L esson 6 *April 30–May 6
The Roots of Abraham
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 12; Isa. 48:20; Isa.
36:6, 9; Jer. 2:18; Genesis 13; Genesis 14; Heb. 7:1–10.
Memory Text: “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” (Hebrews 11:8, NKJV).
W
e have now reached the center of the book of Genesis. This
central section (Genesis 12–22) will cover the journey of
Abraham, from God’s first call, lekh lekha, “Go!” (Gen.
12:1), which leads Abraham to leave his past, to God’s second call,
lekh lekha, “Go!” (Gen. 22:2), which leads Abraham to leave his future
(as it would exist in his son). As a result, Abraham always is on the
move, always a migrant, which is why he also is called a “stranger”
(Gen. 17:8).
In his journeying, Abraham is suspended in the void—without his past,
which he has lost, and without his future, which he does not see. Between
these two calls, which frame Abraham’s journey of faith, Abraham hears
God’s voice, which reassures him: “ ‘Do not be afraid’ ” (Gen. 15:1,
NKJV). These words of God mark the three sections of Abraham’s jour-
ney, which will be studied in weeks 6, 7, and 8.
Abraham exemplifies faith (Gen. 15:6) and is remembered in the
Hebrew Scriptures as the man of faith (Neh. 9:7, 8). In the New
Testament, Abraham is one of the most mentioned figures from the Old
Testament, and this week we will start to see why.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 7.
46
S unday May 1
Abram’s Departure
Read Genesis 12:1–9. Why did God call Abram to leave his country
and family? How did Abram respond?
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The last time that God had spoken with a person, at least as recorded
in Scripture, it was with Noah, to reassure him after the Flood that
He would establish a covenant with all flesh (Gen. 9:15–17) and that
another worldwide flood would never come. God’s new word, now to
Abram, reconnects with that promise: all the nations of the earth will
be blessed through Abram.
The fulfillment of that prophecy begins with leaving the past. Abram
leaves all that is familiar to him, his family, his country, even a part of
himself. The intensity of this going is reflected in the repetition of the
keyword “go,” which occurs seven times in this context. Abram has first
to leave his country, “Ur of the Chaldeans,” which also is Babylonia
(Gen. 11:31, NKJV; Isa. 13:19). The call to “go out of Babylon” has a
long history among the biblical prophets (Isa. 48:20, Rev. 18:4).
Abram’s departure also concerns his family. Abram must leave his
heritage and much of what he learned and acquired through heredity,
education, and influence.
Yet, God’s call to go involves even more. The Hebrew phrase lekh
lekha, “go,” translated literally, means “go yourself ” or “go for your-
self.” Abram’s departure from Babylon concerns more than his environ-
ment, or even his family. The Hebrew phrase suggests an emphasis on
himself. Abram has to leave himself, to get rid of the part of himself that
contains his Babylonian past.
The goal of this abandonment is “a land” that God will show him.
The same language will be used again in the context of the sacrifice
of Isaac (Gen. 22:2) to refer to the mount of Moriah, where Isaac will
be offered and where the Jerusalem temple will be built (2 Chron.
3:1). God’s promise is not just about a physical homeland but about
the salvation of the world. This idea is reaffirmed in God’s promise of
the blessing for all nations (Gen. 12:2, 3). The verb barakh, “bless,”
appears five times in this passage. Thhis universal blessing for all
people will come through the “seed” of Abram (Gen. 22:18, Gen. 26:4,
Gen. 28:14). The text refers here to the “seed” that will ultimately be
fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Acts 3:25).
What might God be calling you to leave behind? That is, what
part of your life might you have to abandon in order to heed the
call of God?
47
M onday May 2
The Temptation of Egypt
Read Genesis 12:10–20. Why did Abram leave the Promised Land
to go to Egypt? How did the pharaoh behave in comparison to
Abram?
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Ironically, Abram, who has just arrived in the Promised Land, decides
to leave it for Egypt because “there was a famine in the land” (Gen. 12:10,
NKJV). Evidence of people from Canaan going into Egypt in times of
famine is well attested in ancient Egyptian texts. In the Egyptian teaching
of Merikare, a text composed during the period of the Middle Kingdom
(2060–1700 b.c.), people coming from Canaan are identified as “miser-
able Asiatic” (aamu) and described as “wretched . . . short of water . . . he
does not dwell on one place, food propels his legs.”—Miriam Lichtheim,
Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
(Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1973), pp. 103, 104.
The temptation of Egypt was often a problem for the ancient
Israelites (Num. 14:3, Jer. 2:18). Egypt, thus, became a symbol of
humans trusting in humans rather than in God (2 Kings 18:21; Isa.
36:6, 9). In Egypt, where water could be seen on a daily basis, faith
was not necessary, for the promise of the land was immediately visible.
