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GENESIS 13:1-18
LESSON #26
THE BEGINNING STEPS OF A BACK-SLIDING CHRISTIAN
- MEMORY VERSE: PHILIPPIANS 4:19
- READ GEN 13:1-4
- ABRAHAM RETURN S TO BETHEL (4)
- REMEMBER THAT BETHEL MEANS = “HOUSE OF GOD”. IT IS A PLACE OF RE-DEDICATION TO GOD WHERE ONE DOES HIS FIRST WORKS OVER AGAIN. (REV 2:5)
- IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK, AT TIMES WE REALIZE WE HAVE FALLEN OUT OF GOD’S PERFECT WILL.
- HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN WE ARE OUT OF GOD’S WILL?
- SOMETIMES WE DON’T KNOW IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE WE ARE PREOCCUPIED WITH DAILY THINGS. HOWEVER, THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL NOT LET US WANDER TOO FAR BEFORE IT BECOMES APPARENT TO US.
- WANDERING OUT OF GOD’S WILL IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ABRAHAM. WHEN THAT HAPPENS TO US, WE SHOULD DO AS ABRAHAM DID. GO BACK TO THE PLACE WHERE WE LEFT GOD’S WILL AND DO OUR FIRST WORKS OVER AGAIN.
- HOW DO WE DO OUR FIRST WORKS OVER?
- EXAMINE THE PATTERN OF YOUR LIFE AND DETERMINE WHERE YOU LEFT GOD’S PERFECT WILL AND WHY.
- REPENT
- ACCEPT GOD’S FORGIVENESS (1JOH 1:9)
- RE-DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO GOD
- DETERMINE TO PERSEVERE IN YOUR WALK WITH GOD.
- READ GEN 13:5-9
- ANOTHER TEST OF FAITH:
- REMEMBER THAT ABRAHAM, AS WELL AS LOT, CAME OUT OF EGYPT WITH WEALTH THEY DID NOT HAVE BEFORE GOING THERE. GOD USES THIS WORLDLY WEALTH TO TEST THE RE-DEDICATION OF ABRAHAM’S WALK WITH THE LORD.
- REMEMBER THAT GOD ALWAYS TESTS COMMITMENT.
- THE CONFLICT BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND LOT WAS THE TEST.
- OFTEN IN SCRIPTURE, GOD PUTS 2 PEOPLE TOGETHER WHO CONTRAST EACH OTHER IN A VERY SIGNIFICANT WAY. FOR EXAMPLE: CAIN AND ABEL. ABRAHAM AND LOT ARE SUCH A CONTRAST.
- READ GEN 13:10-13 LOT’S CHOICE
- WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ABRAHAM’S AND LOT’S ATTITUDES?
| LOT | ABRAHAM |
| HE HAD NO CONCERN FOR PEACE IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP | HE DESIRED PEACE (8) |
| HE DEMONSTRATED NO EVIDENCE OF EXTENDING GRACE | HE GIVES LOT THE CHOICE (9) |
| HE WALKS BY SIGHT (10) | HE WALKS BY FAITH (4) |
| HE LONGED FOR THE PLEASURES OF EGYPT (THE WORLD) (10) | HE DESIRED TO PLEASE GOD (4) |
| HE CHOSE WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE BEST LAND (11) |
HE CHOSE PEACE AND GOD (12) |
- WHAT IMPORTANT THINGS DO YOU NOTICE ABOUT LOT’S DECISION AND HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE LORD?
- WE SEE LOT CHOOSE WHAT BY “SIGHT” APPEARED TO BE THE BEST LAND. AT THAT TIME THE AREA WAS EVIDENTLY A GREEN VALLEY (10). AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH, THIS AREA GRADUALLY BECAME A DESERT AND REMAINS SO TODAY.
- LOT NOT ONLY CHOSE THE BEST LAND, BUT MADE HIS HOME IN A VERY SINFUL CITY IN THAT LAND. (12)
- LOT EXEMPLIFIES A BACK-SLIDING CHRISTIAN:
- BACK-SLIDING OCCURS IN GRADUAL STEPS OVER TIME.
