1. When did the Lord first appear to Abraham? "And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran." (Acts 7:2)
2. What did He then say to him? "And said unto him, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and come into the land which I shall show you." (Acts 7:3)
3. To what place did Abraham go from Mesopotamia? "Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran; and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed into this land, wherein you now dwell." (Acts 7:4)
4. How long did Abraham stay in Charran (Haran)?
5. After the death of his father, where did he go?
6. Locate, as nearly as possible, all these places on the map.
7. Where do you find the record of these events of which Stephen speaks? "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, unto a land that I will show you: And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed. 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. 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." (Genesis 12:1-5)
8. How old was Abram when he went into the land of Canaan? "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." (Genesis 12:4)
9. How old was he when his father died?
10. When the Lord told Abram to leave his native country, what promise did he make? "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:2-3)
11. What expression shows that this promise was not merely a local affair?
12. How extensive was it?
13. What will be the condition of the world when this promise meets its fulfillment?
14. Who are they who are blessed? "Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law does he meditate day and night." (Psalm 1:1-2)
15. Then what will all the world do when this promise is fulfilled?
16. And when God's will is thus perfectly performed, what will be on this earth? "Your kingdom come, your will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10)
Notes:
The answer to question 9 will be readily seen by those who connect (Genesis 12:4 with Acts 7:4). He went out of Charran [or Haran] into Canaan when his father was dead, says Stephen. Moses says that he was seventy-five years old when he went into Canaan. So he was seventy-five years old, and his father died.
From a single expression in the promise contained in (Genesis 12:2-3), we know that it was not a local affair. That expression is this: "In you shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:3)
It embraces all the inhabitants of the earth. But it is not fulfilled until all the inhabitants of the earth are blessed. That condition does not now exist, and has never yet existed. Now we learn in (Psalm 1:1-2) who are blessed,--those who love and obey the law of God. Of course; if the curse came because of sin, the blessing will come only when there is obedience.
Therefore, when this promise is fulfilled, every inhabitant of the earth will be delighting in the law of the Lord. In harmony with this are the words of Christ in his prayer, (Matthew 6:10) showing that such a state exists only when the kingdom of God exists on earth.--Signs of the Times, March 26, 1885--Lesson for the Pacific Coast - April 15--Genesis 12:1-5.
E.J. Waggoner