The Story - Abraham: God Gets Personal

Focus passage: Genesis 12-35

If I were to grow a crop, I would plant a whole tray of seeds to make sure that I got six or eight good tomato plants. I would look for the hardiest and throw out the rest. In the time of the patriarchs, God does something entirely different. He throws himself totally into one family. He calls Abraham and no one else. There is not a plan B if Abraham doesn’t work out. To me, that is just crazy and dangerous. Yet, God will throw everything He has into this one man and his family. He will nurture them, save them from themselves, and protect them against enormous odds. No other God has ever shown such love and devotion. Some of the things he does make us scratch our head and wonder why he does them. We can see how much He will do to help us thrive.

• He plants the seed – Gen. 12:2 God plants a seed in the dirt of an ordinary man. It is unlike anything ever given to men anywhere else in history. God has a dream for this man of dirt. He will take this childless man and make him a great nation. Through this man, God will change the world. Yet, we scratch our head when we hear it. What if he or his descendants fail?

• He waits for growth – Gen. 15:2 Abraham starts to doubt after ten years of waiting. Yet, Abraham has to grow before the promises can be fulfilled. He will wait for 25 years for the child to come. During that time, God will teach his child Abraham what it means to be a child of God. When God makes a promise, we want it fulfilled now. Yet, the wise learn to trust God’s timing.

• He prunes the vine – Gen. 22:2 God does the unthinkable. He asks Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son. God is pruning his children Abraham and Isaac of all self dependence. As Abraham and Isaac walk down the hill that day, they have learned a lesson of God’s eternal love and commitment to them. The wise see that the greatest lessons are often forged in the fire of hardship and pain.

• He nurtures the fruit – Gen. 32:30 As the story continues, the next generation is born. Esau seems to reject the Lord from the beginning. The other son, Jacob, believes in the Lord but starts off poorly. You begin to wonder if God’s plan has been derailed. With a lot of work, God keeps the promise alive by nurturing this wayward grandson of Abraham. Isn’t that what a father does?

God is still willing to work with simple people like you and I. As you look at the patriarchs, you see how God nurtures and prunes people to help them grow. God still gives the same care that He gave to Abraham to people today so that they become strong and courageous people by their faith relationship with Him. Some like Lot or Esau resist God’s nurturing and pay the price. Others like Abraham and Jacob grow in faith and receive the blessing. The lesson is that it is not your standing or your money that determines your eventual fate. It is your faith and your relationship with the Lord. A loving heavenly Father gives His people an edge in life.