1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: Let us pray. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, 2 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty, but 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: by my name Jehovah, was I not known to them? 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: Exodus six three. Lord, so many like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, 5 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: know you is the Almighty God of power through your 6 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: acts of intervention and miracles, but they don't know you 7 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: as Jehovah, the absolute, eternal, self existent one. You are 8 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: the great I am and always have been. You are 9 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: the same to day as you were yesterday, as you 10 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: will be tomorrow. You never change. If I want to 11 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: have a relationship with you, I am the one who 12 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: will have to change. You rule the heavens and the earth. 13 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: It all belongs to you as the master creator of 14 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: the universe. Lord, help me to enlarge my perspective of 15 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: who you truly are. You're more than a flannel board 16 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,279 Speaker 1: Jesus in Sunday School. You can't be confined to my little, 17 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: finite mind. I only see but a small portion of 18 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: who you are. You reveal a unique part of yourself 19 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: to me that fits with your plan and purpose for 20 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: my life. Mothers may see you differently based on their 21 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: personality and gifts. That's why when your body of believers 22 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: comes together, I see a more holistic picture of your 23 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: majestic being in all its multifaceted dimensions. You have fitly 24 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: framed us together to show the world the intricacy of 25 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: your being. I love you, Lord, there is no one 26 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: like you. I bless your holy name. I pray these 27 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: things in Jesus name. 28 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 2: Amen. 29 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To 30 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life. Stay tuned for the 31 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: Bible in a Year, brought to you by Bible in 32 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: a Year dot. 33 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 3: Com, Abram and Sarah. Before this story, we learned about 34 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 3: the Tower of Babel and mankind's attempts to be their 35 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 3: own gods and make their name great. Now we learn 36 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 3: about Abram, God's chosen hero to be the father of nations. 37 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,519 Speaker 3: The following is inspired by the Book of Genesis. 38 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 2: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the 39 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 2: Bible in a Year podcast. As I said in yesterday's episode, 40 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 2: God was already at work to bring about his great 41 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 2: plan of redemption for the world, and today we're going 42 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 2: to look at a pivotal figure in his plan, a 43 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: man named Abram. If you've ever had had to pick 44 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 2: up and move from a place you've called home your 45 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 2: entire life, you will relate to Abram. He was seventy 46 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: five years old when God called him to take his 47 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: wife Sarah, leave his home and go to a place 48 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 2: he did not know. That sounds like a very stressful 49 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 2: move to me. But you see, God had a plan 50 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: for Abram, and it couldn't or wouldn't be accomplished if 51 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 2: he stayed where he was. He needed to step out 52 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 2: with faith and trust in God. Faith is the central 53 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 2: things throughout Abram's life. Often he passed the test of faith. 54 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 2: Other times, as we'll see today, he struggled, tried to 55 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 2: work out the problem in his own strength and wisdom, 56 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 2: and as you can imagine, that doesn't work out well 57 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 2: at all. But through it all we'll continue to see 58 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 2: how God is present, that he is provider and protector 59 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: for Abraham and Sarah and all who trust in Him. 60 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 2: Let's listen in now to this story. 61 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 3: Out of the line of Shem came Abram, a man 62 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 3: well advanced in years. When Abram was seventy five years old, 63 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 3: the Lord spoke to him, saying, go away from your 64 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 3: country and your people, to an unknown land. I have 65 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 3: a place for you. I will bless those who bless you, 66 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 3: and curse those who dishonor you, and through you all 67 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 3: the nations shall be blessed. This was Abram's call to adventure, 68 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 3: and he had no idea what the Lord would truly 69 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 3: do through him. Yet he obeyed and left his father's 70 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 3: land with his wife SARAHI, and his nephew Lot. They 71 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 3: journeyed together, determined to see God's will unfold before them. 72 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 3: They set out to Canaan, the land God had chosen 73 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 3: for them. There, God spoke to Abram, saying, this is 74 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 3: the land I have promised to you and your descendants. 75 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 3: Even now, as the Lord's will was being shown to Abram, 76 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 3: he could not matham what great things God would do. 77 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 3: Abram pitched their tent in between Bethel in a place 78 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 3: called Ay and built an altar there and dedicated it 79 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 3: to the Lord. Shortly after, they ventured forth towards Negev 80 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 3: to explore more of God's promised land. Later, there was 81 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 3: a severe famine in the land. The land, once bursting 82 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 3: with promise and opportunity, became desolate, and the once hopeful 83 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 3: Abram decided to take his family and all his possessions 84 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 3: to Egypt. There they lived until the famine was over. 85 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 3: As they entered Egypt, doubt and paranoia began to seep 86 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 3: into Abram's mind. Abram became fearful that Sarah's beauty would 87 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 3: cause the Egyptians to kill him so they could take her. Abram, 88 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 3: fearful and faithless, devised a lie. He spoke to his wife, saying, 89 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:56,919 Speaker 3: when we enter Egypt, do not tell them that you 90 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 3: are my wife. Instead, tell them you are my sister. 91 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 3: This way my life will be spared and they will 92 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 3: treat me well as expected. Pharaoh caught notice of Sarah's 93 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,919 Speaker 3: beauty and brought her into his courts so that he 94 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 3: might be with her. And just as Adam put himself 95 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 3: before his wife in the garden, so Abram did to 96 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 3: his wife in Egypt. Pharaoh, to gain favor with SARAHI, 97 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 3: blessed Abram and adorned him with sheep, cattle, servants, and camels. 