Obedience or Idolatry?

He grew up in a society that was almost as pagan as the one in which we live. Idolatry was rampant, even in his own family. And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River (Euphrates), namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods’” (Joshua 24:2; parenthesis mine). The truth is, Abraham had probably never even heard of God, the Father of our Lord Jesus. Instead, he had probably been well indoctrinated into the same pagan notions his parents embraced, and was, therefore, very much an idolater. He was probably fully convinced that any religious persuasion other than the one his father, Terah, embraced was heresy.

Interestingly, however, Abraham’s religious persuasion was not a deterrent to God’s purposes. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac (Joshua 24:3). Even though God knew that Abraham and his family worshipped other Gods, He took him from beyond the river Euphrates (the place of idolatry) and led him through all the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants through Isaac. Awesome!

That reminds me of just how glad I am that God is big enough to open our eyes (even when we don’t want Him to do so) and show us The Truth. It also reminds me of just how thankful I am that God doesn’t wait around for us to make the first move toward Him. It really reminds me of just how thankful I am that God does as He pleases—regardless!

What really happened was this: Abram (Abraham) and his wife, Sarai, were living in Ur of the Chaldeas, far removed from any notion of following God anywhere, when God called Abram. The call was clear: Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3).

In my opinion, that was quite an order! Even so, the Scripture is clear concerning Abraham’s response: So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. And Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:4-7). I think we could conclude that Abram obeyed God and it paid big dividends!

Did you notice the way the Scripture describes Abram’s response? I really like it! And they set out for the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:5; emphasis mine). I wonder what would happen, if more of us would “set out” in obedience to God’s call. I am convinced that more of us would find ourselves enjoying the pleasures of God if we, like Abraham, simply “set out” in response to His call. Notice that Abraham didn’t even know where he was going; he just “set out” in obedience!

Think about what must have been going on in Abraham’s mind as he built the altar to the Lord. At one point in his life, he had no idea who God was; however, at this point he is obeying God and being blessed by God. Thus far, Abraham had been obedient to God, and God had done EXACTLY as He had promised to do.

However, I want you to notice this: Abraham would not settle for ANYTHING less than God’s best. By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:9-10). Somehow, Abraham knew that this was just a shadow of what was to come; he knew that the best was yet to come. As a result, he never planted his feet firmly on this soil. Instead, he lived in tents as an alien (a stranger) in the land of promise. Why? The Scriptures make it clear: He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God!

Have you ever noticed that obedience to God, especially “set out” obedience, moves your focus from what you can see to what you cannot see? Have you also noticed that obedience to God never allows you to be satisfied with what you can see? Somehow, you are always being moved from glory to glory and from faith to faith!

Most of us need to “set out” in obedience to the God of Abraham, especially since the call has already come. Truthfully, anything less is idolatry.