CONTEXT
I suppose Adam counts as the first Badass Warlord Chieftain. There were others, I’m sure. He likely trained Seth well. Noah is the next notable, but then we land at Abraham. We like to think of Abraham as the prototype for what we are all trying to build because, despite his mistakes, he did take his blessing mandate seriously. He did build a civilization wherever he went. He did impart and inculcate his righteous/faithful culture into his people – blood kin and employees inside his tents. He did create flourishing and then defended it by the edge of his sword as he shrewdly built the quiet foundations of Hebrew civilization. He is called a ‘prophet’ of God. He is the prototype. We should pay attention to him, and so – we examine the Genesis account of his life.
This week we look at Genesis 12 – what can we extract from this text that acts like booster-juice for what you and I build every day? Here are ten takeaways. Read Genesis 12/13 yourself and see if you notice the same points we do. Remember – all of these pre-date his name change, the covenant of blood, and Isaac on the altar. We will cover that in the weeks that follow.
- You are going to have to go places and do things nobody else has done. Steel yourself. If you listen for God’s direction and if you remain submitted to His plans/purposes for your life, then you will likely have to make moves based entirely on FAITH – which means you will have to go forward and act before you see. It will be uncomfortable at times and people likely won’t understand. Surely, Abram’s extended family had questions/concerns. His answers likely convinced very few of them that he was making great decisions.
- The backside of obedience, faith, and courage often yields blessings – in his case, Abraham has a pretty sterling reputation all these years later (4,000 years plus) and surely his life has been a blessing to all who are in Christ Jesus. In short – it worked! Abraham’s obedience and righteousness because of his faith – it all paid off handsomely.
- God is the one who handles all the blessing and cursing; this isn’t a top concern of mine. He says He will bless those who bless us and curse those who curse us – I needn’t worry my little head about it one bit. I can walk free and clear and trust the Hand of Providence to make moves as He sees fit. He sees all and knows all. I can rest in that.
- Don’t be surprised if you glance behind you and notice others are following in your footsteps. You will pick up your version of Lot and others along the way. It isn’t because you’re so fantastic, mind you; it’s just that people will begin to notice that you look like you’re aiming at something, the flourishing follows in your wake, and that you are kind and generous with whatever you have to offer. These people who look to you, might slow you down a bit and you might very well have to deal with their issues – but on the whole, leadership is just part of being a badass warlord chieftain. Roll with it, Amigo. Get good at taking care of people who need you.
- Sometimes, God will make promises to you for others. (v.7) – don’t get grabby if you don’t get to see the payoff date. You go before others and secure blessings for people you’ll never know/meet. You labor for posterity, so labor well.
HIS TRAVEL PATH
Abraham left Northwest out of Ur – up the Euphrates to Haran in the North, then out of Haran, he moves west, then south west then south to the Southern Desert – over the Sinai Peninsula, then to Egypt because of famine. This bedouin could move!
6. You will be tempted to mistake being shrewd for being conniving.( v.10) You might get jumpy and think you must outmaneuver everyone/out scheme the moment. For instance – did God tell Abraham to go to Egypt? Could God not have sustained him within Abraham’s given spatial parameters? Why did he decide to deceive the Egyptians? He jeopardized more than he had to, but God spared him.
7. You’ll probably get a good-looking wife. This is purely anecdotal on my part, but I can’t help but notice most faithful men I know end up with much prettier women than they could have otherwise locked down into a marriage license. I don’t know how drop-dead gorgeous Sarai was at 65 (flipping through that Egyptian AARP magazine at the salon), but she must have been pretty enough that Abraham feared for his very life. OR – and I’m just now considering this – the local population of ladies were particularly unappealing. Maybe the indigenous girls all looked and smelled like camels. I’ve never been to Egypt – I wouldn’t know. Let’s move on. Abraham was blessed in many different ways.
8. Whatever you do – let’s agree that giving your wife over to pagan regimes (governmental organizations/ even modern-day Corporate America) is dumb. She isn’t a chess piece. They might pay you handsomely for her life/hours – but they will own her and house her. It is a pathetic dude who would give his wife away to anything/anyone rather than cherish/defend her as the honored gift she is to him. We can learn from Abraham what we aren’t supposed to do as well as what we are supposed to do.
9. God’s promises over our lives seem to stand, often despite our bonehead decisions and ridiculous missteps. (v.1&2 of Chapter 13) This is very good news. Pharoah loads Abraham up with wealth on his way out of town. This foreshadows the Hebrew’s departure out of Egypt many years later, but this is God’s hand at work – not Abraham’s scheming.
10. There will be moments when you’ll have to be magnanimous – the bigger man in the moment. You will knowingly get the ‘short end’ of the deal and this will simply require you to trust God more. (v.8) Abraham initiates the generous deal to keep peace with this weaker brother; I bet it didn’t surprise Abraham when Lot picked the green/juicy bits for his livestock. We should make a quick point here – if this even needs to be stated – it is much better to roam the dry, dusty desert-scape than to pile in with the homosexuals. This is just a great thing to know as you go forward in life – keep an eye on the gays and give yourself some room to maneuver/run. Lot didn’t seem to know about this, and he paid a price. Abraham had to save this dummy. Abraham interceded for the sodomites, for mercy, but in the end – it was just better (God determined) that fire should fall from heaven to burn ’em out. A guy can only do so much. Sometimes divine fire is the only answer. [shrugs his shoulders]
ABRAHAMIC PROCESS
Final thought: we’ve discovered something we call the Abrahamic Process here in Genesis. IF you pay close attention to what Abraham experienced throughout his life, you might realize that we are all called to something similar. The Abrahamic Process looks like this sequence.
- SEE. You lift up your eyes and suddenly see what God has given you to do. We call this ‘a vision.’ Go to a land I will show you; Abraham spent the rest of his life looking for a city with foundations, whose maker and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:10)
- WALK. A man must walk it out. Slow, steady, walking through occupied (sometimes hostile) territory where they aren’t looking to make sure you succeed. The vision will be tested and contested.
- BE PATIENT. You will likely burn off decades before you own any of this territory where your feet have been kicking up dust. Endure. Ask for unusual grace to endure.
- DIE IN FAITH. Finally, you die before seeing your descendants enjoy it all. IF your vision, mission, and ambition can be fulfilled in one lifetime, it’s probably too small.
Sounds pretty great, right?! It is great. It beats to heck that common American script: work hard, get a college degree, give your life to corporations, raise the kids, get the kids up and out, enjoy your discretionary savings, have a prostate procedure, go to some funerals, make sure you can afford end-of-life-care, and die at home in your bed with hospice.
Boring. No thanks. Ask God to help you get more rowdy than that! Then – get ready to move out.
More Badass Warlord Chieftain segments on Abraham will follow. Stay tuned.
Remember –
You Are the Fight!