Decision-Making by Faith
Abram had just had a bad experience in Egypt – He compromised his wife and was humiliated by the most powerful man in the world – Pharaoh.
…Like a man who had just been fired from a job and escorted by security out of the building, he now ends up back in the desert, in a famine, with more people, animals and stuff to take care of. All his wealth has just become a burden.
He went from ‘place to place’, he wondered, he was ‘lost’. He went into the Negev and then into Egypt with so much certainty, clarity of reason – everything was ‘making sense’ and when ‘problems came up – like Sarai being beautiful – he dealt with them. But things did not end up like he thought they would - and now his internal compass is busted. It is not that he is geographically lost, he is emotionally lost and wondering around.
So… what does he do???
Abram goes back to the place he last heard from God.
Sometimes that is the best advice when we don’t know what to do next. Go back to the last place you had some mooring. For Abram, it was the place between Bethel and Ai, where it says “he first built an altar.” There Abram “called on the name of the Lord”
For Abram to ‘call on the name of the Lord’ was not like we say “ Our Father who art in heaven” which is the ‘religious’ way of saying ‘okay, I am praying, I hope you hear my prayer God”. For Abram to ‘call on the name of the Lord’ was to turn as much of himself to God as much as he could experience. To the ancients, to know a persons name and to use it meant you knew them and He knew you.
God has a vision for Abram and it goes far beyond where he is at at that moment in time.
God’s vision for Abram is a man who is counted as righteous – he is making decisions based on righteousness, the righteousness of God himself. God is in the process of changing Abram. He is going to make him into a righteous man, one who is able to be the father of a nation. These things do not come quickly nor without significant change. God is going to use this experience to continue the change process in Abram and it is going to effect the way he is going to make decisions.
Decisions start with some sort of orientation…knowing where you are at, who the stakeholders are
Abram was developing a life that is oriented by God – where God is calling the shots in Abrams life.
- Live life oriented by God
Now, Abram wanted to hear from God – “There Abram called on the name of the Lord.”
No one can stand before the Lord; call on His holy name and not be exposed themselves, where their own sin comes to light; where the light of God’s truth and love does not draw their sin out like purifying silver or gold.
And it is here before the Lord that He forgives and heals that sin – a person is changed in the presence of the Lord.
o Before God, Abram Learns from past mistakes – apply righteousness
Like David:
Ps 5:7-8
But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house;
in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies — make straight your way before me.
o God is the stakeholder, he cares about what is going on in Abrams life
Abram is beginning to make decisions now as a leader of others
Abram leaves the presence of the Lord to deal with a pressing issue of life. An argument has risen between his people and Lot’s. They had grown emensely wealthy as a result of Abram’s sin.
Abrams decision reveals he had been in the Lords presence and that he had been forgiven – for God was changing him. Abram was proving his repentance & the changes God was bringing into his life – he was proving it by his actions
Abram has to learn to stop living only for himself – He realizes he has grown even wealthier because of his time in Egypt – and that was not a good time for him, he had grown wealthier because of his bad choices. Now he is in a land with a famine – and the land is not going to support all of what he has, he has to make some difficult decisions, his choices in Egypt are coming home now.
And it is causing problems between he and his nephew Lot.
Lot is a younger man, maybe in his 30-40’s and driven by wealth and ambition, circumstances of his life and circumstances around him.
Abram sees that in his nephew,
- Value Relationships over circumstances
Abram cares for others now
o Lets not have any quarreling between us
o We are brothers…
§ They were not brothers, Uncle / Nephew
§
Abram displays compassion, confidence and insight as he placed his nephews wishes above his own position and ambition. His leadership on this occasion strongly contrasts his timidity before Pharaoh
Abram suggests to Lot that they part ways and offered the choice of regions he wanted
- Abram Puts his faith to Work = putting the needs and success of others first
9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
o Lots bad decision; Lot is greatly impressed by the rich Jordan Valley, being fertile and compared to the Garden of Yahweh (Eden) and the Land of Egypt. This deep rift valley lies 1200 feet below sea level. It’s climate is warm all year from 80’s in winter to well over 100 in summer. It receives no rainfall. North of the Dead Sea are springs providing ready irrigation for lush crops year around – the kind of farming done in Egypt
§ Zoar was a small village at southern edge of the Jordan Plain – very fertile before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah – the city Lot flees to when escaping Sodom’s destruction.
§ This account is unusual – Lot didn’t bargain with Abram; Lot should have deferred to his uncle and let him make the first choice; Lot took the opportunity to separate from Abram and quickly chose his preferred area. His experiences in Egypt might have awakened in him the desire to live in a lush, affluent urban environment. He pitches his tents near Sodom – attracted to the exciting culture of the great town where people were ‘wicked and sinned greatly’. They had developed a culture that was fundamentally contrary to the ways of justice.
14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever
- Live life oriented by God
This story in Abrams life has 2 bookends – he starts out calling on God and it ends with Abram talking with God again.
Live by the trees of Mamre – vicinity of Hebron – Abram builds an alter to Yahweh.
Abrams decision making model –
learn from past experiences,
respond to life as a God worshiper,
value relationships,
put the needs of others first,
continue to worship God.
Jesus modeled taking direction from God :
Luke 6:12-13
12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
John 12:48-50
49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."
The decisions in your life … do you
Consider what God is doing in you, how is he changing you and shaping you from your previous experiences?
Or are you letting the sin that is in your life – your own selfishness, your own sense of what is right or fair, are you letting these things make you decisions for you. Are you seeing relationships splinter so you can protect yourself. Jesus came to show us that a relationship with God will make me into a new person and provide me new ways of living and making decisions = so that I am leaving spiritual footprints that lead to life.
Put relationships ahead of the circumstances
Put the needs and success of others ahead of your own
Stay connected with Jesus – realizing He is doing things in you and in the lives of others.