>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Emily Post became famous
for writing about etiquette.
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By the time she
was 50 years old,
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she was already an
accomplished writer,
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but it was then that
her best-selling book,
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"Etiquette in Society,
in Business, in Politics,
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and at Home," was published.
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In 1922 a lot of people needed
a little guidance in how to...
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live like ladies and gentlemen.
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One writer noted
that at the time,
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"The country's exotic mix
of immigrants and newly rich
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"were eager to fit in
with the establishment.
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"Men had to be taught
not to blow their noses
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into their hands or to spit
tobacco onto ladies' backs."
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Emily Post wrote
advice like this:
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"Best Society is...an
association of gentle-folk,
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"of which good form in
speech, charm of manner,
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"knowledge of
the social amenities,
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"and instinctive consideration
for the feelings of others,
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"are the credentials by
which society the world over
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recognizes its chosen members."
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She believed a man wasn't a
gentleman if he didn't live up
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to a code of honor, which
she said is "more important
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than any mere
dictum of etiquette."
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So, should the man
always pay for dinner?
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Should a man hold
open a door for a woman?
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How about this question:
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Should a man ever give
his wife away to a stranger
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if he feels that he's in danger?
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How do you think Emily
Post would answer that?
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We're continuing our series
"Great Characters of the Bible,"
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and we're looking at
a very flawed individual
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who made some
terrible decisions.
00:02:06.39\00:02:09.02
He had an affair with his
wife's personal assistant,
00:02:09.06\00:02:12.23
fathered a child with a
woman who was not his wife.
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He attempted to kill his son.
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And he's often referred to
as "the father of the faithful."
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In spite of his, his
considerable personal failings,
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Abraham was God's man, and
we're going to see together
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how that could be and
how Abraham's experience
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can encourage us to
grow in faith in God.
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His name is mentioned
294 times in the Bible,
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the first time in
Genesis 11, verse 26.
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And way back then, his
name wasn't even Abraham.
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"And Terah lived seventy
years, and begat Abram, Nahor,
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and Haran."
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The three boys were raised
in the same circumstances,
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yet one of them was
changed, transformed really,
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and became one of the pivotal
figures in all of the 66 books
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of the Bible.
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Today he's revered and respected
by Judaism, Christianity,
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and Islam, which
means that he's important
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to more than half of
the world's population.
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And we're going to
find out just what it was
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that makes
Abraham such a big deal.
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Hebrews 11, the Bible's
great faith chapter, says,
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"By faith Abraham obeyed
when he was called to go out
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"to the place which he
would receive as an inheritance.
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And he went out, not
knowing where he was going."
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Now, those two words, "by
faith," without exaggeration,
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they're two of the
most important words
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in the entire Bible.
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And if we understand them,
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they'll provide a
framework for our entire lives.
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If we don't get
hold of that concept,
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then there's no way we can live
a successful life in this world
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or in the world to come.
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To track
Abraham's journey of faith,
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we'll begin in
Genesis chapter 12,
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starting with verse 1:
00:04:04.07\00:04:06.11
"Now the Lord had said to Abram:
'Get out [from] your country,
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"'from your [kindred]
and from your father's house,
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"'to a land
that I will show you.
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"'I will make
you a great nation;
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"'I will bless you
and make your name great;
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"'and you shall be a blessing.
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"'I will bless
those who bless you,
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"'and I will curse
him who curses you;
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and in you all the families
of the earth shall be blessed.'"
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See, God had an
important work for Abram.
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God was looking for
someone who would keep alive
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the knowledge of the
true God and represent God
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and make Him known
throughout the land of Canaan,
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where idol worship and
human sacrifice were common.
00:04:42.48\00:04:47.08
Now, this was just 100 years
or so after the Tower of Babel.
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God wanted a living example
of what a life of faith in God
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looked like.
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And there had to be a
line so that God could fulfill
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His promise to Adam and Eve that
one day the Seed of the woman
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would be
victorious over the serpent.
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God was looking for a
family into which the Messiah
00:05:05.07\00:05:09.04
could be born.
00:05:09.07\00:05:10.21
And for that to work,
Abram really needed to get away
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from his idol-worshiping
family and friends.
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So off they went.
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But before too long, a famine
caused them to detour to Egypt,
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and just 10 verses after God
told Abram that He would make
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of him a great nation, Abram--
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[sighs] well, let's
just say his actions
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wouldn't have been
recommended by Emily Post.
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What Abram did was not
"best society" by any means.
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His wife Sarai was very
beautiful, and Abram was afraid
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that Pharaoh would kill him in
order to take Sarai as his own.
