We’re still looking at Abraham in our quest to know who God is. It’s just a glimpse really but seeing how God dealt with Abraham, and even Adam and Eve, can help us better understand the character of this Almighty God whom we seek to know.
Long before Abraham did anything “worthy”, God made promises to him - choosing a man from a city embroiled in idol worship and radiating depravity, on whom to foist His unconditional promises. Abram, as he was named at that time, had done absolutely nothing to earn, as far as we know, this special kind of favour. After all, he was the son of an idol worshiper, and according to Jewish tradition, an idol maker. Who would’ve thought that a man like that could ever be God’s choice?
As Paul later says in 1 Corinthians 1:27, God loves to confound the wisdom of men by choosing things, (and people), that the world regards as destitute of influence, value and worth. Left up to us, Abram would have rot in the city of Ur. For that matter we were not going to look there for our pick of “Father of many nations”…no siree Bob, we’re too wise to make such a foolish choice.
Abraham was a man from an idol worshipping community. A man whose fear would cause him to lie in order to save his own skin (Genesis 12:10-20). A man whose doubts would cause him to believe that he could bring about God’s promise of a son by having sex with Hagar, his wife’s servant (Genesis 16:3-5).
You see, Abraham was also a man who did not hesitate to answer God’s call. And even though he was a doubting, and frightened idol worshipper, he still packed up his belongings and left Ur. As a matter of fact, he packed up too much because he took Terah and Lot too, but that's another topic for discussion.
You see, Abraham was also a man who did not hesitate to answer God’s call. And even though he was a doubting, and frightened idol worshipper, he still packed up his belongings and left Ur. As a matter of fact, he packed up too much because he took Terah and Lot too, but that's another topic for discussion.
So, who is this God who shows this type of man this kind of favour?
A God who absolutely delights in the un-delightful to bring about His purpose. A God who would use what we would so readily discard as useless. A God who so loves that He desires nothing more than to pour out upon you and me, just as He did with Abraham, a special kind of favour…His unmatchable grace that we oftentimes fail to recognize was very present in Old Testament days.
Today, I encourage you to look again, from the beginning,
from Adam to Abraham, Noah and the Ark, Joseph to Judah, see God’s grace – a special
kind of favour – that permeates their stories.
A Special Kind of Favour
Shelley Johnson © January 8, 2018
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