82.
Who was Abraham?
Answer:
Originally he was a dweller in the land of the Chaldeans,
on the eastern side of the river Euphrates, but
when he was 75 years old, he left his friends and
removed to Canaan.
Proof:
And
I took your father Abraham from the other side
of the flood, and led him throughout all the land
of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him
Isaac. (Josh. 24:3).
Thou
art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram,
and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees,
and gavest him the name of Abraham; (Neh. 9:7).
But
we will give ourselves continually to prayer,
and to the ministry of the word. (Acts 6:4).

83.
Why did Abraham remove to Canaan?
Answer:
Because God commanded him to do so.
Proof:
And
he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken;
The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham,
when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in
Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and come into the
land which I shall shew thee. (Acts 7:2-3).
Now
the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of
thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy
father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
(Gen. 12:1).

84.
Why did God command Abraham to remove to Canaan?
Answer:
Because of the purpose God had formed concerning
him and all the earth.
Proof:
Wherefore
do ye spend money for that which is not bread?
and your labour for that which satisfieth not?
hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which
is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and
your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the
people, a leader and commander to the people.
Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest
not, and nations that knew not thee shall run
unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for
the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified
thee. (Isa. 55:2-5).
This
people have I formed for myself; they shall shew
forth my praise. (Isa. 43:21).
But
thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have
chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. (Isa. 41:8).

85.
What was the purpose God had formed?
Answer:
To make of Abraham a great nation for the glory
of God and the blessing of all mankind at last.
Proof:
And
I will make of thee a great nation, and I will
bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou
shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that
bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and
in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
(Gen. 12:2-3).
And
they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land:
for they have heard that thou LORD art among this
people, that thou LORD art seen face to face,
and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that
thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar
of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
(Num. 14:14).
I
have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of
my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return,
That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue
shall swear. (Isa. 45:23).

86.
Did God make known this purpose to anyone else
than Abraham?
Answer:
Yes, to Abraham's son, Isaac, and to Isaac's son,
Jacob.
Proof:
And
I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars
of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these
countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations
of the earth be blessed; (Gen. 26:4).
And
thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and
thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the
east, and to the north, and to the south: and
in thee and in thy seed shall all the families
of the earth be blessed. (Gen. 28:14).
Which
covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto
Isaac; (Psa.105:9).
By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into
a place which he should after receive for an inheritance,
obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he
went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise,
as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles
with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the
same promise: (Heb. 11:8-9).

87.
How did God lay the foundation of His work with
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?
Answer:
He
made a covenant with them to give them the land
of Canaan, wherein they were strangers, for an
everlasting possession.
Proof:
And
the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated
from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from
the place where thou art northward, and southward,
and eastward, and westward: (Gen. 13:14).
In
the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land,
from the river of Egypt unto the great river,
the river Euphrates: (Gen. 15:18).
And
confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to
Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto
thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of
your inheritance: (Psa.105:10-11).
And
the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down
into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell
thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with
thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and
unto thy seed, I will give all these countries,
and I will perform the oath which I sware unto
Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to
multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give
unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy
seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
(Gen. 26:2-4).
And,
behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am
the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God
of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee
will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed
shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt
spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and
to the north, and to the south: and in thee and
in thy seed shall all the families of the earth
be blessed. (Gen. 28:13-14).

88.
Did Abraham, Isaac and Jacob receive possession
of the land of Canaan thus promised to them?
Answer:
No; they were strangers in the land of promise
during their lifetime and died (and were all three
buried at Hebron) without receiving it.
Proof:
These
all died in faith, not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded
of them, and embraced them, and confessed that
they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly
that they seek a country. And truly, if they had
been mindful of that country from whence they
came out, they might have had opportunity to have
returned. But now they desire a better country,
that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God: for he hath prepared for
them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tried,
offered up Isaac: and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son, Of
whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed
be called: Accounting that God was able to raise
him up, even from the dead; from whence also he
received him in a figure. By faith Isaac blessed
Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith
Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons
of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top
of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he died, made
mention of the departing of the children of Israel;
and gave commandment concerning his bones. By
faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months
of his parents, because they saw he was a proper
child; and they were not afraid of the king's
commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come
to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures
of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:
for he had respect unto the recompence of the
reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing
the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing
him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the
passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he
that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
By faith they passed through the Red sea as by
dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were
drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down,
after they were compassed about seven days. By
faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them
that believed not, when she had received the spies
with peace. And what shall I more say? for the
time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak,
and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also,
and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith
subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched
the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the
sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed
valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies
of the aliens. Women received their dead raised
to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting
deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
(Heb. 11:13-35).
And
these all, having obtained a good report through
faith, received not the promise: God having provided
some better thing for us, that they without us
should not be made perfect. (Heb. 11:39-40).
And
he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so
much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that
he would give it to him for a possession, and
to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
(Acts 7:5).
By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into
a place which he should after receive for an inheritance,
obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he
went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise,
as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles
with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the
same promise: (Heb. 11:8-9).

89.
Will God fulfill His promise to Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, by giving them the land of Canaan,
wherein they dwelt as strangers during their mortal
days?
Answer:
God will certainly fulfill His promise. He will
raise Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from the dead,
and give them possession of the land, when the
Kingdom of God having been established there,
it will have become a heavenly country.
Proof:
Thou
wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy
to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers
from the days of old. (Mic. 7:20).
And
as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye
not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush
God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? (Mark
12:26).
There
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye
shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all
the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves
thrust out. (Luke 13:28).
And
I say unto you, That many shall come from the
east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham,
and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
(Matt. 8:11).
But
now they desire a better country, that is, an
heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called
their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
(Heb. 11:16).
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