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So instead of
defending his wife's honor
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and instead of
trusting God to work it all out,
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Abram convinced Sarai
his wife to be complicit
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in what was a terrible scheme.
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He said that
Sarai was his sister,
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which, in fact, was technically
true as she was his half-sister.
00:06:04.99\00:06:10.27
But fear had got
the better of Abram,
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and he lost out because of that.
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God was trying to
build and grow his faith,
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and Abram lost the opportunity
to see God work in his behalf.
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You know, God will allow
difficult situations to come
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into our lives so
that we can exercise faith,
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so that we can see Him work,
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which would then
increase our faith.
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Is there something
God wants you to grow from
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that instead
you're running from?
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Didn't work out well
for Abram when he ran.
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But God didn't cast him off,
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and the Pharaoh didn't keep
Sarai, Abram's wife, as his own,
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even though pharaohs
could do that sort of thing.
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God intervened, and He
continued to work with Abram,
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just like He does with us,
even when we make mistakes.
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It's good to know
that God is the Potter,
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we're the clay, and He allows
life's experiences to mold us
00:07:03.62\00:07:08.06
on our journey to
the promised land.
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According to Genesis 13,
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"Abram was very
rich in livestock,
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in silver, and...gold,"
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but all was not well.
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His nephew Lot had traveled with
him, and things became tense.
00:07:20.74\00:07:25.21
"Now the land was
not able to support them,
00:07:25.24\00:07:27.38
"that they might dwell
together, for their possessions
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were so great that they
could not dwell together."
00:07:30.18\00:07:33.01
Verse 7:
00:07:33.05\00:07:33.98
"And there was
strife between the herdsmen
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of Abram's livestock and the
herdsmen of Lot's livestock."
00:07:36.45\00:07:41.52
But rather than get
embroiled in an argument,
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Abram saw a solution.
00:07:44.33\00:07:46.63
He met with Lot and
gently laid out the problem,
00:07:46.66\00:07:50.03
and then he said,
00:07:50.07\00:07:51.40
"Please let there be no
strife between you and me,
00:07:51.43\00:07:55.27
"and between my
herdsmen and your herdsmen;
00:07:55.30\00:07:57.61
"for we are brethren. Is
not the whole land before you?
00:07:57.64\00:08:01.84
"Please separate from me.
00:08:01.88\00:08:03.71
"If you take the left,
then I will go to the right;
00:08:03.75\00:08:06.45
or, if you go to the right,
then I will go to the left."
00:08:06.48\00:08:10.02
Abram could have chosen first.
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God had promised him the land,
and as leader of the family,
00:08:12.39\00:08:15.42
he had the
prerogative to choose the best.
00:08:15.46\00:08:18.16
Lot, on the other hand,
00:08:18.19\00:08:20.36
"lifted [up] his eyes and
saw all the plain of Jordan,
00:08:20.40\00:08:24.17
that...was well
watered everywhere."
00:08:24.20\00:08:26.74
And that's what he chose.
00:08:26.77\00:08:28.50
The River Jordan
ran through the valley,
00:08:28.54\00:08:30.14
making it the perfect place to
settle down and be comfortable.
00:08:30.17\00:08:34.54
After Lot left,
the Lord said to Abram,
00:08:34.58\00:08:37.75
"Lift your eyes now and look
from the place where you are--
00:08:37.78\00:08:41.52
"northward, southward,
eastward, and westward;
00:08:41.55\00:08:45.89
"for all the land which you see
00:08:45.92\00:08:47.56
I give to you and
your descendants forever."
00:08:47.59\00:08:52.39
And then God made
this beautiful promise:
00:08:52.43\00:08:55.10
"And I will
make your descendants
00:08:55.13\00:08:56.46
"as the dust of the earth;
00:08:56.50\00:08:57.93
"so that if a man could
number the dust of the earth,
00:08:57.97\00:09:00.87
"then your descendants
also could be numbered.
00:09:00.90\00:09:04.31
"Arise, walk in the land through
its length and its width,
00:09:04.34\00:09:08.48
for I give it to you."
00:09:08.51\00:09:10.91
You know, Lot's
decision wasn't wise.
00:09:10.95\00:09:13.72
That beautiful
valley was soon to become...
00:09:13.75\00:09:16.79
it was soon to
become a battlefield.
00:09:16.82\00:09:19.22
More on that in just a moment.
