Men in the Bible: A Man of Ambition and Adventure - Tracing the Bold Journey of Abraham’s Father and Lessons in Courageous Initiative
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. – Genesis 11:31-32
The man in the Bible we shall consider today is Terah, the father of Abraham. Terah was a man of great ambition and an unusual knack for adventure. From the passage above, we read how he decided to take members of his family on a very ambitious journey from the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, where they were living, to the land of Canaan. This is a journey of about 1,900 kilometers on foot!
Not to mention that the journey would have been quite complex, tedious and laborious for all the parties involved. It would have also taken them years to complete. But Terah was ambitious enough to conceive the idea of embarking on migrating from Ur to Canaan. Further, he had no scruples about taking young members of his family, including his young grandson Lot along with him.
We may never know what made Terah conceive this grand idea of relocating his family. But whatever it was, he sure backed his intention with action as he started the journey, even though he did not complete or see it to the end. He died on the way in Haran, which was about 1,100 kilometers from Ur, and some 900 kilometers short of his planned destination. But then he covered more ground than he had remaining. That surely counts for something.
His bold move also proved pivotal and destiny-defining for his son, Abraham, who later met with God during the journey and was helped by God all the way to complete it.
Despite what is being preached about Terah as a man who did not fulfill his mission, the audacious step he took by moving his family from Ur and getting them to embark on the journey to Canaan set him apart as a man of means. Not sure either God or Abraham would agree with the popular analyses of Terah as a man with botched dreams. From the look of things, he obviously dreamed more, dared more, and covered more grounds than many of those who portray him as a failure.
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…
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.
Understanding God: He is Agreeable 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…
Understanding God: He is Agreeable
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… 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 12:1,4-5
Another endearing attribute of God that we shall meditate on today is His predilection for agreeing with human dreams and wishes, particularly those that are lofty, audacious and do not conflict with His will, a la the tower of Babel. He is an agreeable God.
There was no indication that God and Terah had any conversation about this journey before he embarked on it. However, his move must have impressed God enough that even after his death, God approached his son, Abraham, and invited him to continue the journey.
This is an eye-revealing insight into the character of God indeed. He knew Terah’s original intention and saw how he fell short of his target by dying enroute the journey in the land of Haran. God also saw how Abraham, the son of Terah, appeared to have settled where he was with no intention of continuing the expedition that his father had started.
One cannot blame Abraham for deciding to settle down in Haran. After all, the audacious 2,000-kilometer journey through rough and rocky terrains was not his own idea in the first place. It was his father who wanted to embark on the journey. He, Abraham, was only being a good son by going along with him.
God knew all this. But more impressive was the fact that God decided to help Abraham to complete the journey rather than just watch him settle down in Haran. So He approached Abraham and called him to proceed on the journey.
This gesture of God tells us that He is agreeable to our ambitions, aspirations and plans. He says ‘Yes’ to our dreams and is not all out to scuttle them as some portray Him to be. He is not a killjoy. Even when we max out and become weary along the way, as we see with Terah, who died on the way and Abraham, who wanted to settle for less, God is willing to step in and help us keep going.
We did not read that either Terah or Abraham prayed to God at any point in their endeavors. But God had become so vested in Terah’s ambitious expedition that He came to Abraham uninvited to discuss the stalled subject of continuing the journey. Some God, isn’t He?
Another lesson we can learn from God is His disposition to a balancing act. He is not a God of extremes. Even though some who profess to follow Him go to extremes in His name or make extreme claims on His behalf, extreme is not a label that one can pin on God. He balances the acts.
Understanding God: He is Not Moved by Sentiments
Another lesson we can learn from the personality of God is that sentiments do not move Him. Therefore, He cannot be deceived into making a wrong judgment or call, as humans tend to do.
Understanding God: He is A Creator
He is a Creator. This is not to be interpreted loosely, particularly in the light of our contemporary use of the word. God is the ultimate Creator, as He created all things, even the ends of the earth (Isaiah 40:28).
Understanding God: God of the Beginning
There is no better way to begin this journey of exploring the people and entities in the Bible than to start with God. He is not just the beginning but is the origin of all things.
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