Genesis 12:1–5 ‘So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.’ (v4)
It’s remarkable that, at seventy-five years old, Abram started on a new adventure. This was not part of some long-held retirement plan he and Sarai had imagined, but the ongoing maturing purpose of God shaping their lives. They would never see the land of promise, the great victories of God, nor the establishment of the kingdom of Israel – but they were essential to all these future events.
Obedience is the only basis on which the Christian message makes sense. Our human necessity to know the end from the beginning will always hijack our capacity for faith in God. Not so Abram: he longed to yield his life entirely to God and, without knowing it, became the father of a multitude – one that includes you and me! The name Abram literally means exalted father, whilst Abraham means father of a multitude.
God changed his name as he yielded to God’s purpose in his life. Abraham became not only father of a single ethnic nation but also father of a multitude composed of Jews and Gentiles, too large to number (Rev. 7:9). Through his act of obedience, God’s plan to bless all the nations of the world was seeded (Gen. 22:18). Our obedience enables that which is unseen to be made visible and for God’s Kingdom to come on earth in the fullness of time. Are we up for the challenge?
Scripture to consider: Gen. 17:1–16; 22:1–19; Rom. 4:13–25; Gal. 3:15–29.
An action to take: Consider the rich inheritance we have in God. Reflect how with obedience your unseen inheritance will enrich future generations of God’s disciples.
A prayer to make: ‘Lord, may I listen and obey, and so serve Your purpose on earth. Amen.’
Photo by Krzysztof Grech on Unsplash