00:09:19.25\00:09:21.22
¤[music swells and ends]¤
00:09:21.26\00:09:28.23
>>Female Announcer: They're
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00:09:30.40\00:09:33.17
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00:09:34.60\00:09:38.01
and the life to come.
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Get "God's
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>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:10:00.63\00:10:01.96
on It Is Written.
00:10:02.00\00:10:03.20
We're continuing our series
"Great Characters of the Bible."
00:10:03.23\00:10:06.07
We're looking at Abraham,
the father of the faithful.
00:10:06.10\00:10:09.84
When given the
choice, Abram's nephew Lot
00:10:09.87\00:10:12.71
chose the
well-watered valley and plains
00:10:12.74\00:10:15.21
close to the city
of Sodom as his own.
00:10:15.24\00:10:18.75
In other words, he
chose the best for himself.
00:10:18.78\00:10:22.12
It turned out to be
a disastrous decision.
00:10:22.15\00:10:24.52
In the long term, there'd
be the calamitous destruction
00:10:24.55\00:10:26.82
of Sodom and Gomorrah
00:10:26.86\00:10:28.16
and the ruinous effect that
living there had on his family.
00:10:28.19\00:10:31.06
He'd lose his wife; he'd
lose all of his possessions.
00:10:31.09\00:10:34.63
But in the short term, five
kings marched against the people
00:10:34.66\00:10:38.27
of the valley and took
Lot and his family captive.
00:10:38.30\00:10:41.74
So Abram took 318
servants, pursued the invaders,
00:10:41.77\00:10:46.04
attacked swiftly, and
recovered all of the prisoners
00:10:46.07\00:10:49.51
and all the spoils.
00:10:49.54\00:10:51.28
So you're seeing
growth with Abram.
00:10:51.31\00:10:53.48
He's flawed, but he clearly
wishes to honor and serve God,
00:10:53.52\00:10:57.55
and he's a man of
courage and principle--
00:10:57.59\00:11:00.89
uh, mostly.
00:11:00.92\00:11:02.82
When he asked about an heir,
about a son, God said to him,
00:11:02.86\00:11:07.66
"Look now toward heaven,
00:11:07.66\00:11:09.36
and count the stars if
you are able to number them."
00:11:09.40\00:11:12.97
And then He added this:
00:11:13.00\00:11:14.50
"So shall your descendants be."
00:11:14.54\00:11:17.74
Right then and there, God
made a covenant with Abram,
00:11:17.77\00:11:20.94
and God always
keeps His promise.
00:11:20.98\00:11:22.98
But as time marched on,
Sarai remained childless,
00:11:23.01\00:11:27.85
and the two got older and older.
00:11:27.88\00:11:30.42
And Sarai figured that
she'd never be a mother.
00:11:30.45\00:11:33.69
So she took
matters into her own hands.
00:11:33.72\00:11:36.22
She decided to give
Abram her servant Hagar.
00:11:36.26\00:11:41.06
Polygamy had
become so widespread
00:11:41.10\00:11:42.86
that it wasn't considered
to be abnormal or unacceptable.
00:11:42.90\00:11:47.27
It was okay in
that time and culture.
00:11:47.30\00:11:49.77
They'd have a
child one way or another.
00:11:49.80\00:11:53.01
In this instance, not God's way.
00:11:53.04\00:11:55.94
Abram didn't bother to check
with God, and he took Hagar.
00:11:55.98\00:12:00.25
When a son was born, well,
00:12:00.28\00:12:02.75
it got about as complicated
as you might imagine.
00:12:02.78\00:12:05.65
Sarai was hard on Hagar, and
Hagar "fled from her presence."
00:12:05.69\00:12:10.66
Abram and Sarai could
have just trusted God.
00:12:10.69\00:12:13.53
Things would have worked out.
00:12:13.56\00:12:14.86
They had God's word,
but they didn't do so.
00:12:14.93\00:12:18.13
Really, they tried to help God.
00:12:18.17\00:12:21.74
I mean, who ever heard of a
couple that age having a child?
00:12:21.77\00:12:25.21
But God didn't need their help.
00:12:25.24\00:12:27.18
In their minds, even God telling
them it was going to happen
00:12:27.21\00:12:30.91
didn't mean it
was going to happen.
00:12:30.95\00:12:33.11
So they did what they
could to help the process along,
00:12:33.15\00:12:36.45
and it all went bad,
00:12:36.48\00:12:38.02
as it does when we
think we know more than God.
00:12:38.05\00:12:42.66
But God was so gracious.
00:12:42.69\00:12:44.63
"Now the Angel of the Lord
found her by a spring of water
00:12:44.66\00:12:47.40
in the wilderness."
