Idol on a Rampage

I happened across the neatest story of Abraham, the man the Bible designates as God’s friend and the father of all who believe.

Our scriptures first introduce him to us as Abram. Jewish records hold that Abram’s father made a living selling idols. According to their tradition, Abram was a mere child when he first began questioning the legitimacy of the idols his family and the surrounding culture worshiped as gods. The story is told of young Abram taking a hammer while his father was away and smashing all of the idols, except for the largest one. He positioned the hammer in this idol’s hand. When his father returned and discovered the chaos, Abram explained that the large idol had smashed all the others.

Indignant, the older man told his son that they both knew the idol could do no such thing.

The story goes that young Abram said, “Why then, do we worship them?”

Why, indeed. Why would anyone worship the things around them and neglect the Creator behind it all? Oh. You have a point.

Those Jewish records say Abram came to believe there was One God over all instead of worshiping the many gods of his people. Exactly how Abram came to this belief isn’t mentioned in their historical accounts, nor is it detailed in Abram’s biblical introduction. We’re not treated to Abram’s “how I came to faith” story. We simply see God’s word coming to this man and telling him to leave everything familiar and strike out for the unknown.

As sketchy as that introduction sounds, it has God’s signature move all over it.

God never debates His existence with anyone. He simply states that He is, that He has given evidence of Himself in the world around us and in our individual heart of hearts. The only thing expected of any of us is to acknowledge His authority and follow him in what promises to be a need to know type of relationship.

Abraham’s heavenly invitation is the same as yours and mine. It’s our response that makes us, or breaks us.