Compared to the land of famine, Egypt sounded like a good place to
be, despite what God had said to Abram.
The Abram who now leaves Canaan contrasts with the Abram who
left Ur. Before, Abram was portrayed as a man of faith who left Ur
in response to God’s call; now, Abram leaves the Promised Land by
himself, of his own volition. Before, Abram relied on God; now he
behaves like a manipulative and unethical politician who counts only
on himself. “During his stay in Egypt, Abraham gave evidence that he
was not free from human weakness and imperfection. In concealing the
fact that Sarah was his wife, he betrayed a distrust of the divine care, a
lack of that lofty faith and courage so often and nobly exemplified in
his life.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 130.
What we see here, then, is how even a great man of God can make
a mistake and yet not be forsaken by God. When the New Testament
talks about Abraham as an example of salvation by grace, it means just
that—grace. Because, if it weren’t by grace, Abraham, like all of us,
would have had no hope.
What should this story teach us about how easy it is, even for
faithful Christians, to stray from the correct path? Why is dis-
obedience never a good choice?
48
T uesday May 3
Abram and Lot
Read Genesis 13:1–18. What does this story teach us about the impor-
tance of character?
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_________________________________________________________
Abram returns to where he was before, as if his trip to Egypt were a
mere unfortunate detour. God’s history with Abram starts again, where
it had stopped since his first trip to the Promised Land. Abram’s first
station is Bethel (Gen. 13:3), just as in his first trip to the land (Gen.
12:3–6). Abram has repented and is back to “himself ”: Abram, the
man of faith.
Abram’s reconnection with God already shows in his relationship
with people, in the way that he handles the problem with Lot, his
nephew, concerning the use of the land. It is Abram himself who pro-
poses a peaceful agreement and allows Lot to choose first (Gen. 13:9,
10), an act of generosity and kindness indicative of the kind of man
Abram was.
The fact that Lot chose the easiest and best part for himself—the well-
watered plain (Gen. 13:10, 11)—without any concern about the wicked-
ness of his future neighbors (Gen. 13:13) reveals something about his
greediness and character. The phrase “for himself ” reminds us of the
antediluvians, who also chose “for themselves” (see Gen. 6:2).
In contrast, Abram’s move was an act of faith. Abram did not choose
the land; it was given to him by God’s grace. Unlike Lot, Abram looked
at the land only at God’s injunction (Gen. 13:14). It is only when Abram
separates from Lot that God speaks to him again (Gen. 13:14). In fact,
this is the first recorded time in the Bible that God speaks to Abram
since his call at Ur. “ ‘Lift your eyes now and look from the place where
you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land
which you see I give to you and your descendants forever’ ” (Gen. 13:14,
15, NKJV). God, then, invites Abram to “ ‘walk’ ” on this land as an act of
appropriation. “ ‘Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width,
for I give it to you’ ” (Gen. 13:17, NKJV).
The Lord, though, makes it very clear that He, God, is giving it to
Abram. It is a gift, a gift of grace, which Abram must appropriate by
faith, a faith that leads to obedience. It is the work of God alone that will
bring about all that He has promised to Abram here (see Gen. 13:14–17).
How can we learn to be kind and generous to others, even when
they aren’t that way to us?
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49
W ednesday May 4
The Babel Coalition
Read Genesis 14:1–17. What is significant about this war taking place
just after the gift of the Promised Land? What does this story teach
us about Abram?
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_________________________________________________________
This is the first war narrated in the Scriptures (Gen. 14:2). The coali
tion of four armies from Mesopotamia and Persia against the other
coalition of five Canaanite armies, including the kings of Sodom and
Gomorrah (Gen. 14:8), suggest a large conflict (Gen. 14:9). The reason
for this military operation has to do with the fact that the Canaanite
peoples had rebelled against their Babylonian suzerains (Gen. 14:4, 5).
Although this story refers to a specific historical conflict, the timing of
this “global” war, just after God’s gift of the Promised Land to Abram,
gives this event a particular spiritual significance.
The involvement of so many peoples from the country of Canaan
suggests that the issue at stake in this conflict was sovereignty over the
land. Ironically, the camp of Abram, the truly interested party, because
he is the only true owner of the land, is the only force that remains
outside of the conflict, at least at first.
The reason for Abram’s neutrality is that for Abram, the Promised
Land was not acquired through the force of arms or through the wis-
dom of political strategies. Abram’s kingdom was God’s gift. The only
reason Abram will intervene is the fate of his nephew Lot, who was
taken prisoner in the course of the battles (Gen. 14:12, 13).
“Abraham, dwelling in peace in the oak groves at Mamre, learned
from one of the fugitives the story of the battle and the calamity that
had befallen his nephew. He had cherished no unkind memory of Lot’s
ingratitude. All his affection for him was awakened, and he determined
that he should be rescued. Seeking, first of all, divine counsel, Abraham
prepared for war.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 135.