00:12:47.46\00:12:49.06
He took the time
to seek out Hagar.
00:12:49.10\00:12:51.27
"And He said, 'Hagar, Sarai's
maid, where have you come from,
00:12:51.30\00:12:55.40
"and where are you
going?' [And] she said,
00:12:55.44\00:12:57.94
"'I am fleeing from the
presence of my mistress Sarai.'
00:12:57.97\00:13:01.54
"[So] the Angel of
the Lord said to her,
00:13:01.58\00:13:03.95
"'Return to your mistress,
00:13:03.98\00:13:05.75
"'and submit
yourself under her hand....
00:13:05.78\00:13:08.32
"'I will multiply your
descendants exceedingly....
00:13:08.35\00:13:12.05
"'And you shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
00:13:12.09\00:13:16.12
because the Lord has
heard your affliction.'"
00:13:16.16\00:13:18.83
There are only a
few people in the Bible
00:13:18.86\00:13:20.50
that God Himself named.
Ishmael was one of them.
00:13:20.53\00:13:23.60
Ishmael means
"I have heard you."
00:13:23.63\00:13:26.94
You don't want to forget that.
00:13:26.97\00:13:28.44
Hagar was a lowly servant
in distress, and God heard her.
00:13:28.47\00:13:33.64
And when I say lowly,
I mean the kind of lowly
00:13:33.68\00:13:36.81
where your employer can
decide to impregnate you,
00:13:36.85\00:13:39.55
and you don't have
a say in the matter.
00:13:39.58\00:13:41.75
Lowly.
00:13:41.78\00:13:42.92
God wants us to know
that however insignificant
00:13:42.95\00:13:45.45
you may think you are,
His heart is toward you.
00:13:45.49\00:13:49.59
He sees your distress.
00:13:49.62\00:13:51.89
He knows what
you're going through.
00:13:51.93\00:13:53.53
He hears your cry, and He cares.
00:13:53.56\00:13:57.90
Now, "When Abram was
ninety-nine years old,
00:13:57.93\00:13:59.70
"the Lord appeared to
[him again] and said to him,
00:13:59.73\00:14:02.60
"'I am Almighty God; walk
before me and be blameless....
00:14:02.64\00:14:07.21
"'My covenant is with you,
00:14:07.24\00:14:08.94
"'and you shall be a
father of many nations.
00:14:08.98\00:14:11.61
"'No longer shall
your name be called Abram,
00:14:11.65\00:14:14.72
"'but your name
shall be Abraham;
00:14:14.75\00:14:17.42
for I have made you a
father of many nations.'"
00:14:17.45\00:14:20.49
God then went on to tell Abraham
00:14:20.52\00:14:22.72
that he and Sarah
would have a son--
00:14:22.76\00:14:24.96
not Sarai anymore, but Sarah.
00:14:24.99\00:14:29.00
The change of name indicated
a change of experience.
00:14:29.03\00:14:32.73
They were going to
trust God, to lean on God,
00:14:32.77\00:14:35.80
to follow Him by faith.
00:14:35.84\00:14:38.84
One day Abraham was
sitting outside his tent
00:14:38.87\00:14:41.48
when three
strangers stopped by to visit.
00:14:41.51\00:14:44.21
They told him something
that would change everything.
00:14:44.25\00:14:47.45
In all honesty, it was
something that would change
00:14:47.48\00:14:50.09
all of history.
00:14:50.12\00:14:52.09
Abraham was told, again,
that Sarah would have a son.
00:14:52.12\00:14:57.56
"And the Lord
said to Abraham...,
00:14:57.59\00:14:59.36
"'At the appointed time
I will return to you, ...
00:14:59.39\00:15:01.86
and Sarah shall have a son.'"
00:15:01.90\00:15:04.30
And it's in the book of Romans
where the gravity of all of this
00:15:04.33\00:15:06.87
is pointed out.
00:15:06.90\00:15:08.70
Paul writes that righteousness
comes to a believer by faith.
00:15:08.74\00:15:13.68
Abraham gives us a
powerful example of this.
00:15:13.71\00:15:15.98
Now, this is Romans 4, verse 13:
00:15:16.01\00:15:19.05
"For the promise that he
would be the heir of the world
00:15:19.08\00:15:21.68
"was not to Abraham or
to his seed through the law,
00:15:21.72\00:15:25.35
but through the
righteousness of faith."
