The lesson of: "When God calls you, He will fulfill His promises, whether you like it or not!"

Abraham “went down” to Egypt (Gen 12:10-20). In the Old Testament, “going down” to Egypt means “submitting to that people” (Ex 2:23). This country is seen as the enemy of Israel; going down there is never good. Rather, it would have been better to “go up” to “Jerusalem” to meet the Lord.

*Pixabay, author unknown.

During the famine, Abraham preferred to go to Egypt rather than trust in God. He was so keen to be "well treated" that he gave his wife to Pharaoh, an episode that would later be repeated with Abimelech (Gen 12:10-20; 20:2) – (1) He was therefore more attached to his possessions and comfort than to God (he received many gifts from Pharaoh) and returned with slaves, including Hagar "the Egyptian." (2) He preferred to "listen" to his wife and take Hagar "the Egyptian" rather than wait for the "son of the promise," Isaac (Gen 12-18). It is clear that he was attached to this inheritance and that, instead of trusting the Lord, he preferred ready-made solutions, even if it meant reverting to the "Adam and Eve" pattern. “It is the fault of the woman whom YOU (in short, the fault of God) gave me” (Genesis 3:12), so he felt “obliged” to take Hagar, rather than refuse and look to God. Yet Abraham is called by God THE FATHER OF FAITH (Galatians 3:8-9), find the flaw…

But here is how Abraham, who has surely reflected on recent events, reacts when a problem arises with his nephew: “Let there be no quarreling between us, for we are brothers!” (Gen 13:8-9). Family becomes a priority (his values ​​have just been overturned), possessions have become secondary (what a change!). This decision will, of course, have positive repercussions. While for a short time it might seem that he is losing a wonderful land (Gen 13:7-12), it will turn out that this land is rather a source of “curse.” Lot, the “only” honest citizen of the city (2 Pet 2:7-8), will lose his city and his wife; he will become the father of the Moabites by having an incestuous relationship with his daughters (Moab; “descended from the father”). Abraham, on the other hand, prospers.

Abraham continues to be transformed; this decision "enhances" him. He, who was attached to his possessions, meets Melchizedek and gives him a tithe (14:17-20). In doing so, he performs an act of worship and partakes of the Lord's Supper (bread and wine), prefiguring Jesus Christ as the beginning of a new covenant. He then meets the king of Sodom, but refuses to surrender souls to him at the expense of earthly possessions (Gen 14:21; Heb 7:21; Lk 4:6). He thus acquires the authority to free his nephew from the king's control, under whose authority he had placed himself. Through this act, he receives the sign of this covenant through circumcision (Gen 17:4-8:13) and thus becomes the firstborn of this covenant. This covenant with God is the antithesis of the one he had made with Pharaoh, or that he might have made with the king of Sodom, by "giving people as ransom," as he had done initially with Sarah. A series of good decisions follow one another, ultimately equipping him to face the enemy's traps. He becomes "a friend of God" (James 2:23).

God is the only one who can undo the consequences of your bad decisions! Abraham, who sought wealth and to be treated well, who wanted to obtain the promised inheritance through his own efforts, becomes the intercessor, the one who stands in the gap for souls (Gen 18:25-31; 19:29; 21:12-17). Finally, he who had “gone down to Egypt” at the beginning will make a surprising act of faith; he “goes up” Mount Moriah to “leave behind” what matters most to him, his inheritance (Gen 22:3), and says to God, “Here I am!” (Gen 22:1). Death has been changed into resurrection; God has provided a sacrifice, foreshadowing the coming of Christ, who would be the living sacrifice for the salvation of humanity (Heb 11:17-19).

The positive consequences:

• Ten centuries later, Solomon's Temple would be built on this mountain (2 Chronicles 3:1).

• He became a "true" worshipper of the Lord, capable of giving EVERYTHING to God (Genesis 22:4-5; Matthew 10:37-39).

• The story of his transformation has come down to us to teach us how the consecration of a heart can change an individual! (Here I am!)

• He became as God had described him: the father of faith (Hebrews 11:17-19) and our father to all who believe in the Lord (Romans 4:16), called like him not to look at perishable things, but at eternal things (Ephesians 2:19).

How did he become this example? (Genesis 12:1-5) “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.’” Despite his shortcomings and patterns, Abraham chose to obey God by following Him. 

And you, have you made this decision? We often hear that if we have a bad attitude or behavior, God can do nothing with us, that we are “blocking” His ministry. I believe, on the contrary, that as the story of Abraham and those of all the patriarchs and matriarchs shows, God remains STRONGER THAN US; it would be presumptuous to think that we could “prevent” God from fulfilling His plans for us. Are we stronger than Him? Who can thwart His purposes? Let us be reassured, God is indeed capable of transforming us and leading us, like Abraham, to an incredible transformation, despite our shortcomings;

Abraham went from being "a friend of the world to a friend of God."

LET US PRAY: Lord, we are enlightened by the stories of these men and women who were never, at first, what you called them: Moses, the liberator who was a murderer on the run; Gideon, the valiant warrior who was filled with fear; Ruth, a Moabite woman, a "curse" who would become part of Jesus' family tree; David, "with the heart of God," who killed a child of God, a friend; and the disciples themselves, who had to be trained even though they were far from ready. Thank you, Lord, because I cannot change the calling you have placed on my life. What you have decided, you will accomplish! Thank you because you are above my faults and bad decisions, provided I have decided to follow you! Come and repair my faults and their consequences, and come and equip me so that I may be the man or woman you have said I am! Today I tell you: "HERE I AM!"