The objective of this lesson: to challenge people to consider the importance of trust as a facet of obedience.
In the incident of Adam and Eve we are introduced to obedience's first reality. God knows best. Because He knows what is best for us, we should listen to Him. Just as a loving, concerned parent understands realities his/her small child does not grasp, so it is that the Creator understands realities the creature does not grasp. He is genuinely concerned about our well being. He is not our deceiver.
God knows best because of His great unselfish love for us. In His love for us, God neither seeks to use us nor abuse us. He seeks only to protect us from ourselves [bad decisions, bad choices for focus and direction] and from evil [we have demonstrated for thousands of years that humanity is easily deceived by evil].
With Abraham we learn the second facet of obedience. An obedient relationship can exists when trust exists. Abraham's willingness to trust God grew to astounding levels. In Abraham, trust led to increased trust.
Trust is essential to surrender and submission. Our own doubting human nature, we question such generosity and love [we cannot imagine a life form that would be genuinely unselfish and non-exploitative because we know the best of humans can yield to the temptations to be selfish and exploitative]. An obedience that is not based on the control of terror or on a fear that seeks to avoid undesirable consequences must be based on trust. God does not seek to have us obey Him without cause. He gives us reason to trust Him. After Abraham, God acts and seeks our proper response to His actions.
In Abraham we encounter the willingness of a man to provide God opportunity to act.
The temptation of today's Christian is to take Abraham's willingness to trust God as 'no big deal'. If Abraham's willingness to trust God is discussed, many Christians tend to react by mentally saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah; okay, okay, okay--so tell me something I don't know!" Too few Christian realize how extraordinary it was for Abraham to trust God. Given the same circumstances, most Christians would not do what Abraham did. From too many Christians' perspective, the trust Abraham placed in God was unreasonable.
It is too easy for today's Christian to be unimpressed with Abraham trusting God.
Scripture does not suggest that Abraham knew Who God was, had an understanding of God, or knew about God's basic character prior to God speaking to him. Joshua (Joshua 24:2) suggests that Abraham [prior to knowing God] was a pagan [idolater] from an idolatrous background with idolatrous family influences. Do you think it would be frightening and strange for a living deity you never knew to reveal Himself to you by speaking to you in a vision? Would you accept the vision as a legitimate revelation, or would you vow never to eat "that" again before going to bed?
The first incredible fact found in Abraham trusting God was that Abraham had no prior knowledge of God and no prior experience in depending on God.
Were we to interpret Abraham's' pre-Canaan experiences and his Canaan experiences in terms of today's understanding, most of us would be shocked. Prior to God's directives, Abraham lived in their equivalent of a "modern" area that was comparatively secure and offered the advantages of an advanced civilization. In Canaan Abraham was a nomad. He was a wealthy stranger in an area where his wealth and his being a stranger increased the elements of danger. He did not belong among a wicked people (Deuteronomy 9:5) and easily could be viewed as prey.
It is only by viewing Abraham's incredible acts in terms of today's age that we begin to comprehend the incredible confidence Abraham placed in God.
What God requested Abraham to do simply was not done at that time. In those days, leaving your extended family was unheard of--you simply did [without questioning] what you were directed to do by the head of an extended family. The extended family was your personal protection in troubled times, your Medicare in times of illness, your Social Security in times of disability, and your health plan and insurance when unexpected health crises arose. You simply did not forfeit such things to 'strike out on your own'.
Today for a person knowingly to forfeit entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security or 'safety net' programs such as insurance and health care is regarded by many as being irresponsible. In every age societies had some form of entitlement programs or 'safety net' programs. In ancient times such considerations were provided by the extended family. The role of the family in such matters is seen in Israel in Exodus 20:12 and Matthew 15:1-9. It is seen in admonitions to Christians in 1 Timothy 5:3-8. In ancient times, an understood requirement in life was this: Do not neglect your family's needs.
Today, most of us would regard God's requests as unreasonable if not just plain ridiculous. A God you did not know existed directed you to an unspecified place. You would find this place by relying on this previously unknown God to guide you. In the process, you would sever your ties to your extended family, leave an advanced civilization, and travel to a dangerous area to live as a nomad among wicked people. All this would occur because this new God wanted to utilize you to accomplish His purposes. In the process of following His directives, you would go against cultural norms in most any existing society. Does that sound reasonable to you?
Many would cite any one of those requests from God as evidence of God's unreasonableness.
Our immediate question: "Why would Abraham do that?" The only answer available to us is "trust." It took God many generations to find a human like Abraham. Is that not understandable? Because this man could trust, God could do and did incredible things through him. He is one of the few 4000 year old people that many can call by name--in the Muslim world, the Jewish world, and the Christian world. Though he was extremely obedient, he is the 'forever' example of trust. The fact that his trust in God was so incredible makes him an example to Christians thousands of years later on how to trust God (Romans 4). It was his incredible ability to trust God by placing his confidence in God that made him a righteous person in God's sight (Genesis 15:6).
God can do incredible things through the man or woman who trusts Him. A dedication to grow in one's ability to trust in God is a major investment in living significantly. So rare is genuine trust in God that it is significant and influential anywhere it exists.
Yet, he owned almost nothing in the area that would become his descendants' homeland. He did not live to see his descendants become a great nation. He did not see kings and queens come from him. He did not witness God's blessing to all nations because of his trust. Because Abraham trusted, God did for Abraham everything He promised. Yet, Abraham did not see; he merely trusted.
In Abraham, trusting God was not just to be seen in his incredible obedience. It is also seen in his confidence that God would keep His promises even after Abraham died. The emphasis is not on the fact that Abraham was a perfect man [which he was not]. It is on two facts: He was not afraid (a) to trust God and (b) to learn how to increase trust in God.
God's promises to the person who trusts Him have much longer arms than a single human lifetime! It is by looking at Abraham that we grasp the significance of Hebrews 11:13-16.
"All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them."
Abraham gives significant insight into this scripture. In obedience, it surely is a matter of priorities. It is a matter of choice and decision always.
For Thought and Discussion
A caring, loving God who does not deceive or exploit knows best.
For an obedience relationship to exist, there must be trust.
Abraham trusting God was nothing exceptional, 'no big deal.'
He likely did not. Joshua 24:2 indicates that Abraham came from an idolatrous background with idolatry as the primary religious influence in his family.
When God asked Abraham to depend on Him instead of his extended family, God asked the equivalent of leaving Medicare, Social Security, insurance, and the only existing health plan when a disease or accident occurred.
The American society is so focused on 'individual rights', that God's challenge to Abraham to place his confidence elsewhere seems to many of us as unfair. If we are not careful, we can think God exists to serve us instead of us serving God.
The answer to this will reflect the perspective of the individual. Listen carefully to insights shared and encourage thought.
No, he did not. He did not live to see his descendants become a nation, to see them inherit Canaan, to see kings and queens descend from him, or to see all nations blessed because of his trust.
Abraham illustrates people who made choices and reordered their priorities because they understood there was more to life than physical existence.
This answer will be based on the insight of the person. Again, listen carefully and encourage thought. The 'how' will not be the same for everyone.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 4