00:15:25.39\00:15:27.86
Verse 19: "And not
being weak in faith,
00:15:27.89\00:15:31.86
"he did not consider
his own body, already dead
00:15:31.89\00:15:35.03
"(since he was about
a hundred years old),
00:15:35.06\00:15:36.87
"and the
deadness of Sarah's womb.
00:15:36.90\00:15:38.67
"He did not waver at the
promise of God through unbelief,
00:15:38.70\00:15:42.57
"but was strengthened in
faith, giving glory to God,
00:15:42.60\00:15:46.88
"and being fully convinced
that what He had promised
00:15:46.91\00:15:50.25
He was also able to perform."
00:15:50.28\00:15:52.88
Now, that is one of the
best definitions of faith
00:15:52.91\00:15:56.82
that you will read
in the entire Bible.
00:15:56.85\00:15:59.65
"Being fully
convinced that what He"--God--
00:15:59.69\00:16:03.43
"had promised, He"--God--
"was also able to perform."
00:16:03.46\00:16:08.96
That is faith.
00:16:09.00\00:16:11.43
When you accept and
believe the promises of God,
00:16:11.47\00:16:14.20
the word of God, that's faith.
00:16:14.24\00:16:17.34
"And therefore," Paul wrote,
quoting the book of Genesis,
00:16:17.37\00:16:20.78
"'it was accounted to
him for righteousness.'"
00:16:20.81\00:16:24.95
Righteousness,
salvation, comes by faith.
00:16:24.98\00:16:31.55
But let me clarify something:
00:16:31.59\00:16:33.25
This does not mean that the
law of God is not important.
00:16:33.29\00:16:36.96
It doesn't mean that a person
shouldn't obey the law of God.
00:16:36.99\00:16:39.89
That would be anarchy against
the government of heaven.
00:16:39.93\00:16:43.30
The emphasis here is
on how salvation comes,
00:16:43.33\00:16:46.20
how righteousness comes.
00:16:46.23\00:16:48.20
Salvation, righteousness,
00:16:48.24\00:16:50.37
does not come by the
works of the law, but by faith.
00:16:50.41\00:16:54.38
We're not saved by
the law, but by faith.
00:16:54.41\00:16:58.11
That's how we receive
the gift the salvation.
00:16:58.15\00:17:01.78
But once we've received it,
00:17:01.82\00:17:04.32
of course you want to
honor God and obey God.
00:17:04.35\00:17:06.92
To say that you don't need
to obey God after you're saved,
00:17:06.96\00:17:09.32
it, well, it just
doesn't make any sense at all.
00:17:09.36\00:17:14.36
Now, in a moment, Abraham takes
faith to a whole new level.
00:17:14.40\00:17:19.37
I'll be right back.
00:17:19.40\00:17:20.60
¤[music swells and ends]¤
00:17:20.64\00:17:27.64
>>Female Announcer: They're
in the Bible especially for you:
00:17:29.74\00:17:32.65
God's promises,
00:17:32.68\00:17:33.92
made by a loving God who wants
the best for you in this life
00:17:33.95\00:17:37.29
and the life to come.
00:17:37.32\00:17:39.15
Get "God's
Promises," our free offer,
00:17:39.19\00:17:41.29
and experience the comfort
and power of His promises
00:17:41.32\00:17:44.63
in your life.
00:17:44.66\00:17:45.73
Call 800-253-3000
00:17:45.76\00:17:49.06
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:17:49.10\00:17:52.93
Receive the promises today
00:17:52.97\00:17:54.97
by calling 800-253-3000.
00:17:55.00\00:17:58.64
¤[dramatic music]¤
00:17:59.64\00:18:00.68
>>John Bradshaw: In
Guatemala, Central America,
00:18:00.71\00:18:02.64
a volcano had been erupting
on and off for many years.
00:18:02.68\00:18:06.75
In June of 2018,
00:18:06.78\00:18:08.92
everything changed for
the people living beneath it.
00:18:08.95\00:18:11.85
"Danger on the
Doorstep" from It Is Written
00:18:11.89\00:18:14.02
takes you to Volcán de Fuego,
00:18:14.06\00:18:15.72
the "Volcano of
Fire," in Guatemala.
00:18:15.76\00:18:18.69
We speak to survivors
of the devastating eruption
00:18:18.73\00:18:21.33
and join heartbroken people
looking for their families
00:18:21.36\00:18:23.67
in the aftermath.
00:18:23.70\00:18:25.20
Join It Is Written
on location in Guatemala
00:18:25.23\00:18:27.94
for "Danger on the Doorstep"
00:18:27.97\00:18:30.01
as we visit those
rebuilding their lives
00:18:30.04\00:18:32.14
after they'd lost
their homes, possessions,
00:18:32.17\00:18:34.61
and even their families.
