<TITLE>01. Par 1-9</TITLE>64-0207, The Patriarch Abraham, Kern County Fairgrounds, Bakersfield, CA, 65 min
L-1      Book of Genesis again, the 22nd chapter, beginning with the 15th verse, and we expect now just to speak for a few moments and start the service. Genesis 22, beginning with the 15th verse.
And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD for because thou bast done this thing, and bast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sands which are upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemy;
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou bast obeyed my voice.

L-2   What a promise, because of obedience! Obedience is what God wants. It was once said, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." To obey the Lord is better than any sacrifice that you could do.

L-3 We're facing now a grand text, tonight, The Patriarch Abraham, which was called "the father of the Faith," because that God made him the promise to inherit the earth, and his Seed. And it's through Abraham we, being dead in Christ, become Abraham's Seed and are heirs with Him according to the promise.

L-4   Now, Abraham was just an ordinary man, wasn't something special. God never called him, as far as we have any record, until he was seventy-five years old. His wife, which was his half sister, being sixty-five years old at the time, they had probably lived together since they were very young. And she was barren, and had no children. God called a complete separation, to separate himself from the rest of the world, and from all of his people, and from all of his kindred. There was a special thing for him to do.

L-5 And when God expects you to do a special thing, He demands a complete separation from any doubt. You've got to come to full obedience, to obey what He says. God demands it. You can't do it no other way. And, now, He always sets an example, and that was His example, of a complete separation from all of his family, all of his kindreds, and so forth, to walk a life separated to God.

L-6   Years passed, nothing happened, but still Abraham held on. He was not discouraged. "He never staggered at the promises of God through unbelief, but was strong, giving praise to God."

L-7 Year by year, as it went by, no doubt many critics come by and said, "Abraham, father of nations, how many children do you have now?" That didn't stagger him. No child, and Sarah was past the time of life, of bearing children, course, way beyond menopause, but still Abraham believed God just the same. He made preparations for the baby, because he knew and was fully persuaded that God could not make a promise that He wasn't big enough to back up.

L-8 His Seed should think the same thing. Regardless of how unreal it seems, how unnatural it seems to the natural mind, yet God cannot make a promise that He is not big enough to take care of. We believe that same thing today. Every true Seed of Abraham believes the same thing. No matter what circumstances in, how much knowledge we've accumulated, how many things has happened, how unnatural it is to the natural mind, how foolish it is, rather, to the natural mind, it doesn't make a bit of difference. If God said so, that's it. And the Seed of Abraham are settled upon THUS SAITH THE LORD. That settles it.

L-9   We find out, at twenty-five years later, no children. And still God was faithful to keep His promise to Abraham, for Abraham believed God. The little boy came on the scene, little Isaac.


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