98 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 3: Abram's lie was working, Yet God is not one to 99 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 3: play partner and a lie. The Lord afflicted Pharaoh and 100 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 3: his house with great plagues and revealed that SARRII was 101 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 3: Abram's wife. Pharaoh frantic and confused, demanded answers from Abram, 102 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 3: What is this you have done to me? Why did 103 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 3: you not tell me that she was your wife? He shouted, Now, 104 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 3: then here is your wife, Take her and go. So 105 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 3: they went their way back to Canaan and settled in Bethel. 106 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 3: This would be the first of many failures by Abram, 107 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 3: yet God's enduring protection over him and his future was steadfast. 108 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 3: Abram would need it, for the journey would only become 109 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 3: more difficult. 110 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 2: Before father Abraham, the one with many sons, was called 111 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 2: by that name. He lived in the land of Earth 112 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 2: and was named Abram. Genesis twelve starts out with God 113 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 2: speaking to Abram. I just absolutely love this promise that 114 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 2: God makes to Abram in verses one through three. Go 115 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 2: from your country and from your relatives, and from your 116 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: father's house to the land which I will show you. 117 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 2: And I will make you into a great nation. And 118 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 2: I will bless you and make your name great, and 119 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those 120 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 2: who bless you, and the one who curses you, I 121 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 2: will curse. And in you all the families of the 122 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 2: earth will be blessed. What an honor, What a privilege 123 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 2: it must have felt like for Abram to hear God's 124 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 2: promise that through him, God would bless the entire world. 125 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 2: In order for that promise to be fulfilled, however, Abram 126 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 2: and his wife Sarah had to trust in God like 127 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 2: they had never done before. Imagine being told to leave 128 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 2: your home, your family, your friends, your land, and go 129 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 2: somewhere to be determined. Just go. Would you take that step? Abram, 130 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 2: one of our great examples of faith in the Bible, 131 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 2: did answer the call and embarked on the great adventure 132 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 2: of faith. In many ways, this is a story of 133 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 2: contrast that reveals a truth about our own journey of faith. 134 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 2: At many moments, Abram is faithful, trusting, and fully in 135 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 2: step with God's plans. He follows God to Canaan, the 136 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 2: land that God chose for him. But then a famine 137 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 2: had and Abram decided to leave for greener pastures. Without 138 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 2: consulting God, he left and he went to Egypt. We're 139 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 2: not told that God directed him there, so this was 140 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 2: clearly Abram's idea. It was the beginning of a series 141 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 2: of poor choices that demonstrated a lack of faith. This 142 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 2: is not unlike you and me. When things get tough, 143 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 2: we may often try to take things into our own 144 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 2: hands rather than resting and trusting in the care and 145 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 2: the providence and the promises of God. And then one 146 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 2: bad choice begets another, and soon we find ourselves in 147 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 2: a desert. That's what happened to Abram. He lied about 148 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 2: his own wife, giving her to the Pharaoh to save 149 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 2: his own skin. It seemed to work at first, but 150 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 2: sin and lies always catch up to us, don't they. 151 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 2: God stepped in and set Abraham back on course. But 152 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,439 Speaker 2: just imagine the loss of trust between Abram and Sarah 153 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 2: and the erosion in their relationship. And still, as we've 154 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 2: been seeing over and over again in each story, God's 155 00:09:56,160 --> 00:10:00,959 Speaker 2: hand was there, his presence there to protect and provide 156 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 2: for Abram and his family and for the ultimate purpose 157 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 2: of God's glory and their redemption and the redemption of 158 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 2: the world. May we be like the Abram who stepped 159 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 2: out in faith, believing God, rather than the Abram who 160 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 2: set off on his own course in fear. And may 161 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 2: we find hope and comfort knowing that even when Abram 162 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:27,679 Speaker 2: lost faith for a while, God did not abandon him. 163 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:30,719 Speaker 2: Dear God, thank you for this beautiful story of your 164 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 2: promise to bless the world through Abram. Help us to 165 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 2: follow his example of faith and learn from his mistakes 166 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,959 Speaker 2: that were born of fear and faithlessness. May we trust 167 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 2: in your ever present grace and mercy to call us 168 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 2: back to you when we walk away in Jesus' name. Amen, 169 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. 170 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 2: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot 171 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 2: com app and make prayer a priority in your life. 172 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 2: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love. 173 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 2: By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in 174 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,439 Speaker 2: someone's life. And if you want more resources on how 175 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 2: to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be 176 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 2: sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God Bless. 177 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare 178 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality. 179 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 3: Welcome to the pre News podcast, where Hope is our 180 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 3: only bias. Each day, we will unpack the most prominent 181 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 3: stories happening in the news and offer a Christian perspective. 182 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 3: We won't shy away from the hard topics. 183 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: And we won't dilute the hopeful message of Christ. This 184 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: is more than a daily brief on the news. 185 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 3: It's a way to be informed and transformed. 186 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: Listen to pre news on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, 187 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.