00:18:34.64\00:18:36.18
And could it be
that you are living
00:18:36.21\00:18:37.55
with danger on your doorstep?
00:18:37.58\00:18:39.55
The Bible speaks of
the spiritual danger
00:18:39.58\00:18:41.48
confronting our world
00:18:41.52\00:18:42.88
and helps us to take concrete
steps to be spiritually safe.
00:18:42.92\00:18:46.69
"Danger on the Doorstep,"
00:18:46.72\00:18:48.09
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:18:48.12\00:18:50.03
Watch now on It Is Written TV.
00:18:50.06\00:18:52.73
Go to www.itiswritten.tv.
00:18:52.76\00:18:56.30
That's itiswritten.tv.
00:18:56.33\00:18:59.03
>>John
Bradshaw: Abraham is truly
00:19:00.20\00:19:01.37
one of the great
characters of the Bible.
00:19:01.40\00:19:03.94
He was the father of
Isaac, the grandfather of Jacob,
00:19:03.97\00:19:07.28
and Jacob was the
father of 12 sons,
00:19:07.31\00:19:09.88
who became the
12 tribes of Israel.
00:19:09.91\00:19:12.41
Genesis 21 starts by saying,
00:19:12.45\00:19:14.52
"And the Lord
visited Sarah as He had said,
00:19:14.55\00:19:16.92
"and the Lord did for
Sarah as He had spoken.
00:19:16.95\00:19:19.45
"For Sarah conceived and bore
Abraham a son in his old age,
00:19:19.49\00:19:22.99
"at the set time of
which God had spoken to him.
00:19:23.02\00:19:25.53
"And Abraham called the name
of his son who was born to him--
00:19:25.56\00:19:29.20
"whom Sarah bore to him--Isaac.
00:19:29.23\00:19:32.20
"Then Abraham
circumcised his son Isaac
00:19:32.23\00:19:34.17
when he was eight days
old, as God had commanded him."
00:19:34.20\00:19:38.11
You can imagine the joy in that
household when Isaac was born
00:19:38.14\00:19:42.98
to a father who
was 100 years old
00:19:43.01\00:19:46.48
and to a mother who
had entered her 90s.
00:19:46.51\00:19:49.45
But some people in
the camp weren't laughing.
00:19:49.48\00:19:53.29
Hagar and Ishmael knew that the
birthright and the inheritance
00:19:53.32\00:19:57.69
would now go to Isaac.
00:19:57.73\00:19:59.76
There was ill feeling.
00:19:59.79\00:20:01.76
It was a mess, and Hagar
and Ishmael were sent away.
00:20:01.80\00:20:07.97
This wasn't easy for Abraham,
00:20:08.00\00:20:09.14
because he
loved his son Ishmael.
00:20:09.17\00:20:11.37
But God promised
He would bless Ishmael
00:20:11.41\00:20:13.68
and make a great
nation of him, too.
00:20:13.71\00:20:17.21
And to this day, the two nations
that descended from Abraham
00:20:17.25\00:20:20.58
have remained separated--and
at odds with each other.
00:20:20.62\00:20:25.92
Isaac became a fine
young man who feared God.
00:20:25.95\00:20:29.99
So imagine how Abraham
felt when God said this:
00:20:30.03\00:20:33.73
"Take now your son, your
only son Isaac, whom you love,
00:20:33.76\00:20:38.97
"and go to the land of Moriah,
00:20:39.00\00:20:41.04
"and offer him
there as a burnt offering
00:20:41.07\00:20:43.54
on one of the mountains...
which I shall tell you."
00:20:43.57\00:20:46.71
What did he do?
00:20:46.74\00:20:48.21
Genesis 22, verse 3 says,
00:20:48.24\00:20:50.61
"So Abraham rose early in the
morning and saddled his donkey,
00:20:50.65\00:20:54.88
"and took two of his young
men with him, and Isaac his son;
00:20:54.92\00:20:59.79
"and he split the wood
for the burnt offering,
00:20:59.82\00:21:02.92
and arose and went to the place
of which God had told him."
00:21:02.96\00:21:07.73
They journeyed for three days,
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.03
surely the longest
three days of Abraham's life.
00:21:10.07\00:21:16.34
But here's the thing.
Abraham was used to obeying God.
00:21:16.37\00:21:20.38
He knew the
sound of God's voice.
00:21:20.41\00:21:23.81
He knew when God
was talking to him.
