In Genesis 12:1 God chooses Abraham to start a new religion. God never tells us why Abraham was chosen.
That seems to be a significant gap. We know God chose Moses because he had the leadership skills and background in Pharaoh’s palace.
God chose King David because of his lineage and battle skills. But Abraham feels like a mystery. It seems God picks him out of the blue.
But that's only a superficial reading. That's how it may seem to us. But God is not random.
God chose Abraham because he embodied certain qualities and commitments. What were they?
1. Abraham saw through the illusions of his age: A Jewish legend says Abraham's father worked as an idol maker. He had a store where he sold big bronze gods.
One day he went out and left young Abraham in charge of the store. Abraham promptly took a club, destroyed all of the idols except the biggest one, and then put the club in the remaining idol's hands.
When his father returned, he was furious. “What did you do?” he screamed at his son.
“The big idol smashed all of the ones,” he replied.
Abraham's father said, “You know the statues can't do that.”
“Then why do you worship them?” Abraham replied.
God then took notice of Abraham.
2. Abraham acknowledged a broken world: Another Jewish legend pictures Abraham on a walk through the forest. Suddenly he sees a palace in flames. He is shocked.
He looks around and says, "Doesn't this house have an owner?"
Then the voice of God replies, "I am the owner of this palace."
This is an enigmatic story. But the way I interpret it is as a divine call for faith and human action.
The palace is the world. It is created by God. It belongs to God. But God has temporarily turned it over to us. And we have degraded it. It has burst into flames.
Abraham realizes his task is to set things right. He becomes the father of a new nation dedicated to that task. As Genesis 12:3 says, all the nations shall be blessed through Abraham.
God has faith in Abraham, and following in God's ways moves the world from what it is toward what it ought to be. This journey all begins with Abraham's seeing the palace in flames.
3. Abraham committed to teaching his children: In Genesis 18:19, God says, “For I have chosen him [Abraham], that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the God.”
God knows a new religion needs multiple generations.
That is the only hint of a reason the biblical text itself gives for Abraham's selection. He is chosen because he will pass on God's teachings to his children.
What is extraordinary about this passage is that Abraham doesn't even have children yet! And he is likely in his 80s!
Yet, he trusts God will still provide them to him. He had faith in God, and God trusted in him.
Few of us probably have any interest in starting a new religion. But when we see what made God choose Abraham, we see the counter-cultural and transformative core of our faith.
Abraham was not about reconciling himself to the world. He was about making the world a home for God. May we continue to follow in his footsteps.
“One day he went out and left young Abraham in charge of the store. Abraham promptly took a club, destroyed all of the idols except the biggest one, and then put the club in the remaining idol's hands.
When his father returned, he was furious. “What did you do?” he screamed at his son.
“The big idol smashed all of the ones,” he replied.
Abraham's father said, “You know the statues can't do that.”
“Then why do you worship them?” Abraham replied.
God then took notice of Abraham.”
Boom God, Boom!