
Abraham), who was the son of Terah.
Abram,
had two brothers, whose names were Nahor and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot,
whom would later become the responsibility of, and figure prominently in, the
life and chronicles of Abraham. Haran died at an early age, while they were
still living in their birthplace, which was called “Ur”, located in the land of
the Chaldeans.
Abram married Sarai, who could not bear children at that time, and his
brother Nahor, married Milcah, one of the daughters of his deceased brother,
Haran (Haran’s other daughter was named Iscah). After this, Terah, who was an
idolater, moved his family, including his sons and their wives, and his grandson
Lot, out of Ur, with intentions to move to the land of Canaan. However, they
made a stop in a place called “Haran” (no connection to his dead son), which
was known at that time as “sin city”.
Through spiritual eyes, one can clearly see this as an early attempt by
satan, on a “paganist thinking person”, like Terah, to interrupt the line of
the coming MESSIAH, through the family that GOD would later sanction to begin
with Abraham and Sarah.
These
attempted evil strategies by satan are something that can often be detected
throughout the annals of Old Testament literature, if we apply our spiritual
self to the reading of Scriptures (allow ourselves to be led by the SPIRIT). Terah
lived out the remainder of his life (205 years) there in Haran with his family.
THE CALL OF ABRAM
Abram, whose name GOD
later changed to “Abraham”, was born and raised in the fabled city of Ur. Ur
was located in the southern division of ancient Babylonia known as “Sumer”
(SOO-mehr), which was situated between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (now
southern Iraq). Sumer is the territory referred to as “Shinar” in the Old
Testament (Genesis 10:10). It was a part of the kingdom of the great Nimrod who
attempted to build the infamous “Tower of Babel” there.
The Sumerians, developed the first “high living civilization” in the
history of mankind, and Ur was the center of their rich culture. They were the
first people to develop a writing style that consisted of “Cuneiform script”,
which were “wedged shaped” characters that became synonymous with Persian and
Babylonian culture and literature. They were proud of their vast wealth,
monumental architecture, grand homes, music, and art.
While living in this ultra “worldly” culture, Abram worshiped many gods
(Joshua 24:2), however, when the real and true GOD spoke to him, he was willing
to leave this enchanting atmosphere, and travel, “on faith”, to the unknown
land of Canaan, where he would live a “nomadic” life in tents for nearly 100
years. He traded the fading glory that is inevitable in the world, for a
personal, trusting, eternal relationship with GOD.
Here
in Genesis chapter 12 we see the literal “calling” of Abram by GOD, into a life-changing
commitment of humility and dependence on the promises of the only wise,
sovereign CREATOR of the universe. Abram was 75 years old when he first
received instructions from GOD to leave the land in which he was born,
including, leaving his relatives and the entire house of his father (v.1).
Abram,
in spite of those instructions from the LORD, decided to take his nephew Lot and
all of his clan with him (v.5). This disobedience would later cause many problems
for Abram as we shall see (Genesis 13:5-7, 14:11-16, and 18:22-33).
We
see beginning in verse 2, GOD reeling off a list of five promises to Abram that
will not all be realized in his lifetime. Here HE tells Abram that;
·
I will
cause you to become the father of a great nation
·
I will
bless you and make you famous
·
I will
make you a blessing to others
·
I will
bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you
·
All the
families of the earth will be blessed through you
And so Abram left Haran and traveled to the land of Canaan. While
traveling through Canaan, he came to a place near Shechem where he set up camp
beside the oak trees at “Moreh” (which means “teacher”). This is significant in
that, the Canaanites had worship shrines already set up there in the area among
the oak trees of Moreh, and this in fact may have been the site of one or more of
their many cult worship centers.
Ironically,
it is here that the LORD appeared to Abram and informed him that “this land
will be given to your offspring”. And so Abram built a shrine for the LORD,
right there among the shrines of the pagans. Perhaps this bodes as a symbolic
gesture that the GOD of all gods was about to manifest HIS glorious presence in
the cursed land of the Canaanites. Stay tuned.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official
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