May 1: Seek God's Purpose

Wiley Richards is a retired professor of theology and philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.

In a broad sense, we need not seek to know God’s purpose because the Bible clearly reveals it. Jesus Himself said, “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save the lost” (Lk. 19:10 HCSB). His divine purpose involves our participation in accomplishing it as reflected in His words, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21, HCSB). For us to enter into that ministry places obligations on us to guard our spiritual lives in order for us to hear and follow His call, as Abraham’s life illustrates.

• First, to fulfill God’s purpose requires SEPARATION (vv. 1- 3). Jews, Muslims, and Christians honor Abraham as the founder of their nations, as well they should. He is the father of Ishmael’s children as well as those who believe (Rom. 4:11). Even though Abraham, then called Abram, obtained greatness by God’s grace and power, his spiritual journey was characterized by unevenness at best. Genesis 12:1 says God called Abram while he was in Haran, but that was his second call. Acts 7:2 says God’s initial call came while he lived in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran. His father, Terah, and other family members followed him to Haran where they dwelled until Terah died. Even though Abram’s nephew, Lot (v. 4), accompanied him to Canaan, Abram had made a decisive break with his past.

God promised him a future which must have stunned him. Childless, how could he become the father of many nations when he was already 75 years old? How was he to be a blessing and even be the cause of a curse falling on those who cursed him? Yet, he believed God.

• Seeking God’s purpose calls for DEDICATION (vv. 4-7). Abram journeyed south and crossed the Jordan River about half way between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, moving eastward into Sichem (Shechem). He had paused in the middle of the land of Canaan, at the time controlled by the Canaanites. While he was there, God appeared to him, bequeathing the land to him.

We might expect Abram to lay the foundations of a permanent residence to signify his intention to claim the land. Instead, he built an altar and “called upon the name of the Lord.” Hebrews 11:10 explains why he chose the altar: “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” He thereby asserted his faith in the ultimate permanency of the spiritual above the physical.

• However, seeking God will lead to times of TESTING (vv. 10-13). Abram, ever the nomad, moved further to the south to a mountain east of Bethel. He repeated the spiritual exercise previously executed as he built an altar and again called on the name of the Lord. For unstated reasons, he abandoned the site near Bethel, continuing his southward trek. Then disaster struck as a grievous famine swept the land. Perhaps not wanting to move back toward Haran, he abandoned Canaan and settled in Egypt.

• To his later embarrassment, he concocted a tale of DECEPTION (vv. 14-18). As his family neared Egypt, he convinced Sarai to tell the Egyptians she was his sister in a scheme to save his own life. The story was a half-truth since she was his half-sister (20:12). But a half-truth is a whole lie, as Pharaoh soon learned. By some physical device, God prevented Pharaoh from beginning physical relations with Sarai after she had been inducted into his harem. Abram, God’s man of the hour, was forced to admit his sin in the presence of a pagan ruler. Incredibly, Abraham pulled the same sordid stunt on Abimelech (20:7). He learned little from his past sin.