1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: And I will bless them that bless THEE, and curse 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: him that curseth THEE. And in THEE shall all families 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: of the earth be blessed. Genesis twelve three. Dear God, 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: the seasons of uncertainty and adventure begin. Like Abraham. Give 5 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: me the courage to move without hesitation. Give me the 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: ability to see through your eyes, so that the journey 7 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: to my destiny doesn't overwhelm me, causing me to hesitate 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: and miss what you have for me. Lord. From this 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: moment on, I declare that I will move in faith 10 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: and power as I take steps in the direction of 11 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: my promised land, decreeing that everything my feet touch has 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: already been established and given to me. I will not 13 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: use manipulation and lies to try to protect myself or 14 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: the one I love, but rather through honesty than trust 15 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: in the Lord, I know that everything will work out 16 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: for my good. Thank you Jesus that even though like Abraham, 17 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: I try to take things into my own hands, your 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: grace and love is enough to redirect my steps. Then 19 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: set me on the right path. Then Jesus's name, Amen, 20 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,199 Speaker 1: thank you for making prayer a priority in your day. 21 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible. Stay tuned for today's story, 22 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com, 23 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: Abraham and SIAI. Before this story, we learned about the 24 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: Tower of Babel and mankind's attempts to be their own 25 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: gods and make the name great. Now we learn about Abram, 26 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 1: God's chosen hero to be the father of nations. The 27 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: following is inspired by the Book of Genesis. Hello, I'm 28 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible in 29 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: a Year podcast. As I said in yesterday's episode, God 30 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: was already at work to bring about his great plan 31 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: of redemption for the world, and today we're going to 32 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 1: look at a pivotal figure in his plan, a man 33 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: named Abram. If you've ever had to pick up and 34 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 1: move from a place you've called home your entire life, 35 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 1: you will relate to Abram. He was seventy five years 36 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: old when God called him to take his wife Sarah, 37 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: leave his home and go to a place he did 38 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: not know. That sounds like a very stressful move to me, 39 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: But you see, God had a plan for Abram, and 40 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: it couldn't or wouldn't be accomplished if he stayed where 41 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: he was. He needed to step out with faith and 42 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: trust in God. Faith is a central things throughout Abram's life. 43 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: Often he passed the test of faith. Other times, as 44 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: we'll see today, he struggled, tried to work out the 45 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: problem in his own strength and wisdom, and as you 46 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: can imagine, that doesn't work out well at all. But 47 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: through it all we'll continue to see how God is present, 48 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: that he is provider and protector for Abraham and Sarah 49 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: and all who trust in Him. Let's listen in now 50 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: to this story. Out of the line of Shem came Abram, 51 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: a man well advanced in years. When Abram was seventy 52 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: five years old, the Lord spoke to him, saying, go 53 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: away from your country and your people to an unknown land. 54 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: I have a place for you. I will bless those 55 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: who bless you, and curse those who dishonor you, and 56 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: through you all the nations shall be blessed. This was 57 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: Abram's call to adventure, and he had no idea what 58 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: the Lord would truly do through him. Yet he obeyed 59 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: and left his father's land with his wife Serai and 60 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: his nephew Lot. They journeyed together, determined to see God's 61 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,919 Speaker 1: will unfold before them, they set out to Canaan, the 62 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: land God had chosen for them. There, God spoke to Abram, saying, 63 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: this is the land I have promised to you and 64 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: your descendants. Even now, as the Lord's will was being 65 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: shown to Abram, he could not fathom what great things 66 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: God would do. Abram pitched their tent in between Bethel 67 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,159 Speaker 1: and a place called Iye and built an altar there 68 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: and dedicated it to the Lord. Shortly after, they ventured 69 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: forth towards Negif to explore more of God's promised land. Later, 70 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: there was a severe famine in the land. The land, 71 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: once bursting with promise and opportunity, became desolate and the 72 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: once for Abram decided to take his family and all 73 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: his possessions to Egypt. There they lived until the famine 74 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 1: was over. As they entered Egypt, doubt and paranoia began 75 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: to seep into Abram's mind. Abram became fearful that Siaia's 76 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: beauty would cause the Egyptians to kill him so they 77 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: could take her. Abram, fearful and faithless, devised a lie. 78 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: He spoke to his wife, saying, when we enter Egypt, 79 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: do not tell them that you are my wife. Instead, 80 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: tell them you are my sister. This way my life 81 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: will be spared and they will treat me well as expected. 