Genesis

Abraham (Abram) received a direct call from God to leave the country where he lived and go to an unnamed place. God also makes a promise to Abraham that He will bless him for doing so. This blessing included that he would become a great nation, a great man, he would be protected by God, and, as history reveals, the redeemer would be from his lineage.

There are several elements that serve as a model for Christians today. First, one must wonder why God chose Abraham from among the others. There's no direct reason stated but it is obvious that Abraham demonstrated a significant level of faith (Hebrews 11:8-12). Abraham was given a choice to obey God or to remain in his perceived place of safety. Although Abraham did not always make good choices, he did on this occasion. As seekers of God's will we initially may have little faith, or even knowledge of God but God doesn't demand great faith in our initial response.

Today, a person is given the choice to obey God's calling to obey the gospel or remain in their current situation. When we obey God, we begin a lifetime journey with many unknown pathways culminating in the ultimate blessing of redemption and eternity with God. Our submission to God, like Abraham, is an initial test of our faith. Like Abraham, however, our faith will grow as we come to know God more, develop a deeper love for Him and continue in our obedience.

Jesus makes a statement related to our calling that is very similar to the choice Abraham had to make. In Luke 14 we have the record of Jesus' statement concerning the cost of discipleship. He requires that we forsake all in our commitment to follow Him. If we do not, then we are not considered worthy to become a disciple. To one not converted to Jesus this seems like a disproportionate exchange. But a disciple grows to understand how much Jesus gave so we could have salvation. That clarifies the nature of the exchange in God's favor.

Note: Joshua 24:2 records that Abraham's family were pagans. This adds an interesting element to why God chose Abraham from among others of other nations that may have appeared to be more faithful. Isaiah 51:1-2 describes Abraham as "the rock from which you were hewn." Abraham possessed the raw materials God would shape to become the father of a great nation. It took a lifetime to achieve but in the end, God prevailed because Abraham was obedient. We too possess the raw materials God can use to achieve His purpose. We must submit to His will and allow Him to shape us into servants He can use.

The Bible record does not tell us specifically all that Abraham thought as he chose to journey to Egypt. It does state there was a famine in the land. This likely brought hardship on him. In his immature faith he may have felt he had to make the effort to save his family. This was a departure from his faith in the promise from God to protect and provide for him. Egypt seemed to be an easy way out of the situation.

Abraham compounded the bad choice by lying about the identity of his wife. This brought distress upon the people of Egypt and shame upon Abraham. Although on the surface it seemed Abraham made a good choice in going to Egypt, it was a short-term reprieve. God intervened by causing plagues on Pharaoh and his household showing them that there was a problem with Abraham and his people. Ironically, Pharaoh rebukes Abraham for his deceit and lack of faith in God.

God gives us choices in how we serve Him. We must strive to make good choices using His will as revealed in scripture to grow and maintain our faithfulness.

When we submit to God in obedient faith, we begin to receive the blessings of salvation. Our faith begins small and should grow as we come to know, love and obey our Lord even more. Along this journey we are tested in ways to serve that can weaken or even defeat our faith. We must be aware of this and resolve to stand firm. Satan wants us to fail and use a variety of measures to bring this about. Some of the measures may seem like good choices at first, but we must always examine how any action affects our obedience to God's will. If we find ourselves acting contrary to God's will then we must take action to regroup and return to compliance. We might know how to bring this about ourselves or it might take the loving discipline of others to help us.