Consequences of Partial Obedience
God’s promise to Abram
God originally spoke to Abram in Mesopotamia [Acts 7:2–4].
Abram partially obeyed God’s call as he brought his father Terah and nephew Lot
along, settling in Haran for about 15 years. God repeated the promise after
Terah died, and Abram was ready to obey. This delay did not revoke the promise;
it delayed its fulfillment.
“Get
out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land
that I will show you (Genesis 12:1).
The reason being, God’s covenant with Abram was based on
divine initiative, not human perfection.
The repeated use of “I will” in Genesis 12:1–3 underscores
that the promise was unconditional and rooted in God’s faithfulness, not
Abram’s flawless obedience. Abram is seen as a model of growing faith. He did
not start as a father of faith, but matured into one.
I
will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and
you shall be a blessing. 3 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).
His journey reflects how God works patiently with flawed
people to fulfill divine purposes.
The promise to Abraham was not limited to land or
descendants, it was a global, redemptive covenant, fulfilled by the coming of
the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Messiah brought salvation to all nations, Jews
and Gentiles alike [Acts 3:25–26; Galatians 3:8]. On the contrary, the nations
that mistreated the Jewish people have found it rough. The Greeks desecrated
the altar in the Jewish temple, and they were conquered by Rome. Rome killed
Paul and destroyed Jerusalem under Titus, Rome fell. Spain compelled Jews to
renounce Judaism and convert to Catholicsm - Spain was reduced to a fifth-rate
nation. Poland fell after the violent attack on Jews (pogroms). Hitler’s
Germany fell after its orgies of anti-Semitism, and Britain lost its empire
when it broke its faith with Israel.
Consequences of Partial Obedience
Abram’s continued partial obedience is a significant
compromise. He brought Lot along despite God’s clear instruction [Genesis
12:1]. The compromise led to complications in Abram’s journey. Lot’s presence
represents lingering ties to the old life and family structure that God had
asked him to leave behind.
So
Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him...
(Genesis 12:4)
Abram
passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree
of Moreh. ... (Genesis 12:6).
Consequently, complications in Abraham's journey that
included, Strife between Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen [Genesis 13], Lot is
captured during a regional conflict, and Abram had to rescue him [Genesis 14],
and Lot’s life in Sodom ends in tragedy, Abraham had to intercede for him,
contrasting sharply with Abram’s growing intimacy with God [Genesis 19].
Shechem (meaning shoulder, probably because two hills,
Gerazim and Ebal linked like shoulders).
Shechem was right in the middle of Canaan.
The place had its significance.
-Jacob came safely when he returned with his wives and
children from Laban's place [Genesis 33:18].
-Jacob bought a piece of land from a Canaanite named Hamor,
for 100 pieces of silver [Genesis 33:19].
-Jacob built an altar to the Lord and called it El Elohe
(God/Almighty of Israel) [Genesis 33:20].
- Jacob’s well.
- Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, was raped – and the sons of
Jacob massacred the men of the city [Genesis 34].
-Jacob gave his son Joseph, land Jacob had conquered from
the Amorites with his sword and bow in an unrecorded battle [Genesis 48:22].
-bones of Joseph were buried when they were carried up from
Egypt [Joshua 24:32].
- Joshua made a covenant with Israel, renewing their
commitment to the God "as for me and my house, we will serve the
Lord" [Joshua 24].
- New Testament name is Sychar – where Jesus met the
Samaritan woman at the well in [John 4:5-6].
God appears to Abram in Canaan
Abram pitched his tent and built an altar between Bethel and
Ai. The Altar was meant to be a place of worship, to offer sacrifices, and meet
God. A sign of dependence on God. Bethel, meaning “House of God,” symbolized
divine presence. Ai, often associated with ruin or destruction, stood in
contrast. Abram’s altar between the two represents a spiritual crossroads:
choosing worship over ruin, faith over fear.
And
he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent
with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord
and called on the name of the Lord (Genesis 12:8).
With the death of Jesus, we are the sacrifice; therefore,
the altar is wherever we are [Romans 12:1, Hebrews 13:15].
Abram in Egypt
Abram’s journey reveals the tension between faith and fear,
and the long-term consequences of short-term decisions. Abram had just arrived
in Canaan, the land God promised him. Lo and behold, famine struck, he chose to
leave the place of promise for the place of provision; Egypt. This is seen as a
lapse in trust. The famine was a test of Abram’s faith. Would he trust God to
sustain him in the land God had called him to? Fear led him to lie about Sarai
[Genesis 12:11–13], which finally led to a heathen rebuking the man called to
be a blessing to nations.
Now
there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there,
for the famine was severe in the land (Genesis 12:10).
In Egypt, Abram acquired Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant
[Genesis 16:1]. Later, Sarai gave Hagar to Abram to bear a child, resulting in
Ishmael, a decision that brought strife, jealousy, and division into the
household [Genesis 16–21]. This journey teaches us on the critical need to trust
God’s provision in all circumstances, the place of calling is also the place of
testing, and blessing. Additionally, admonishes us shortcuts can lead to long
shadows, choices made in fear can echo for generations. Finally, God’s grace
still prevails. Despite Abram’s missteps, God continued to bless, protect, and
fulfill His covenant.
Sarai is taken into Pharaoh’s house
Abram and Sarai were in God’s redemptive plan. Therefore,
God did not want Sarai’s womb to be defiled by a gentile king.
But
the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai,
Abram’s wife (Genesis 12:10).
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