00:21:23.85\00:21:26.61
Hebrews 11 says
that Abraham believed God
00:21:26.65\00:21:29.48
would raise Isaac back to life.
00:21:29.52\00:21:33.82
Abraham placed the wood for
the sacrifice on Isaac's back.
00:21:33.86\00:21:37.66
It's reminiscent of
Jesus carrying the cross
00:21:37.69\00:21:40.00
on His own back.
00:21:40.03\00:21:41.56
The old patriarch "took the
fire in his hand, and a knife,"
00:21:41.60\00:21:45.20
and the two of them
continued on together.
00:21:45.23\00:21:48.17
Suddenly Isaac
broke the silence:
00:21:48.20\00:21:50.31
"My father!" he cried.
"Look, the fire and the wood,
00:21:50.34\00:21:54.21
but where is the lamb
for a burnt offering?"
00:21:54.24\00:21:57.88
And Abraham replied in those
never-to-be-forgotten words:
00:21:57.91\00:22:01.68
"My son, God will
provide for Himself the lamb
00:22:01.72\00:22:06.76
for a burnt offering."
00:22:06.79\00:22:08.22
Those words were prophetic.
00:22:08.26\00:22:10.36
God would provide His
only Son to be the lamb,
00:22:10.39\00:22:14.50
"the Lamb of God, which [takes]
away the sin of the world."
00:22:14.56\00:22:18.20
So the two of them
continued their journey.
00:22:18.23\00:22:21.57
They continued in silence,
00:22:21.60\00:22:23.54
until "they came to the
place of which God had told him.
00:22:23.57\00:22:26.64
"And Abraham built an
altar there and placed the wood
00:22:26.68\00:22:29.21
"in order; and he
bound Isaac his son
00:22:29.24\00:22:33.31
and laid him on the
altar, upon the wood."
00:22:33.35\00:22:37.75
No doubt he
explained as best as he could
00:22:37.79\00:22:39.72
what God wanted him to do.
00:22:39.75\00:22:42.39
And do you know what's
truly remarkable about this?
00:22:42.42\00:22:46.06
Abraham was,
what, 115 years old?
00:22:46.09\00:22:49.26
Isaac could have overpowered
him, run away from him.
00:22:49.30\00:22:53.74
It says a lot
about the faith of Isaac
00:22:53.77\00:22:56.34
that he trusted his
father, and God, to that extent.
00:22:56.37\00:23:00.74
Verse 10:
00:23:00.78\00:23:02.11
"And Abraham stretched out
his hand and took the knife
00:23:02.14\00:23:05.61
"to slay his son.
00:23:05.65\00:23:06.98
"But the Angel of the
Lord called to him from heaven
00:23:07.02\00:23:09.55
"and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!...
00:23:09.58\00:23:12.79
"'Do not lay your hand on
the lad, or do anything to him;
00:23:12.82\00:23:16.06
"'for now I know
that you fear God,
00:23:16.09\00:23:18.76
"'[seeing] you have
not withheld your son,
00:23:18.79\00:23:20.73
your only son, from me.'"
00:23:20.76\00:23:23.60
Abraham's faith was
demonstrated by his actions.
00:23:23.63\00:23:27.17
It's one thing to say
that you're a believer,
00:23:27.20\00:23:29.44
but your actions are
really the proof of that.
00:23:29.47\00:23:32.14
And God saw that
Abraham was a man of conviction,
00:23:32.17\00:23:35.01
a man of faith,
and He said to Abraham,
00:23:35.04\00:23:38.08
"In your seed all the nations
of the earth shall be blessed,
00:23:38.11\00:23:41.82
because you have
obeyed my voice."
00:23:41.85\00:23:44.49
And that promise
was fulfilled in Jesus,
00:23:44.52\00:23:48.96
and here's where
faith really matters.
00:23:48.99\00:23:53.56
The Jews in Paul's time
had the idea that they were
00:23:53.60\00:23:55.93
automatically saved because they
were descended from Abraham.
00:23:55.96\00:24:01.17
But Paul said in
Galatians 3 in verse 7,
00:24:01.20\00:24:03.94
"Therefore know that
only those who are of faith
00:24:03.97\00:24:08.58
are sons of Abraham."
00:24:08.61\00:24:10.71
And he clarified
it again in verse 9:
00:24:10.75\00:24:13.35
"So then those who
are of faith are blessed
00:24:13.38\00:24:16.35
with believing Abraham."
