July 28: ALL FAMILIES BLESSED
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30
Today’s opening verse is especially true for our day. The availability of God’s word is greater now than ever before. The Lord, in tender mercy, makes a point of expressing His protection over all who are ‘innocently ignorant’ because, even among pagans, there have been those who lived up to all the light that they had. However, God makes a distinction between that kind of ignorance and willful ignorance (see Romans 1:19). The two are polar opposites.
After the people were scattered from their unified idolatry at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:8), there was a universal resurgence of idol worship. While hardened transgressors pursued their own ways and ideas, God mercifully called out Abraham. Since the foundation of the world, there had been divine preservation of the knowledge of God and His law through an unbroken line that began with Adam and continued through Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, and Shem. Abraham (formerly Abram – see Genesis 17:5) was the son of Terah, a descendant of Shem. The family resided in Ur of the Chaldeans, the world’s most sophisticated culture of the day. The culture was immersed in heathenism and superstition.
Abraham was surrounded by these influences. Even his father’s own household, through whom the knowledge of God had been preserved, was yielding to the seductions of worldliness. God’s call to Abraham was met with obedience: “Get out of your country from your family And from your father’s house…” Without dishonoring his father (see Genesis 11:24-12:1; Acts 7:2-4), he made his way toward the land of promise in obedience to the LORD, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8b). It was not possible for him to fully explain to others God’s leading in his life. Yet he held firmly to the divine promise: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). There was also the assurance that, through his line, the promised Savior would come: “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3b).
Abraham had not questioned the LORD’s promise of a son (Genesis 15:4) – yet the LORD allowed a delay as a test of Abraham’s faith in His power. But this was a test that Abraham failed. Sarah’s suggestion that he take one of her handmaidens as a secondary wife (16:2) seemed the answer. Polygamy was so widespread among the peoples of the world, that even Abraham had been conditioned to accept it. Nevertheless, it was a violation of God’s law, and sadly proved to destroy the peace of the family unit. Abraham’s union with Hagar ushered heartache not only into his own household, but opened the door to evils that affected future generations. The fifth trumpet (Revelation 9) describes the woe that Ishmael’s descendants, the Islamic peoples, have inflicted upon the world. Abraham learned from his mistake, yet the consequences (see Genesis 16:12) have continued their relentless march. Such is the nature of sin and the reason that God places a limit on its existence (Nahum 1:9). God is mercifully calling His people out from every mistaken notion and false belief!
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1