Many great men of God stand out to us as we read the Bible. There was Moses, the nice lawgiver who received the Ten Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai. There was Joshua, the powerful military leader who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. There was David, who was the best king Israel had ever known. Elijah was one in all the nice prophets. Peter and Paul were mightily used of God. Yet all of those looked to Abraham as a person of religion.
So what lessons can we learn from this man who was called God’s friend? When we’re first introduced to Abraham, God has told him, “Get out of your country, from your loved ones and out of your father’s house, to a land that I’ll show you” (Genesis 12:1 NKJV). Abraham was raised in a pagan culture that believed in lots of gods. God knew that for Abraham to remain in his country along with his family could be detrimental to his spiritual growth. In fact, his family and friends wouldn’t help, but hinder, him.
Jesus said to the person who desired to delay following Him due to his family, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking out back, is fit for the dominion of God.” (Luke 9:62 NKJV). In the identical way, God was essentially saying to Abraham, “You must make a clean break. You have to go away now if you happen to are going to maneuver forward spiritually.”
The timing of Abraham’s call by God was significant. It occurred shortly after the destruction of Babylon and the dispersion of the nations. Humanity had done his best, and God brought its plans for the longer term to nothing.
Yet God’s plan for Abraham was, “I’ll make you an important nation; I’ll bless you and make your name great; and also you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2 NKJV). The Lord’s commands are rarely accompanied by reasons, but they’re all the time accompanied by guarantees.
There are times when God will speak to you and inform you to do or not do something, and it might not make complete sense in the intervening time. When the Lord initially told Noah to construct the ark, it didn’t make sense on the time. But it made perfect sense later. And when the Lord told Abraham to go away his family and country, it didn’t make sense in the intervening time. But later he would understand the plan and purpose of God.
The Lord was essentially asking Abraham to trade in a single thing, and as an alternative, he would give him something else. But God’s trade-in deals aren’t similar to what we’d expect from our local automotive dealer. Rather, it could be like approaching a Ferrari dealer, wanting to trade in your Pinto with 200,000 miles on it. As you’re admiring the red convertible, the dealer says, “Take it—straight trade.” That is a very good deal.
God was saying, “Abraham, you allow this stuff for Me, and I’ll give this stuff to you. It is a straight trade, but it’s essential to sustain your end of the deal.” Yet repeatedly we don’t want to do this. God tells us to show our back on sin and to show away from individuals who could drag us down spiritually. And if we do, He will bless us.
Unfortunately this just isn’t what Abraham did. He form of obeyed, but not completely. God told Him to go away his country, separate himself from his relatives, and go to a land that God would show him. Abraham did leave his country, but he didn’t separate himself from his family. Nor did he go where God told him to go.
We read that he took along his father Terah and his nephew Lot. The name Terah means “delay” and it was a delay for Abraham. Bringing Terah along resulted in a delay of a minimum of five years in a spot called Haran, which suggests “parched.” Until Abraham obeyed God in what he previously had been told, we read of no further command from God.
Has God told you to do something? Have you been dragging your feet? Have you been partially obeying? Partial obedience is definitely disobedience. God is a stickler for details, and if He tells you to do something, then it’s essential do all of it—not only what you personally agree with or are comfortable with.
We must do God’s will in God’s way and in God’s time
Reproduced by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie, PO Box 4000, Riverside, CA, 92514.
Further Reading:
How Do Your Desires Fit with God’s Will?
Do You Really Want God’s Will or Your Own?
Stop Worrying About God’s Will
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The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and don’t necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group.
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