00:24:16.38\00:24:18.75
The chapter
concludes with this promise:
00:24:18.79\00:24:21.36
"And if you are Christ's,
then you are Abraham's seed,
00:24:21.39\00:24:25.66
and heirs
according to the promise."
00:24:25.69\00:24:28.33
Abraham is the father of faith,
00:24:28.36\00:24:31.00
and God calls you to exercise
faith, too, saving faith.
00:24:31.03\00:24:37.17
Abraham couldn't see
God, but he trusted God,
00:24:37.21\00:24:41.64
and he carried out
God's will in his life.
00:24:41.68\00:24:44.91
Can you see forgiveness?
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.48
No, you cannot.
00:24:47.52\00:24:48.92
But you can know
that God will forgive you,
00:24:48.95\00:24:51.59
based upon what
He says in His Word.
00:24:51.62\00:24:54.86
Can you see Jesus?
00:24:54.89\00:24:57.26
Did you see
Calvary where Jesus died?
00:24:57.29\00:25:00.80
No, and no again.
00:25:00.83\00:25:02.76
But you believe by
faith that Jesus died for you
00:25:02.80\00:25:08.04
and that when you
accept Jesus as your Savior,
00:25:08.07\00:25:10.97
you're a saved child of God.
00:25:11.01\00:25:13.54
We've never seen
Jesus return to this earth,
00:25:13.58\00:25:16.58
but we know that
one soon day He will,
00:25:16.61\00:25:19.05
and that on that day He
will take the people of faith
00:25:19.08\00:25:21.65
home to be with Him forever.
00:25:21.68\00:25:25.62
Let me ask you this:
00:25:25.65\00:25:27.62
Can you exercise faith today?
00:25:27.66\00:25:30.39
Like Abraham, can you believe?
00:25:30.43\00:25:33.63
An old man
believed he'd have a son,
00:25:33.66\00:25:36.46
and when he
believed God's promise,
00:25:36.50\00:25:39.13
God counted it to
him for righteousness.
00:25:39.17\00:25:43.34
Faith in God, in a
good God, a loving God,
00:25:43.37\00:25:48.58
faith in Jesus, faith
in a compassionate Savior,
00:25:48.61\00:25:51.78
a loving Savior.
00:25:51.81\00:25:53.82
Like Abraham, have
faith in God today,
00:25:53.85\00:25:57.69
and know by faith
that eternal life is yours.
00:25:57.72\00:26:03.79
>>John Bradshaw: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:05.19\00:26:07.13
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:07.13\00:26:10.53
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:10.57\00:26:13.77
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:13.80\00:26:17.91
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:17.94\00:26:19.37
to the address on your screen,
00:26:19.41\00:26:20.88
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:20.91\00:26:24.81
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:24.85\00:26:27.48
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:27.52\00:26:31.82
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:31.85\00:26:34.86
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now,
00:26:35.86\00:26:37.26
and we're going to pray
that God will grow and increase
00:26:37.29\00:26:40.06
our faith. Let's pray.
00:26:40.10\00:26:41.73
Our Father in heaven, we
thank You today for the example
00:26:41.76\00:26:44.13
of Abraham, a flawed man
who grew in his relationship
00:26:44.17\00:26:48.97
with You and in
his faith with You
00:26:49.00\00:26:51.04
to become the father of faith.
00:26:51.07\00:26:53.88
And so, Father, I pray today
that You would grow our faith.
00:26:53.91\00:26:57.15
My friend, are you
having trouble believing in God?
00:26:57.18\00:27:00.38
Father, give us
grace to believe You today.
00:27:00.42\00:27:03.32
Do you have doubts
about the Word of God?
00:27:03.35\00:27:05.89
Oh, heavenly Lord,
give us faith in Your Word
00:27:05.92\00:27:09.66
as we read it and try it
and see that You are good.
00:27:09.69\00:27:13.93
Friend, is there
weakness in your life?
00:27:13.96\00:27:16.00
Heavenly Father,
step into that weakness
00:27:16.03\00:27:18.13
and give us Your
strength and Your presence.
00:27:18.17\00:27:20.50
Give us faith, for we read of
Your people in the end of time:
00:27:20.54\00:27:24.04
"Here is the
patience of the saints:
00:27:24.07\00:27:26.34
"here are they that
keep the commandments of God,
00:27:26.37\00:27:28.91
and the faith of Jesus."
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Lord, we see those two things
demonstrated in Abraham's life:
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obedience and faith.
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Let them be seen in us as
Jesus lives His life in us.
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We thank You today.
We ask Your blessing.
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We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
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Thanks so much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[dramatic theme music]¤
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