What did God instruct Abram to do when he called him?
God instructed Abram to get out of his country, away from his kindred and his father’s house, leaving his idolatrous, pagan family, and to go to a land that God would show him. He was to make a complete break from paganism and journey to the land God would reveal.
Les teaches that in Genesis 12:1 the Lord had said unto Abram, “Get thee out of thy country, from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house,” and God gave the reason: Abram’s family were idolaters, idol worshipers, pagans who had no knowledge of the one true God. Out of the then-known world saturated with pagan worship, God put His finger on one man, appeared to him, spoke to him, and instructed him to leave his idolatrous family, make the break from paganism, and go to a land God would show him. Les notes that Abram was not totally obedient, and he puts the blame on Abram’s father, who insisted on going along. God then stopped Abram halfway between Ur and Canaan until his father died.