Monday: Becoming a Blessing to the Whole World
Daily Lesson for Monday 16th of October 2023
Read Genesis 12:1-3. In what way was God’s instruction to Abram a call to mission?
God asked Abram (whose name He later changed to Abraham) to leave his country and his people and go to another land. It was all part of God’s plan to use Abraham as a vehicle to fulfill His divine purposes in the earth. And Abraham went, according to the Word of the Lord. If God has a plan for you, it may be a call for you to leave your extended family and your people and go to a place that He is opening up for you to serve Him, in order that you can be a blessing to others.
Read the following texts. What does each text tell of God’s covenant, His promise to us?
Genesis 3:15
Genesis 17:19
Numbers 24:17
Isaiah 9:6
Daniel 9:24-27
Matthew 1:21
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
From the above texts, it is clear that God was going to accomplish the promise, made in the Garden of Eden, that Someone will come as a solution to the sin problem. This solution, Jesus Christ the Messiah, was to arise from the line of Abraham and Isaac (through Sarah). Hebrews 11:9 states that Isaac and Jacob were heirs to the promise of blessing that God made to Abraham.
We don’t know exactly how much Abraham himself knew or understood of just how the promised Seed would arise through him, but he moved out in faith anyway. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8, NKJV).
What an example to us!
Suppose you are called by God to go, “not knowing” where you are going. How do you respond, and why?
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I know that we apply a messianic interpretation to the message
but we need to be reminded that the blessing was to start with Abraham. Abraham was not asked to sit around and quote prophecy to the neighbours but to be a blessing to those he interacted with.
A reading of Abraham's story shows a bit of a hilly experience. Sometimes he was a blessing and helped those around him and at other times he acted out of self-interest. So, in many respects, he was much like us.
The call for Abram (as he was then) was not so much to move to another country (he was actually already on his way if you read the story from the beginning), it was to be a blessing.
Perhaps we can apply this to our modern world when we are asked to spread the Gospel. We sometimes take that as a call to show off our knowledge of prophecy and history and show that we have a superior understanding of God's plan, but are we a blessing to those to whom we preach? What does it mean to be a blessing to others?
I remember talking to a person some years ago who had become a Seventh-day Adventist through a health series. He said, "You have got to watch these Seventh-day Adventists. They invite you to a meal and feed you so well and make you feel so welcome that before you know it, you are believing like them!" And he said that with a twinkle in his eye.
We have really got to sort this blessing thing out because that will give a good basis for our communication of the Gospel.
Abraham did not obey a voice he wasn't familiar with. He answered it positively because He knew Who was talking to him; he had an intimacy with God and probably had responded to many other calls from that voice. How would you ask someone for something that feels extraordinary without having developed a deep relationship before? God may call you and me today for something simple, but like Abraham, let us respond to Him positively and become intimate; more significant changes may come at the right time!
Yes, true! Abraham was familiar with God's voice well before that call! We need to develop this intimate knowledge of God's voice for ourselves. Obedience in the mundane situations of day-to-day life can build up positive habits of yielding to that voice. We need to get used to accepting "no" from that voice, as well as "wait." It takes some grit to stop making excuses for ourselves. (I Cor. 10:13). As we humbly surrender our will to the Lord, we will gain more and more strength from Him to do things that previously would have unnerved us. What a blessing is Abraham's example.
Abraham has really done it . It’s been long I have being to church. But I read this week sabbath school lesson and I’m in church today !! Hallelujah!!!, I pray God of Abraham will keep me in the faith in this New Journey of my life. Amen