Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

GET OUT!

This entry was posted on 02-02-2010 and is filed under STUDIES IN GENESIS.

"Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land I will show you.'" (Gen. 12:1, NKJV).

Abram - as he was called then - was probably still in Haran when this call (originally given to him in Ur of Chaldee) was reiterated. Stephen's "Old Testament History 101" lecture records this. "The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you" (Acts 7:3).

In both texts we hear God saying, "Get out!" God knew that His divine plan for redeeming man could not start until Abram/Abraham got out of his homeland. The Road to Redemption hinged on one man's obedience. To his credit, Abraham obeyed God, though it must have been very hard to do. Hebrews 11:8 says, "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." That is truly amazing and challenging to me!

Has God ever asked you to "get out" in some way or another? I can't say that I have heard the audible voice of God saying, "Victor, get out of your country and go to a land I will show you." Knowing when to leave one ministry and go to another part of the country has always been difficult for me. Should I stay one more year? Should I leave now? Sometimes I have wished that I would hear God speak to me in audible and specific terms! One thing I know. If I am in a situation or relationship that is displeasing to God, I need to hear those words ring in my ears: "Get out!" Remember Lot? He was one of Abram's relatives whom Abram brought with him when he left Haran (even though he was divinely told not to). Lot wound up in Sodom and it took two angels to convince him to leave. "Get your family out of here!" Everyone in Lot's family wanted to stay. He practically had to drag them kicking and screaming out of Sodom. Even at that, his wife could not resist looking back and was turned into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:12-29). Part of our fleshly nature always wants to stay even when God says, "Get out!"

Prayer: Holy Father, You always know what is best for us. Teach us to be more sensitive to Your will and to the instructions for daily living that You have graciously given us in Your Holy Word. Through Christ we pray.