Men in the Bible: Abraham – A Laidback and Complacent Man
And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran… Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. – Genesis 11:31-32, 12:1-5
The man we shall explore today is Abraham, the father of faith. Undoubtedly, Abraham was a prominent figure in ancient history and a dominant one still today through his descendants in the Middle East as well as his adopted descendants through faith. However, it is interesting that Abraham did not start out as the larger-than-life figure we know him to be today. On the contrary, he came across as a timid, laidback and complacent fellow.
From the passage above, Abraham joined his father, Terah, on a long journey as they relocated from Ur to Canaan. However, due to the distance of the journey, they decided to camp halfway at Haran. Unfortunately, Terah, the originator of the expedition, did not make it beyond this point, as he died in Haran at age 205.
Having thus lost his father, who was the one keen on getting the family to Canaan, a land reputed to be flowing with milk and honey, it appeared Abraham was not interested in continuing the journey from there. He was very well content with staying permanently in Haran. Even though he knew the original intent of his father, Abraham appeared unperturbed by the idea of staying put where they camped. He was ready to settle down halfway to their intended destination and make the most of life in Haran. After all, he had his wife, Sarai, and Lot, his young nephew, to consider.
But then God came in.
God must have seen Abraham’s intention to settle halfway rather than go the long haul to Canaan. He must have read the fear behind Abraham’s decision to settle for less. He must have listened to the logic Abraham put forth in explaining his decision and justifying his position to his wife and family. But God would have none of that. So, He decided to make an overture to Abraham.
God knew that for someone fully determined to settle as Abraham was, He needed to entice him with something to get him to continue the journey which his father started. So, God came to Abraham with an offer. He said:
“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”- Genesis 12:2-3
With this inducement, God was able to get Abraham to rally his family and gather all they had so they could proceed on the journey to Canaan. From this point, Abraham went on to become a great person, just as God had promised him. However, if not for God’s intervention when he decided to settle for less by nesting in Haran, he might not have fulfilled his potential or become the great person that we know him to be today.
The lesson here is that it is okay to entertain fear and feelings of inferiority from time to time, particularly if the prospect you are contending with is as daunting as Abraham’s, who was not looking forward to the prospect of walking about 1000 kilometers on rough and rocky terrains traveling through deserts and wilderness, with the dangers of beasts and men of the underworld always there.
However, by dangling the promise of blessings, greatness and prominence before him, God was able to get Abraham to look beyond his anxieties and see the picture of all he might be if he embarked on the journey. Thankfully, he did.
Selah!
Also read:
- The Benefits of Wisdom: Discretion, A Companion of Wisdom
- Understanding God: He Incentivizes Obedience
- The Cornfield
- My Life Is Not About Me
- God Helped Me in my Board Exams
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