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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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, 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?
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).
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.
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."
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 4