Devotion 12
DEVOTION 12: “Abraham’s Seed” coming out of Gen. 12
God has always been looking to bring His seed (children of God) into the world. He initially tried with Adam and Eve, but they failed because of sin. As a result, God had to find a new Adam (Jesus Christ), and a new Eve (the church) to bear His children. In this chapter, we see that God promises Abraham as the one to bring forth His children. Jesus Christ is the Seed of Abraham, and the Church is the spiritual seed of Abraham through our marriage with Christ.
Out of all the people living at that time, God elected one man to be the vessel through which Jesus Christ (God the Word) and the Church (children of God) will come together.
Let’s read:
Genesis 12:1 “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:”
The First Word was separation. The Word of God comes to separate us from anything in this world.
Matthew 10:34-39 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. [35] For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. [36] And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. [37] He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. [38] And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. [39] He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
The Word of God is always the dividing line. After Abraham was elected, he was separated from everyone and everything else.
Understand Abraham was chosen even before the foundation of the world based on God foreknowledge.
Ephesians 1:4-5 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: [5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”
The seed (children) of God were chosen in Christ even before the foundation of the world.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:2 “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:”
This has nothing to do with what Abraham has done. It was all due to the Grace and favor of God.
This man was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
Job 38:4-7 “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. [5] Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? [6] Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; [7] When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
Abraham and all in Christ were in Christ before God laid the foundation of the world.
No man chooses God. It’s God Who has chosen men and women to be the bride (Church) of Christ.
It’s this faith of Abraham that the church is founded upon. The Church is the spiritual Seed of Abraham through Christ, and not the physical seed of Abraham through Isaac.
The only thing that can make one great is the Word of God. It’s the Word of God (Jesus Christ) that created the universe. Greatness is not the man or woman but the Word of God dwelling in the man or woman by faith. Greatness is when a man or woman is in Christ.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
The Word of God in a man or woman makes them one with God. The man or woman must rid themselves of their words and line up with the Word of God. They therefore speak only what God speaks and nothing of themselves. What the Word of God blesses through them is blessed, and what the Word of God curses through them is cursed.
The prophet Balaam had to learn this.
Numbers 23:8,16-20 “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? [16] And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. [17] And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken? [18] And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: [19] God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it ? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? [20] Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.”
The power to curse or bless is of God alone. The vessel (man or woman) is simply to be a channel through which the Word comes out to bless or to curse. The Word does not begin with the man. It begins with God.
When the gospel (the Word of God) is preached, everyone who believes is blessed, and everyone who does not believe is cursed.
Mark 16:15-16 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. [16] He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:4-6 “So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. [5] And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. [6] And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.”
God was His own preacher at that time. Abraham believed the Word of God, and was blessed.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:7 “And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.”
The Lord came preaching to Abraham, and he believed it. He did not doubt the Word. He believed and received it.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:8-17 “And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. [9] And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. [10] And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. [11] And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: [12] Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. [13] Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. [14] And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. [15] The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. [16] And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. [17] And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.”
Abraham is one with God by faith (believing the Word of God). What belongs to God belongs to Abraham and whatever belongs to Abraham belongs to God.
Romans 8:17 “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
Sarai who belong to Abraham therefore belongs to God. Hence the plagues on Pharaoh after trying to touch what belongs to God.
We conclude our reading:
Genesis 12:18-20 “And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? [19] Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. [20] And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.”
The election of God based on His foreknowledge. It’s not us who chose Him but He elected us even before we were born.
Romans 9:10-13 “And not only this ; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; [11] (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) [12] It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. [13] As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
God knew Jacob belonged to Him even before he was born. He also knew Esau did not belong to Him before the foundation of the world.
He has called us, cleansed us, circumcised us, and predestinated us in Christ.
Let the Word of God separate you. Believe and confess the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Abraham, the beginning of the Church, in Christ!
God has always been looking to bring His seed (children of God) into the world. He initially tried with Adam and Eve, but they failed because of sin. As a result, God had to find a new Adam (Jesus Christ), and a new Eve (the church) to bear His children. In this chapter, we see that God promises Abraham as the one to bring forth His children. Jesus Christ is the Seed of Abraham, and the Church is the spiritual seed of Abraham through our marriage with Christ.
Out of all the people living at that time, God elected one man to be the vessel through which Jesus Christ (God the Word) and the Church (children of God) will come together.
Let’s read:
Genesis 12:1 “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:”
The First Word was separation. The Word of God comes to separate us from anything in this world.
Matthew 10:34-39 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. [35] For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. [36] And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. [37] He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. [38] And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. [39] He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
The Word of God is always the dividing line. After Abraham was elected, he was separated from everyone and everything else.
Understand Abraham was chosen even before the foundation of the world based on God foreknowledge.
Ephesians 1:4-5 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: [5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”
The seed (children) of God were chosen in Christ even before the foundation of the world.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:2 “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:”
This has nothing to do with what Abraham has done. It was all due to the Grace and favor of God.
This man was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
Job 38:4-7 “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. [5] Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? [6] Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; [7] When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
Abraham and all in Christ were in Christ before God laid the foundation of the world.
No man chooses God. It’s God Who has chosen men and women to be the bride (Church) of Christ.
It’s this faith of Abraham that the church is founded upon. The Church is the spiritual Seed of Abraham through Christ, and not the physical seed of Abraham through Isaac.
The only thing that can make one great is the Word of God. It’s the Word of God (Jesus Christ) that created the universe. Greatness is not the man or woman but the Word of God dwelling in the man or woman by faith. Greatness is when a man or woman is in Christ.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
The Word of God in a man or woman makes them one with God. The man or woman must rid themselves of their words and line up with the Word of God. They therefore speak only what God speaks and nothing of themselves. What the Word of God blesses through them is blessed, and what the Word of God curses through them is cursed.
The prophet Balaam had to learn this.
Numbers 23:8,16-20 “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? [16] And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. [17] And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken? [18] And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: [19] God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it ? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? [20] Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.”
The power to curse or bless is of God alone. The vessel (man or woman) is simply to be a channel through which the Word comes out to bless or to curse. The Word does not begin with the man. It begins with God.
When the gospel (the Word of God) is preached, everyone who believes is blessed, and everyone who does not believe is cursed.
Mark 16:15-16 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. [16] He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:4-6 “So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. [5] And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. [6] And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.”
God was His own preacher at that time. Abraham believed the Word of God, and was blessed.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:7 “And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.”
The Lord came preaching to Abraham, and he believed it. He did not doubt the Word. He believed and received it.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 12:8-17 “And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. [9] And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. [10] And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. [11] And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: [12] Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. [13] Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. [14] And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. [15] The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. [16] And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. [17] And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.”
Abraham is one with God by faith (believing the Word of God). What belongs to God belongs to Abraham and whatever belongs to Abraham belongs to God.
Romans 8:17 “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
Sarai who belong to Abraham therefore belongs to God. Hence the plagues on Pharaoh after trying to touch what belongs to God.
We conclude our reading:
Genesis 12:18-20 “And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? [19] Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. [20] And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.”
The election of God based on His foreknowledge. It’s not us who chose Him but He elected us even before we were born.
Romans 9:10-13 “And not only this ; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; [11] (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) [12] It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. [13] As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
God knew Jacob belonged to Him even before he was born. He also knew Esau did not belong to Him before the foundation of the world.
He has called us, cleansed us, circumcised us, and predestinated us in Christ.
Let the Word of God separate you. Believe and confess the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Abraham, the beginning of the Church, in Christ!
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