Does God have favourites? Does God choose out individuals on his initiative for special blessing? There is a way of thinking in our world today that rejects this notion. The left wing dogma espoused by communism protests against the idea of any individual having more privilege than others. At its worst that attitude arises from the basic emotion of envy. But there is a truly noble principle of justice, often given voice to by the Old Testament prophets that cries out against privileged sections of society who have no concern or sense of responsibility for those with little or nothing.

It’s right and proper that as the Christian Church we speak out on such issues as trade justice and poverty in our world. But we deny our faith if we do not also acknowledge that God does call and choose individuals for his plans and purposes, individuals who in God’s purposes are sometimes the object of the jealousy and hatred of their contemporaries.

We could instance people like Joseph or Daniel, both of whom suffered considerably from the envy of their fellows as a result of God’s calling and blessing on their lives. His brothers sold Joseph into slavery. Daniel was thrown into the lions den because of the jealousy of his fellow civil servants.

As we have looked through the early chapters of Genesis, we have seen the way that the human race has fallen from God’s intention for it. We have also seen God dealing with mankind not only justly, but also in his loving mercy. But now we see God calling and choosing an individual. God calls a man called Abram. This marks such a significant event in God’s dealing with mankind. In God’s call to Abram we see the conception of God’s chosen people. Abram is the father of the people of Israel. From now on Almighty God will regularly be referred to as the God of Abraham.

God calls Abram, and he calls him to something new. Abram had come from Ur, a place in modern day Iraq. With his father Terah and his extended family they had set out for Canaan, but had stopped in Haran, a place in the country we now know as Turkey. In both Ur and Haran pagan worship of the moon god Sin was practiced, according to the archaeologists. It is here in Haran that God’s call comes to Abram. He is to leave his father’s household, leave the pagan worship of Haran and continue the journey that Terah had begun when he set out from Haran, to the land of Caanan.

But along with that call to obedience, God makes Abram some exceptional promises. God promises to make Abram into a great nation. That is a promise that we can look at with hindsight and acknowledge that it has been remarkably fulfilled. The Jewish nation traces its ancestry to Abram. Greater details regarding that promise emerge as we go through the story of Abram, we are told of the stay in another land before returning to the Promised Land. We also know that it was a promise that he would not see fulfilled in this life; never the less it is a wonderful promise.

God also promises Abram that he would make his name great. God is promising Abram a good reputation. In time Abram became Abraham the friend of God; Abraham the man of faith, Abraham the patriarch and father of nations. That promise of a great name also held good for Abram. The third thing that is promised is God’s protection. God will identify himself with Abram; he will bless those who bless Abram. Those who curse Abram or have malicious intent to him will have to answer to God. To leave the security of the wider family and venture into territory occupied by other tribes would have been a frightening prospect for Abram, so God gives the promise of protection. If you look at the later part of chapter 12 you will see how God’s care for and protection of Abram worked out, in spite of the fact that Abram had behaved rather shabbily at the time; we’ll think about that in a few moments.

The fourth promise was that God would make Abram a blessing to others. The last part of v2 states ‘you will be a blessing’ and the second part of v3 ‘all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you’. That is so important. When God calls and chooses someone, he does not do it only for his or her own personal benefit. He does it that they might bring God’s blessing to others.

We see from that promise that God is not abandoning mankind to another judgement, and just singling out Abraham for salvation in the way that Noah was saved when the flood came. In calling Abram, in blessing him and making a covenant with him God has something far greater in mind. Through Abram God is going to send blessing on all the peoples, to all the families of the earth.

We saw last week in the story of the tower of Babel how God divided mankind into racial groups with different languages. We see here his continuing concern and care for them all. God has big plans that he is bringing in to play. In these promises to Abraham, God is hinting at good things to come for wayward mankind. Here in the story of Abraham we see God’s plan of salvation for all mankind beginning to take shape. Jews look to Abraham as the father of their race. Many Moslems do too. But most significant is that Abraham is the ancestor of Jesus. It is through Jesus that God’s salvation has come to mankind.

How does Abram respond to God? Abram obeys, he goes out at God’s call and comes to the land of Canaan. What does he do there? There are three things that I believe that he does. First of all he worships. In verse 8 he builds an altar and calls on the name of the Lord. It is the basic thing that all believers do. We bow in worship to the one we follow. He worships again in that same place in chapter 13 v 4. It also happens that this is the same place where his grandson Jacob discovers Gods presence many years later. Abram worships, in worship he calls on the name of the Lord, seeking God’s help and grace.

Secondly, Abram wavers. He has come to Canaan in obedience to God, but when problems arise his faith wavers. A famine arises, so Abram moves for a while to Egypt. There is nothing to say that it was wrong for him to do that. But he doesn’t exhibit much faith in the way he deals with the situation. He has an attractive wife; he knows that the Egyptians will have an eye for a good-looking woman and he fears that someone will kill him to take her into their harem.

Sarai was actually Abram’s half sister as well as his wife, but he lies or at least tells a half-truth and says she is his sister, and spinelessly allows her to be taken into Pharaoh’s harem, making the most of the financial benefits that he can derive from the arrangement. Pharaoh treated Abraham well, thinking Sarai was his sister. But God is the God of truth, and the truth comes out. Abraham ends up leaving Egypt under a shadow after his shabby behaviour.

Christians often waver in their faith. I am not suggesting anyone here would sell his wife’s virtue to save his own skin, but we might be temped to tell half-truths because we don’t really trust our fellow man, as we should. Pharaoh turned out to have more integrity than Abram gave him credit for. But above all we should put our faith in Gods care for us rather than relying on half-truths or lies to protect our interests.

Abram worshipped, Abram wavered, and there are further instances of wavering as the story goes on; but Abram also waited. He learned to wait on God. When problems arose with his nephew Lot, he doesn’t negotiate for the best area for himself but let’s Lot choose. Abraham is learning to trust God to keep his promises. That means waiting; that means patience. God’s plans for Abram were extremely long term. Faith is often about waiting. It is about learning to trust God to keep his promises. To have the confidence that God keeps his word.

We should worship. We may sometimes waver, but we should also learn to wait in faith on God.

But finally, lets just think on the fact that God’s call to Abraham reflects the way that God calls each of us to respond to him. God blessed Abram not just for his own sake but for our sakes too. Those blessing have come to us through Jesus. He calls us to turn away from anything that claims a higher allegiance than God does in our lives.

He calls us, not to be the founder of a nation, but to be part of the new community, the church of Jesus Christ.

He offers us the noble name of Christian, the name that will one-day be honoured throughout heaven and earth by all.

He offers us the security of his unfailing care and protection. We may well like our Lord sometimes have to walk the way of suffering, but our eternal destiny is safe in almighty hands, his help is always at hand.

But above all he calls us to be bearers of blessing to others. May our lives and our lips tell of the grace that is available to all in Jesus.
 

Amen.

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