But Abram does not confront the whole coalition. In what must have
been a quick and nocturnal commando operation, he attacks only the camp
where Lot was held prisoner. Lot is saved. Thus, this faithful man of God
also showed great courage and fortitude. No doubt his influence in the
region grew, and people saw the kind of man he was and learned something
more of the God whom he served.
What kind of influence do our actions have on others? What kind
of message are we sending about our faith by our actions?
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50
T hursday May 5
The Tithe of Melchizedek
Read Genesis 14:18–24 and Hebrews 7:1–10. Who was Melchizedek?
Why did Abram give his tithe to this priest who seems to appear
out of nowhere?
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_________________________________________________________
The sudden appearance of the mysterious Melchizedek is not out of
place. After Abram has been thanked by the Canaanite kings, he now
thanks this priest, a thankfulness revealed by his paying his tithe to him.
Melchizedek comes from the city of Salem, which means “peace,” an
appropriate message after the turmoil of war.
The component tsedek, “justice,” in the name of Melchizedek,
appears in contrast to the name of the king of Sodom, Bera (“in evil”),
and Gomorrah, Birsha (“in wickedness”), probably surnames for what
they represent (Gen. 14:2).
Melchizedek appears after the reversal of the violence and evil rep-
resented by the other Canaanite kings. This passage also contains the
first biblical reference to the word “priest” (Gen. 14:18). The associa-
tion of Melchizedek with “God Most High” (Gen. 14:18, NKJV), whom
Abram calls his own God (Gen. 14:22), clearly indicates that Abram
saw him as priest of the God Abram served. Melchizedek is, however,
not to be identified with Christ. He was God’s representative among
the people of that time (see Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 1, pp. 1092, 1093).
Melchizedek officiates, indeed, as a priest. He serves “bread and
wine,” an association that often implies the use of fresh-pressed grape
juice (Deut. 7:13, 2 Chron. 31:5), which reappears in the context of the
giving of the tithes (Deut. 14:23). In addition, he extends blessing to
Abram (Gen. 14:19).
Abram, meanwhile, “gave him a tithe of all” (Gen. 14:20, NKJV) as a
response to God the Creator, the “Possessor of heaven and earth” (Gen.
14:19, NKJV). This title alludes to the introduction of the Creation story
(Gen. 1:1, NKJV), where the phrase “heavens and earth” means totality or
“all.” As such, the tithe is understood as an expression of gratitude to the
Creator, who owns everything (Heb. 7:2–6; compare with Gen. 28:22).
Paradoxically, the tithe is understood by the worshiper not as a gift to God,
but as a gift from God, because God gives us everything to begin with.
Why is the act of returning tithe a powerful indicator of faith, as
well as a great faith-building act?
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51
F riday May 6
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Abraham in Canaan,” pp.
134–136, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
“Christ’s church is to be a blessing, and its members are to be blessed
as they bless others. The object of God in choosing a people before
all the world was not only that He might adopt them as His sons and
daughters, but that through them He might confer on the world the
benefits of divine illumination. When the Lord chose Abraham it was
not simply to be the special friend of God, but to be a medium of the
precious and peculiar privileges the Lord desired to bestow upon the
nations. He was to be a light amid the moral darkness of his surround-
ings.
“Whenever God blesses His children with light and truth, it is not
only that they may have the gift of eternal life, but that those around
them may also be spiritually enlightened. . . . ‘Ye are the salt of the
earth.’ And when God makes His children salt, it is not only for their
own preservation, but that they may be agents in preserving others. . . .
“Do you shine as living stones in God’s building? . . . We have not
the genuine religion, unless it exerts a controlling influence upon us
in every business transaction. We should have practical godliness to
weave into our lifework. We should have the transforming grace of
Christ upon our hearts. We need a great deal less of self, and more of
Jesus.”—Ellen G. White, Reflecting Christ, p. 205.
Discussion Questions:
In light of the blessing of Abram, “ ‘I will bless you . . . and
you shall be a blessing’ ” (Gen. 12:2, NKJV), what does it mean to
be blessed? How can we, as people who serve the same God as did
Abram, be a blessing to others?
What was wrong in Abram’s half lie regarding his sister-wife?
What is worse: lying or saying some truth while still, at the same
time, technically lying?
Read again Genesis 14:21–23, Abram’s response to the offer
of the king of Sodom. Why did he respond as he did, and what
important lesson can we take from this story? Would not Abram
have been justified had he decided to take what the king had
offered him?
52
i n s i d e
Story
A Dream Marriage
By Yulia Bondarenko
The day Ruth took her first step toward becoming a missionary was when
she gave her life to Jesus and was baptized while in the seventh grade in the
United States.
