Sermon Text: Genesis 12
Sermon Title: God’s Mercy and Grace in Election
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11:8-16, 23-28
Introduction:
“Within the book of Genesis no section is more significant than 11:27-12:9. It announces the divine intervention that will bring blessing to all the families of the world” (Wenham).
The book’s focus on the origins of Israel unfolds against the backdrop of matters affecting the world. Moses tells us that prior to God’s election of the patriarchs, the fathers of Israel (chs. 12-50), mankind asserted its independence from God by striving to know good and evil apart from God and in defiance of His commands. Humans proved their depravity by token religion, rebellion, unrestrained vengeance, thinking about evil continually, and by erecting an anti-kingdom against God. God’s verdict about mankind stands: “the thoughts of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (8:21).
Just as miraculously and surely as God sovereignly transformed the dark, empty void at earth’s origin into a glorious habitat for mankind and brought it to rest, so also God sovereignly elected His covenant people in Christ to conquer Satan and to bless the depraved world. Before Jacob was born and had done either good or evil, God chose Jacob, not Esau, his older twin brother. He chose Jacob, even though he cheated his brother, deceived his father, and blasphemed God.
What begun in Genesis is fulfilled in Christ. The genealogy begun in chapter 5 and advanced in chapter 11 is completed with the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1; Luke 3:23-27). He is the ultimate offspring promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; Galatians 3:16). God Himself proclaimed that the woman’s offspring would destroy Satan (3:15). That offspring is Christ and His Church (Romans 16:20). The gift of the bride to Adam prefigures the gift of the Church to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32).
(The above quote is from R.C. Sproul’s Reformation Study Bible)
Genesis is the book of beginnings: The beginning of the human race in Adam; The beginning of the new earth in Noah; The beginning of the Chosen Nation in Abram.
Context of Genesis 12
The genealogy of the elect begins in 5:3-32, overlaps in 10:21-31 and continues in 11:10-32
- This is the line of Shem (11:10)
- Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran (11:26)
- Haran, Abram’s brother, died (11:27). Haran’s death explains Abram’s relationship with his nephew Lot.
- “Now Sarai was barren; she had no child” (11:30). Read 12:4. These details are very important to the tension in the narrative.
Election: God’s Sovereign Grace in Salvation
The narratives in the first of two major sections in Genesis:
a) Adam and Eve
b) Cain and Seth
c) Ham and Shem
d) Babylon and Israel
The four stories above (Genesis 1-11) share the same pattern. Each begins with God’s rule and humanity’s rebellion to that rule.
Concludes the primeval (resembling the earliest ages in the history of the world) and shows that man, left to himself, would always choose his own kingdom above God’s Kingdom (Adam and Eve; Abel and Cain – Seth did nothing righteous; Cannanite Lamech; The thoughts and intents of man’s heart was on evil continually; Noah’s drunkenness; Shem and Ham; Nimrod and Babylon).
Genesis 12 begins patriarchal history – God sovereignly electing a people out of this world to call His own.
There are two Kingdoms: The Kingdom of Self and the Kingdom of Christ. The elect are those who God sovereignly pulls out of their selfishness and places in the Kingdom of Christ.
Bruce Waltke gives an excellent and simple definition of election: “Election here does not exclude or condemn anyone. Rather it works exclusively as a benefit to a world that, otherwise, has no intention of doing what is right.”
Why does God choose to leave some to their own devices? There are some good partial answers, but nobody knows the complete answer to that question. Two good resources that have good answers are Jay Adams’ “The Grand Demonstration” and A.W. Pink’s “Our Accountability to God.”
Romans 1:21-28 we read three times that “God gave them up.” This passage and Acts 14:16 refer to God turning away from those who first choose to turn away from Him.
An excellent definition of this doctrine is set forth in the Canons of Dordt:
Now election is the immutable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid, he has, according to the most free goodpleasure of his own will, of mere grace, chosen out of the whole human race, fallen by its own fault from its primeval integrity into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons, neither better nor more deserving than others but with them involved in a common misery, unto salvation in Christ; whom even from eternity he had appointed Mediator and Head of all the elect and the foundation of salvation; and therefore he has decreed to give them unto him to be saved…”
“Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I TOOK your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac” (Joshua 24:1-3).
God did not suggest or ask regarding Adam; Seth; Noah; Abraham; Joseph; Mary; Moses; Paul
Also, if you are a first generation Christian or parent – you have a distinct advantage and privilege. Israel began with one special person. The ministry to the Gentiles began with one special person.
Remember last week when we contrasted 11:4 with Genesis 12:1-3. What people sought for their own glory, God exalted Abram with for the glory of God by His sovereign grace.
- The LORD is the subject of the first verb “Go.”
Look at “I will” five times repeated in three short verses.
- God’s fivefold use of blessing to Abram is the gracious counterbalance to the five curses against fallen creation and humanity (3:14, 17b; 4:11; 8:21; 9:25) – Sidney Greidanus.
You have to move from “wanting to change” or “wanting to go a different direction” or “wanting to be a Christian” or “wanting a better marriage” to wanting Christ. If Christ is not your goal, you will always veer.
Abram set out on his 1,500-mile journey by faith (Read Hebrews 11:8-16)
- Abram knowingly lived for a reward he would never see (Hebrews 11:13) – Abram’s reward was the Father (Genesis 15:1). It is not the destination that we focus on. The destination is meeting Christ in theintermissions of life. Treasure Map Illustration.
- Moses’ reward was Christ (Hebrews 11:23-27)
- Jesus’ words are an invitation, not a restriction or sacrifice: Matthew 16:24-26, “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?’”
It was by God preaching the Gospel to Abram that He was fueled to walk by faith:
- Do not confuse “it takes work” with “relying on works of the law” (Read Galatians 3:7-9
- What is this Gospel that God preached to Abram? Genesis 12:7 (collective singular noun) with Galatians 3:16-18
- It is NOT law à grace. It is grace (law) grace. Grace was never “added.” The law was “added.” Read Galatians 3:19
“By faith” means the Abram worshipped his way through the land (vv. 7-8):
- 2 altars and “calling upon the name of the LORD”
- Romans 4:13-25 especially v. 20
- Trials produce nothing of any benefit. It is the looking in the trial that produces faith and change.
“The Lord’s commands are rarely accompanied with reasons, but they are always accompanied with promises” (A.W. Pink).
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