Day 2 – Genesis 11 v 31-32

Bible Reading

27This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28While his father, Terah, was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29Abram and Nahor were both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30Now Sarai was barren; she had no children. 31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai,, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years and he died in Haran.

Notes

Terah had a dream and Abram a call. Both were to go to Canaan. Terah failed. Perhaps he wasn’t being honest about his true intentions and only ever really meant to go to Canaan. Perhaps he lacked resolve. Perhaps he got distracted. We don’t know. But it isn’t just dreamers who fail to realise their potential. It is possible to miss or limit the call of God on our lives too. In fact very few seem to realise their potential or God’s purposes, and tragically live in regret or denial. Wonderfully though, as Abram was to find out, it is never too late to work out your call. Don’t live and die unfulfilled.

Reflections and prayer

What have been your dreams or God’s call on your life? Can you differentiate the two? Have you laid down your dreams before Him and allowed Him to give you back what is His call? How far have you gone in fulfilling your call? Have you got distracted, disheartened and stopped half way? How committed to achieving them have you really been? Give them back to God, and let Him pick up what is truly of Him.

Going Deeper

• The Bible records the journey as being Terah’s initiative even though it says the Lord had called Abram to go to Canaan. 
• Nahor isn’t mentioned among the travellers but Haran became known as the town of Nahor, so it is probable he did go along. He just wasn’t central enough to the story for specific mention.
• Sarai is recorded as Terah’s daughter-in-law. In fact she was his daughter by another probably less senior wife.
• Terah probably came from Haran where it is recorded he died.
• There is some discrepancy over when Terah died. He is recorded as being 70 when he had his sons, and Abram was 70 when they began the journey. Abram left Haran five years later, and Stephen in Acts 7v4 says Terah had died in the meantime. These dates can be reconciled if it is accepted that Abram was the youngest son, and Terah was 70 when the eldest son, Haran, was born. He would though have then been 130 when Abram was born!