- LOT WAS A BELIEVER (2PET 2:7), BUT WE SEE HIS FIRST STEPS OF BACK-SLIDING AWAY FROM GOD:
- STEP 1: ONE BEGINS TO WALK BY SIGHT (10)
- SELFISHNESS IS OFTEN A PART OF THE FIRST STEP IN A PERSON’S SPIRITUAL DECLINE.
- STEP 2: ONE CHOOSES WORLDLINESS (11)
- STEP 3: ONE SEPARATES HIMSELF FROM STRONGER BELIEVERS (11)
- STEP 4: ONE BEGINS TO DWELL AMONG NON-BELIEVERS (12)
- STEP 5: ONE BEGINS TO MAKE HIS HOME (BECOMES COMFORTABLE) AMONG SINNERS. (12)
- WE WILL SEE OTHER STEPS OF BACK-SLIDING LATER.
- READ GEN 13:14-18
- ABRAHAM PASSED HIS TEST OF FAITH WHICH GREATLY PLEASED GOD.
- BECAUSE OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH, GOD REVEALS MORE OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT TO ABRAHAM.
- THIS PART INCLUDES THE LAND. ABRAHAM GAVE UP THE BEST LOOKING LAND TO LOT. GOD NOW GIVES HIM GREATER LAND (15) AND SAYS IT WILL BE FOR HIS DESCENDANTS FOREVER. REMEMBER THAT SARAH IS BARREN, SO THIS IS A PROMISE NOT ONLY FOR LAND BUT ALSO FOR PHYSICAL DESCENDANTS.
- ABRAHAM IN THE CITY OF HEBRON
- HEBRON MEANS = “FRIEND” AND REPRESENTS FAITHFULNESS.
- GOD IS NOT ONLY HIS GOD BUT HIS FRIEND.
- HEBRON IS ONE OF THE OLDEST CITIES IN THE WORLD. IT WAS A CANAANITE CITY. IT’S ON THE WEST BANK AND PART OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES WON BY ISRAEL IN 1967 (THE 6 DAY WAR). ISRAEL HAS CURRENTLY DESIGNATED IT A CITY FOR PALESTINIAN SELF RULE.
- EXAMPLES IN HEBRON OF FAITHFULNESS IN SCRIPTURE:
- WHEN SARAH DIED, ABRAHAM BURIED HER HERE. SHE HAD BEEN A FAITHFUL WIFE AND FRIEND.
- HEBRON WAS A SPECIAL BLESSING GIVEN TO CALEB FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS UNDER JOSHUA.
- HEBRON WAS KING DAVID’S CAPITAL FOR 7 1/2 YEARS. BECAUSE OF DAVID’S FAITHFULNESS OVER SMALL THINGS, GOD GAVE HIM A LARGER KINGDOM AND JERUSALEM BECAME THE CAPITAL.
- SUMMARY:
- IF ABRAHAM IS OUR EXAMPLE OF FAITH, THEN WHAT CHRISTIAN ACTIONS DO WE FIND IN CHAPTER 13?
- REPENTANCE FOR SIN AND SEEKING A NEW BEGINNING (3) (REV 2:5)
- ACTING AS A PEACEMAKER (8) (MAT 5:9)
- UNSELFISHNESS (9) (LUK 6:38)
- OBEDIENCE TO GOD (14) (2COR 10:5)
- NOT HOLDING RESENTMENT TOWARD OTHERS (14) (HEB 12:15)
- ACTIVE WORSHIP OF GOD (18) (JOH 4:23)
-
HOMEWORK
GENESIS 14:1-24
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION
- APPLICATION OF GEN 13:1-18
- EXAMINE YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE LORD AND THE CONSTANCY OF YOUR WALK WITH HIM.
- WRITE A PARAGRAPH DEFINING YOUR CONSTANCY IN LIGHT OF ABRAHAM’S EXAMPLE.
- WHAT STEPS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE TO BRING YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD IN CONFORMITY WITH ABRAHAM’S EXAMPLE IN CHAPTER 13?
- PREPARATION OF GEN 14:1-24
- WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT GEN 14:18-20
- FOR BACKGROUND:
- READ GEN 14:1-24, PSA 110, HEB 7:1-4
- MAKE A LIST OF WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT MELCHIZEDEK
- WHO DO YOU THINK MELCHIZEDEK WAS?
- MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 50:14
