Subscription Lists

Genesis Chapter 12 - we come to the call of Abraham - a new move of God.

Do read Chapter 12 because herein lies one source of blessing – not to be missed.

We come to Part 2of sweeping through the Bible in ten weeks.

When God is doing something new - He always calls a man - raises up a man - sending someone in the flesh do a particular task.

Leave - go - travel - and Abraham did not know where he was going when he left home – but the promise was – “I will make you”. Is that not so like Jesus? “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” When we are chosen and called, we seldom know where it will end up - and that is just as well.

Through Abraham people are going to be blessed - and that also happens today. Through you, people will be and can be blessed, if they choose to receive you and your ministry.

Verse 8 – Abraham pitched his tent and built an altar. We saw that when Noah emerged from the Ark the first thing he did was worship.

Abraham pitched a tent - something temporary and movable - but built an altar. Worship was going to be permanent - not just a passing phase.

But even when you are chosen and called - there can be problems and difficulties which you knew nothing about at the time of moving and flowing with God - a famine.

Chapter 15 - Abraham continues to move with God - and God continues to bless him through all his difficulties and problems.

Chapter 16 – he has no child - no son and heir - no-one to pass on the promises of God - and Sarah and Abraham try to help God out - and the consequences are disaster.

Ishmael is born from whom comes the Arab people.

There are 13silent years - and God speaks again - and a son is promised - and in time Isaac is born.

Chapter 22 - Abraham is tested. Be ready to be tested. Take your only son - this is your gift to the world - this is MY GIFT to the world - kill it - sacrifice it. And when God saw Abraham's willingness He intervenes and provides a sacrifice.

There came that day when another only son carried wood up the same hill and this time God the Father did not intervene.

We have Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - Jacob has twelve sons - one of them is Joseph - who is a dreamer - and who is sold into Egypt - as a result of sharing his dreams.

Joseph ends up in prison in Egypt - and people who promise to help him let him down - and forget all about him - but God raises Joseph up to become Prime Minister of Egypt - in charge of all of Pharaoh's house - Chapter 41 – and Joseph is used to rescue that entire Middles East region at a time of famine.

In Chapter 50 Joseph and his family are re-united - verses 20,24 .

400 years pass between the end of Genesis and the opening of the book of Exodus.

Things are bad and serious and sore for the Hebrews - the people of God.

We read of the first attempts to wipe out this race of people – the first Pogrom.

God is about to do something new - and He raises up a leader - Moses - well educated and brought up as a prince. God is not slow to repeat Himself - Noah - Abraham - and now, Moses. Moses has to flee - and 40 years later when he thought that nothing mighty would every happen in his life - God intervenes. Exodus Chapters 1to 3.

There is a battle - there follows a series of battles - be prepared for a battle or a series of battles. Moses and God - Moses and Pharaoh. Well, would you want to lose two and half million slaves?

There are the various plagues - the final one being the Passover - which Israel continues to remember today - and Paul writes about Jesus Christ being our Passover Lamb.

Take a lamb - Exodus Chapter 12 – mark your doors with the blood of the lamb - the blood - eat the roast lamb - you be in the lamb - and have the lamb in you. Be ready to leave - and they leave - and cross the Red Sea - only to girn and grumble.

The Ten Commandments are given - and various other Commandments - and the Feasts which Israel is to keep - these appointments with God. They would help keep Israel a special people. Leviticus is all about being holy. Deuteronomy means the second giving of the Law. At times God has to speak to us more than once.

Deuteronomy Chapter 31 - Joshua is to succeed Moses as leader of the people. Moses, the man of God, dies. When we move into Joshua - God reassures him of His Holy Presence. Joshua Chapter 1

Imagine how the people must have felt when Moses died - the end of an era. It is similar in Genesis Chapter 25 when Abraham dies - Isaac and Ishmael come for the funeral. They had not seen each other for years - isn't this so common in our experience of life today?

The Bible is so true to life - but there is no comment - just the facts.

People come and go - but there is a continuity of blessing.

It is now time to take the land - there are victories and disappointments - Achan's sin being recorded for us in Chapter 7 .

God does not hide these things from us - Abraham helping God out - thinking God cannot do what He said He would do - Moses not wanting to lead - the Golden Calf - the ten spies coming with that sad report.

These are very human people - with weaknesses and failings - but they are chosen, and God does not give them up.

We need to hold on to that at times too. If God has called you and has chosen you He will not give up on you either, despite your flaws and failures and weaknesses.

II Corinthians Chapter 4verse 7 –W we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

Deuteronomy Chapter 7 verses 7 to 9 – “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples….it was because the Lord loved you….and brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery.”

“Loving Father, as we sweep through part of Your Holy Word – we see clearly Your hand upon Your chosen people – and in Christ Jesus, we too are called and chosen and given a very specific task and ministry – speak to us through these Old Testament passages – we worship You in the Name of our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Amen.

"Point of Reference" from Fred Price

The In-Between-Times