“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.'” Gen 12:1
There’s quite a difference between going from and going to. In English, we generally distinguish between these two ideas with two different words: leaving and going. In fact, other versions of the above verse use two different verbs (though the original text uses the same verb with different prepositions, as the above version does).
Sometimes I wonder which was more difficult for Abram: leaving or going? We see that Abram had a wonderful trust in God (he’s considered the father of faith because of how he believed God) yet also consistently tried to take things into his own hands (by saying his wife was his sister, by his attempt to “help God” by having a child through his servant instead of his wife).
His tendency for control caused problems, yet he was totally willing to go where God called him, even though he had no idea where he would end up. As I prepare to go to a place that I don’t know, I can hardly compare my situation to Abram’s – I know where I’m going, I know who I’m going with, I already have a place to live, I know who may roommates are, and I have an idea how long I’ll be gone. Hardly the same faith journey that God called Abram to.
Yet, I’m struck by what God called Abram to leave: his country, his people, and his father’s household.
The distinction of these three factors gets my attention. I can’t pretend to understand just what each of these meant for Abraham, but I do reflect on what they, perhaps, mean for me today as I prepare to leave.
- God called Abram to leave his country. This is a physical reference to the land where Abram had his roots.
- God called him to leave his people. This word references his family – those closest to him.
- God called him to leave his father’s household. Different from the reference to relationships, this seems to be related to a certain sense of protection under the covering of his father’s authority.
I love the adventure of change. That is to say, I love going. I have no problem trusting that God will lead, that the future holds good things, and that He will fulfill His purpose through me.
- But there are times I don’t want to leave my hometown. I’m comfortable, I’m content, I have much context here. I don’t want to leave my church or my ministry responsibilities.
- Even more than that, I don’t want to leave my friends and family. The past six months in-country have been remarkably rich in my relationships. I’ll miss people.
- While I’m not scared to go, I am nervous to leave my sense of security. I have lived under much protection the past years. While the hand of God is still the same protective force, I’m definitely stepping out of my comfort zone in a new way.
Abram couldn’t have gone without leaving.
And neither can I. My going must be a response of obedience, not just a response of excitement. As a result, my leaving will be for His glory and His purpose: blessing to the nations of the earth.