Jul 7

Jul 7 Five Tests in the Life of Abraham (Part 1)

TESTS IN THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM

Abraham is possibly the most memorable Old Testament character in history. Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike know his story. He is famous for his faith and for bearing a son in his old age. But, Abraham’s life was not without challenges. In this post, we’ll look at the first 3 of the 5 tests in his life.

FAMILY TEST

The first test in Abraham’s life is the Family Test. This is found in Genesis 12:1-5. Before Abraham’s name was changed, he was called Abram. He is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 11. We are given a glimpse into his genealogy and family history here. His father’s name was Terah. He had 2 brothers - Nahor and Haran. Haran died young and left behind a son, Lot. Nahor’s wife was Mulcah, who was also Haran’s daughter. Abram married Sarai and we are told that she was barren.

Genesis 12:1-5
Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 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.” So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.

God called Abraham to leave his family and to go to a place that God would provide for him. But we see that during the first call, Abraham didn’t leave his family. In Genesis 11:31,32, Terah and Lot went with Abraham and Sarah. They were traveling to Canaan, but stopped in Haran. It is here that Terah dies. God calls Abraham again (Genesis 12) and here Abraham leaves from Haran towards God’s promised land.

Genesis 11:31,32
And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

We see in God’s call to Abraham that he was supposed to abandon everything that was of value to him - his country, his relatives, and even his immediate family. Abraham obeyed God’s command without hesitation as seen in Hebrews 11:8.

Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

FRICTION TEST

The second test in Abraham’s life is the Friction Test. This is found in Genesis 13:5-13. Abraham and his nephew Lot had been traveling together after God called them out of Haran. They had a good relationship with each other and each one was very wealthy. But their wealth led to a literal example of, ‘this land ain't big enough for the both of us’ kind of situation. The herdsman of both men started fighting with each other.

Genesis 13: 5-13
Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.

Instead of leading into more fighting between uncle and nephew, Abraham proposed a solution. He wanted a peaceful separation from Lot and gave Lot the choice of which direction he wanted. This shows Abraham’s faith, both in that he was willing to separate from his nephew and also that he was confident that the Promised Land belonged to him by God’s divine promise. What would have happened if Lot chose the direction of the Promised Land? In the end, Lot chose what he thought was the choice land and left Abraham to settle at the oaks of Mamre.

FORTUNE TEST

The third test in Abraham’s life was the Fortune Test. This is found in Genesis 14:21-24. Prior to this test, Lot was captured and taken away when the city of Sodom was looted. Abraham and his band of servants went after the five kings to rescue his nephew.

Genesis 14:21-24
Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”