DAY 210- BIG PICTURE IN A YEAR - THE LAND
Reading: Genesis 12:1-9
Evil Babylon we learned about yesterday, produced the father of our faith. Just when you think you understand it all.
Today’s focus is on the Promised Land of Canaan. At this point in Biblical history God’s people would have been a small group of people that included Abram and his family. It is possible that God had reserved others in the world that we don’t know of (e.g. Job, who might have been a contemporary of Abram). The word of God that His people had to live under, were the 5 amazing promises that God gave to Abram.
Who was Abram when God selected him? Abram came from Ur of the Chaldees, that is, Babylon – yes, the very Babylon we learned about yesterday. It is highly likely that he came from a pagan background but when God called him, he listened and put his faith in God’s promise of land, descendants and blessing. He believed so much in fact that he packed up his entire household, left his homeland and went off in search of the land that God had promised him.
It turned out to be the land of Canaan. At the time, it was possessed by Canaanites, who were Ham’s descendants. Canaan was cursed by Noah and his ancestors lived in wicked idolatry and Baal worship. Once their sins reached full measure, God ordered the Israelites to possess their land. The Promised Land was geographically defined as being from the river of Egypt to the River Euphrates. In Abram’s day it was inhabited by Kenites, Kenezzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.
The Promised Land was given to Abram and his descendants as an everlasting possession.
Prayer
Dear Father, help us to have the faith of Abraham, who became the father of many nations and the father of faith. Thank You for an everlasting inheritance of land which cannot fade. Amen
FOR THE FAMILY
Explain
Briefly explain today’s devotion in an age appropriate way, then watch
together. It’s a fascinating historical glimpse into the world that Abram came from.