“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV)
Genesis 11:27-32 are the final verses of what many refer to as “the introduction of the Bible.” They center around a man named Terah, who was the father of Abram. Terah was born many generations after the tower of Babel incident. Mentioning this genealogy signals that “the stage is set” for God’s main story to begin.
As the LORD had done with Noah, He chose Abram out of all those living on the earth. At the time, it must have seemed like an odd choice for two reasons. First, Terah was still the leader of the family. Second, Sarai was barren and had little to no prospects of producing children to fulfill God’s promises to Abram at the beginning of Genesis 12. Why would the LORD choose someone who wasn’t the leader of even his own family and who would soon “be cut off from the land of the living” since he had no children?
The answer, of course, is Abram’s faith. Instead of going directly to do God’s will by taking Abram and the family to Canaan, Terah moved the family near the source of the Euphrates River at Harran. Even after Abram moved on to Canaan, Terah remained in Harran for another 60 years until his death. By contrast, Abram did not abandon God’s call, but trusted it. Later in Genesis 15:4-6, Abram believed the LORD when God promised that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars “and it was credited to him as righteousness” (see Romans 4:4). Again, in Genesis 22:3, when God gave him the ultimate test of faith, he (Abraham at this point) “got up early the next morning” to hurry to obey.
The LORD searched the entire earth and waited five generations after the tower of Babel to begin His intricate plan to restore all nations to Himself through Christ, beginning with a promise to one ordinary, faithful man. As we prepare for the sorrow of the Cross and the joy of the empty tomb this weekend, let us reflect on how this plan began more than 2,000 years before Christ with a highly selective process of one man with simple faith and obedience.
For Reflection:
- How is God calling you to be completely and simply devoted to Him?
by Ryan Atwood
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