TruthPoints

01.15.08

Abraham is one of the most interesting and instructive characters in the Bible.  The story begins in (Genesis 12) with God asking Abraham to move to a new land.  At 75 years old, God asked Abraham to move to "a land that I will show you”.  He did not tell him where . . . just to go.  There were no maps, no AAA Trip-Tickets, no brochures, no Map-Quest to log on to.  God just pointed west and said, "Go”. 

Abraham's family was in Ur.  His business was in Ur.  His friends were in Ur.  But God's direction was clear and Abraham packed up and moved out.

We have no idea how God communicated with Abraham.  Was it through an angel?  Was it in a dream?  Did he hear an audible voice?  We do not know.  What we do know is that Abraham was asked to leave his security, his family, his friends, and everything that made him comfortable in life.

The book of Hebrews has a great summary of Abraham's situation, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."  (Hebrews 11:8-10)  

However God communicated his message to Abraham, we know it was effective.  Abraham believed God and the promises He made.

It appears that God gave the command and then Abraham took his father Terah, his brother Nahor and the son of his dead brother Haran, a boy by the name of Lot and headed west.  This group went from Ur (in Eastern Iraq) and traveled to Haran (near modern day Syria).  It was here that they first settled.  After Terah died, Abraham and Lot continued on to the land of the Canaanites (present day Israel).

However, like most of the accounts in Genesis, the real benefit in this record is not the historical details.  It is in what we can learn about God and life with God.  The first thing we notice about the call of Abraham is that God is the Initiator in our Relationship with Him (Genesis 12:1).  God initiated the relationship Abraham had with God.  There is no record here that God chose Abraham because he was godly.  There is nothing that says Abraham was a man who was walking with God.

We read about Abraham's faith in the book of Hebrews but you need to realize that the faith came after God first called Abraham and made these wonderful promises to him.  God's action was first.  Abraham's action was in response to God's action.

In fact, as we paste together Abraham's background we see that Abraham was an unlikely candidate for God's favor.  Listen to these words from (Joshua 24:2).  Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshipped other gods."  

Abraham grew up in a home that practiced idolatry.  It is likely that Abraham had no real "faith" until God chose him to be the Father of the faithful.  Abraham grew up in a home that worshipped idols.  He was a pagan yet God chose him.  In fact, as we read the Biblical record, this seems to be the way God usually works.  You see, grace is the result of God's mercy, not our merit.

In case you think this is an isolated teaching, consider these verses:

(John 15:16)  "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.  Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

(Romans 9:15-16)  "For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."  It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy."

(2 Timothy 1:8-10)  "Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace."

So, one of the many things we can learn from this spiritual "pillar" is that Abraham's faithfulness was not a result of his goodness but a result of God's gracious calling in his life.  The Lord ran after Abraham and "ran him down".  He reached out to Abraham and Abraham responded gratefully.  God works the same way with all of us.

I know you are as thankful as I am that God took the initiative, in His mercy, to send His Son to redeem us from our sin.  If He had not taken the first step, we would still be lost. 

To God be the Glory,

Pastor David