The House That Will Not Die begins with a call to an unknown man, in the city of Haran, to go out into the desert to a particular place, where God will tell him what to do. He was not famous, or a great preacher, for at that time, the House of God was not yet fully come into vision. But Abram obeys and before the story is over, there is the wonder and mystery of Beth-El, the house that will not die, and the High Priest who receives a tithe of men, and a Father of Faith willing to sacrifice even a son of Promise on Moriah.
The House That Will Not Die, is established at Beth-El, and a second altar between Beth-El and Hai, or Ai. It is met immediately with opposition: first of famine, then of division and strife after a return from Egypt where the flesh won out for a time,
Gen 13:6-7 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
then outright war, and the temptation to worldly riches.
This satanic opposition to the House Eternal fails because of faith, and surrender of Abram, and each time his faith is rewarded with the great plan and house of God moving forward in a powerful way.
Gen 13:13-7 But the men of Sodom [were] wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
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:
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, [then] shall thy seed also be numbered.
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
There are set in the foundation of this House the following:
A. An Altar of Sacrifice-Ch13
B. A Promise of Land and Seed-Gn 13-15
C. The Wine and Bread Gn 14:18-
D. The High Priest and a priesthood 14:18-
E. The Tithe Gn 14:18
F. The Presence of God
A pattern of faith is set by Abram in the following:
A. Surrender to God's will and call
B. Faith over sight
C. Humility
D. Prefering the Spirit over the flesh
E. Repentance from 'dead works' in the flight to Egypt
Even after a momentary fall to the carnal in the escape to Egypt, when rectified, Abram returns to the second altar near Beth-El, and calls on the name of the LORD.
Faced with division and strife in the 'cattle war' Abram takes the 'less desireable' land preferring peace to contention, and prevails and grows. Faced with war to regain the more carnal Lot, he expends his own riches and men, and wins Lot back and defends and establishes the safety of the fledgling but growing house of God. His move adds another altar. Turning down the riches of this world offered by the King of Sodom, he is instead enriched by God, and the presence of the High Priest, Melchisedek, the King without ancestry, graces the growing House.
Each step of faith leads to the firm foundation of Beth-El. Each act of faith resulted in promise, blessing, and foundation of a House that Will not Die and has lasted till today.
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