The study of Abraham provides the Judeo-Christian viewpoint of male leadership of the family. This is not a secular viewpoint. In the secular world, there is an undercurrent of antagonism toward male leadership. Our study of leadership occurs in a very challenging environment. Abraham was a pastoral nomad, and he was a strong and dynamic leader. In the Israelite world, every king was compared to King David, but the leader of every family was compared to Abraham. However, neither David nor Abraham were perfect people. The Scripture reveals to us some of their mistakes and imperfections. Only Jesus was sinless.
The family is the foundational building block of society and culture. It is only fitting that Scripture would reveal to us the keys for successful leadership of the family. Around 2000 years before Christ, Abraham was called by God to leave the city of Ur located in Mesopotamia. He first traveled 600 miles to Haran, and then later 400 miles to the land of Canaan. At Acts 7:2-5, we read that the Prophet Stephen stated,
…The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and He [God] said to him, ‘GO FROM YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME TO THE LAND WHICH I WILL SHOW YOU.’ Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God had him move to this country [Israel] in which you are now living. But He [God] gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, He [God] promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child.
In the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, Professor John Walton wrote, “The Sumerians [the ancient people of southern Mesopotamia] have become known through the excavation of several of their principal cities, which include Eridu, Uruk, and Ur. They are credited with many of the important developments in civilization, including the foundations of mathematics, astronomy, law, and medicine. Urbanization is also first witnessed among the Sumerians.”[1] Therefore, Abraham departed from a sophisticated urban existence in or associated with a walled city to ultimately live as a pastoral nomad. Abraham specialized in animal husbandry. Abraham moved his herds of domesticated animals to new locations as the seasons changed to ensure access to suitable pastures. As Abraham traveled, he was often in isolated and dangerous locations. Abraham had to provide for the physical security and wellbeing of his family, clan, and possessions. Abraham’s travels to the west also familiarized him with the key trade routes between the two most prosperous areas of the world: Mesopotamia and the Nile River Valley, often called the Fertile Crescent. Considering the wealth accumulated by Abraham, in my opinion, he most likely also participated in commercial trade.
In our modern culture, we hear a lot of discussion about one’s identity. Professor Walton wrote, “In the ancient world, people tended to find their identity not inside themselves or as individuals, but in their family, clan, or city of which they were a part.”[2] Conversely, Abraham was notable because he primarily found his identity in his relationship with his Creator God. Remarkably, both Old and New Testament writers described Abraham as being the “friend of God” (Isa. 41:8, 2 Cron. 20:7; Jas. 2:23). In the Old Testament, only Abraham and Moses were called (or in the case of Moses, implied) as being the “friend of God” (Exod. 33:11). At Genesis 12:1-3, we read,
Now the Lord [Yahweh] said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you, I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’
As I have previously stated, the Bible does not describe to us the moment when Abraham first believed in God. Abraham first believed at some point in time back in the city of Ur, which was located in Mesopotamia. Thereafter, Abraham was told by God to leave Ur. First, Abraham continued to live with his father, Terah, in Haran, but at 75 years of age (after his father had died), Abraham was directed by God to move to the land of Canaan. God promised Abraham that He would bless Abraham and make him a great nation. Like us, Abraham was told to embark on a journey of faith. Like us, Abraham was required to trust in God. God’s promise to bless Abraham is extended to every faithful believer. Every believer is the spiritual seed of Abraham. Of great significance, Abraham’s identity was established in his relationship with the LORD.
However, in my opinion, God’s promise to bless Abraham was contingent on Abraham’s obedience and faithfulness. Abraham was required to embark on his journey of faith, which required obedience, and over his lifetime, faithfulness. Amazingly, Abraham embarked on his journey of faith to the land of Canaan when he was 75 years old. Later, when Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless.” As long as we reside in these bodies of weakness, we cannot be sinless, but we can be complete or whole, which is the meaning of the Greek adjective tamim.[3] It is never too late to reinvigorate, prioritize, or intensify our relationship with the Lord.
When Abraham was 99 years old, God also instructed Abraham to circumcise himself and all of the men in his clan. Circumcision was meant to be an outward sign or symbol of an internal set of values. As believers, we are required to put off the flesh. We should not be dominated by our inherent, natural, or acquired feelings. Our feelings must be secondary to God’s will. Pleasing God and doing His will should be our highest priority. Since the coming of Christ, we believers are not required to be circumcised; it is a personal decision. However, every believer is still required to “put of the flesh.”
With this in mind, let us continue on our own journey of faith and seek to live in a way that is pleasing to God. By doing so, God has promised us that He will bless us and make us a blessing to others. Thinking, speaking, and acting in ways that are pleasing to God should be our highest priority. We must find our identity in relationship with our Creator.
For more information on “Abraham: Finding One’s Identity,” see this YouTube Bible Class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7HAfBHxzw
[1] “Genesis.” Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Volume 1, Gen. Editor, David E Garland, et al., Zondervan Academic, 2002, p. 4.
[2] “Genesis,” p. 91.
[3] “H8549 – tāmîm – Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (nasb20).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 14 Jan, 2025. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h8549/nasb20/wlc/0-1/>.