In the eighth grade, she was asked to clean her Seventh-day Adventist
church. She knew nothing about cleaning churches, so instead she sat at the
piano. As she played and sang about her Savior, she imagined people from
various countries sitting in the pews, and a prayerful desire formed in her mind
to marry a man who would play and sing with her. But who?
When she was 15, Ruth watched her newly married sister, visiting home
from her honeymoon, slip into her wedding gown, put her hands over her
eyes, and sob. Ruth resolved that a similar situation would not happen to her
and started to make a list of desirable traits in her future husband. Her mother,
learning about the list, wisely said, “Ruth, you also have to become the kind
of woman whom that man might want.” Ruth prayerfully began to seek to
acquire these traits that she expected in her husband. But who?
Just before attending Andrews University, Ruth briefly was engaged, but
she broke it off. A few months later, she ended another relationship after learn-
ing that the man was dating someone else at the same time.
That winter, Ruth was in the women’s residence hall, waiting to go carol-
ing, when a friend exclaimed, “There’s Emil Moldrik! Let’s get into his car!”
“Who?” Ruth asked. “Don’t you know?” her friend replied. “He sings, plays
the organ, and wants to be a pastor.” Ruth thought, That’s who!
For the next few hours, Ruth sang soprano and Emil sang tenor. She felt a
new joy in her heart and couldn’t stop looking at his eyes. She believed that
eyes are the windows to the heart, and his eyes were so kind and pure. Emil
returned Ruth’s gaze as they sang, and the next evening he called for a date.
Today, Emil and Ruth Moldrik have been married nearly 60 years and have
served God in more than 15 countries, singing and playing musical instru-
ments as missionaries. Emil plays 12 instruments, including the saw and
autoharp. The couple has visited Ukraine alone 10 times, conducting marriage
and English-language classes and Bible meetings.
As Ruth remembers the day she sang and played
in the empty church, she praises God for fulfilling
her dream. “I did sing and play around the world,
so God answered my prayers,” she says.
This mission story illustrates Spiritual Mission Objective
No. 7 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go”
strategic plan: “To help youth and young adults place God
first and exemplify a biblical worldview.” Learn more:
IWillGo2020.org.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org. 53
TOTAL MEMBER INVOLVEMENT TIME
What is Total Member Involvement?
A Total Member Involvement (TMI) is a full-scale, world-church evange-
listic thrust that involves every member, every church, every adminis-
trative entity, every type of public outreach ministry, as well as personal
and institutional outreach.
A It is a calendar-driven, intentional soul-winning plan that discovers
the needs of families, friends, and neighbors. Then it shares how God
fulfills every need, resulting in church planting and church growth, with
a focus on retaining, preaching, sharing, and discipling.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT TMI TIME IN SABBATH SCHOOL
Dedicate the first 15 minutes* of each lesson to plan, pray and share:
A TMI IN-REACH: Plan to visit, pray, care for missing or hurting members,
and distribute territory assignments. Pray and discuss ways to minister to
the needs of church families, inactive members, youth, women and men,
and various ways to get the church family involved.
A TMI OUT-REACH: Pray and discuss ways of reaching your community,
city, and world, fulfilling the Gospel Commission by sowing, reaping,
and keeping. Involve all ministries in the church as you plan short-term
and long-term soul-winning projects. TMI is about intentional acts of
kindness. Here are some practical ways to become personally involved:
1. Develop the habit of finding needs in your community. 2. Make plans
to address those needs. 3. Pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
A TMI UP-REACH: Lesson Study. Encourage members to engage in
individual Bible study—make study of the Bible in Sabbath School
participatory. Study for transformation, not information.
TMI Time Explanation
Fellowship Pray, plan, organize for action.
15
Outreach Care for missing members.
min.*
World Mission Schedule outreach.
45 Involve everyone in the study of the lesson.
Lesson Study
min.* Ask questions. Highlight key texts.
Plan lunch for the class after worship.
Lunch
THEN GO OUT AND REACH SOMEONE!
*Adjust times as necessary.
22-2-ABSG
United by
Mission
Alexandra Al fred
Ocr hain
A girl becomes an Adventurer through friendship evangelism
in Angola. A young man prays to God in an abusive home
in Namibia. An aspiring ministerial student miraculously survives
a horrific car accident in Zimbabwe. What do they have in
common? They are united by love for Christ and His mission in
the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, which will receive
this quarter’s Thirteen Sabbath Offering.
Read more in the youth and adult Mission magazine
(bit.ly/adultmission) and the Children’s Mission magazine
(bit.ly/childrensmission).
Thank you for supporting
Adventist Mission with your
prayers and Sabbath School
mission offerings.
22-2-ABSG Ad.indd 1 6/9/21 10:50 AM
