Thoughts on Obedience and Faith from Genesis 12
The Call of Abram
Now the Lord saidto Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him,
1. Obedience often requires us to intentionally walk out of the light of familiarity and into the darkness of an unfamiliar mystery. (v.1)
Abram had no idea where he was going. His only instructions from the Lord were, “Go from your country, your people, and your father’s house.” In other words, “leave everything behind that you are familiar with. And I will show you a NEW familiar.”
2. Obedience is always for the glory of God and our good. (v.2)
God said, “I will bless you and make your name great…” Can you imagine the consequences had Abram chosen not to step out in faith and obey God? As far as we know, God didn’t have a plan B. Abram was to be the father of a great nation, eventually leading to the birth of King Jesus.
3. Through the mystery, God is unfolding a plan much bigger than yourself. (v.3)
God said, “…in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Abram’s simple act of obedience had implications for the rest of human history as we know it. Israel holds a special place in the heart of God, and we are instructed to pray for peace there (Ps. 122:6). More to the principle of it, however, we must understand that our obedience or lack thereof affects those around us more than we could ever imagine. The choices we make now affect future generations to come.