82 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,799 Speaker 1: Pharaoh caught notice of Siraia's beauty and brought her into 83 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: his courts so that he might be with her. And 84 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,479 Speaker 1: just as Adam put himself before his wife in the garden, 85 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: so Abram did to his wife in Egypt. Pharaoh, to 86 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: gain favor with sir II, blessed Abram and adorned him 87 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: with sheep, cattle, servants, and camels. Abram's lie was working, 88 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: yet God has not one to play partner and a lie. 89 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: The Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues 90 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: and revealed that sir RAI was Abram's wife. Pharaoh, frantic 91 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 1: and confused, demanded answers from Abram. What is this you 92 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: have done to me? Why did you not tell me 93 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: that she was your wife? He shouted, Now, then here 94 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 1: is your wife, Take her and go. So they went 95 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 1: their way back to Canaan and settled in Bethel. This 96 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,039 Speaker 1: would be the first of many failures by Abram, yet 97 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 1: God's enduring protection over him and his future was steadfast. 98 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: Abram would need it, for the journey would only become 99 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: more difficult. The forefather Abraham, the one with many sons, 100 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 1: was called by that name. He lived in the land 101 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: of Erth and was named Abram. Genesis twelfth starts out 102 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: with God speaking to Abram, I just absolutely love this 103 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: promise that God makes to Abram in verses one through three. 104 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: Go from your country and from your relatives, and from 105 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: your father's house to the land which I will show you. 106 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: And I will make you into a great nation. And 107 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: I will bless you and make your name great, and 108 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those 109 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: who bless you, and the one who curses you, I 110 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: will curse. And in you all the families of the 111 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: earth will be blessed. What an honor, what a privilege 112 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: it must have felt like for Abram to hear God's 113 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: promise that through him, God would bless the entire world. 114 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: In order for that promise to be fulfilled, however, Abram 115 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: and his wife Sarah had to trust in God like 116 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: they had never done before. Imagine being told to leave 117 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: your home, your family, your friends, your land, and go 118 00:07:55,480 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: somewhere to be determined. Just go. Would you take that step, Abram. 119 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: One of our great examples of faith in the Bible, 120 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: did answer the call and embarked on the great adventure 121 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: of faith. In many ways, this is a story of 122 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: contrast that reveals a truth about our own journey of faith. 123 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: At many moments, Abram is faithful, trusting, and fully in 124 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: step with God's plans. He follows God to Canaan, the 125 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: land that God chose for him. But then a famine 126 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: head and Abram decided to leave for greener pastures. Without 127 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: consulting God, he left, and he went to Egypt. We're 128 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: not told that God directed him there, so this was 129 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: clearly Abram's idea. It was the beginning of a series 130 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: of poor choices that demonstrated a lack of faith. This 131 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: is not unlike you and me. When things get tough, 132 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: we may often try to take things into our own hands, 133 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: rather than resting and trusting in the care and the 134 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:57,560 Speaker 1: providence and the promises of God. And then one bad 135 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: choice begets another, and soon we find ourselves in a desert. 136 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: That's what happened to Abram. He lied about his own wife, 137 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: giving her to the Pharaoh to save his own skin. 138 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: It seemed to work at first, but sin and lies 139 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,559 Speaker 1: always catch up to us, don't they God stepped in 140 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: and set Abraham back on course. But just imagine the 141 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 1: loss of trust between Abram and Sarah and the erosion 142 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: in their relationship. And still, as we've been seeing over 143 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: and over again in each story, God's hand was there, 144 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: his presence there to protect and provide for Abram and 145 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: his family and for the ultimate purpose of God's glory 146 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: and their redemption and the redemption of the world. May 147 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: we be like the Abram who stepped out in faith, 148 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: believing God, rather than the Abram who set off on 149 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 1: his own course in fear. And may we find hope 150 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: and comfort knowing that even when Abram lost faith for 151 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: a while, God did not abandon him. Dear God, thank 152 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: you for this beautiful story of your promise to bless 153 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: the world through April. Help us to follow his example 154 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 1: of faith and learn from his mistakes that were born 155 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 1: of fear and faithlessness. May we trust in your ever 156 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 1: present grace and mercy to call us back to You 157 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: when we walk away in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you 158 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm 159 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Prey dot 160 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: Com app and make prayer a priority in your life. 161 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love. 162 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in 163 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 1: someone's life. And if you want more resources on how 164 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be 165 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless This 166 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:59,839 Speaker 1: episode is sponsored by metashare, an innovative healthcare solution for 167 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.