Job found himself in a sticky situation. Oh no, not the whole loosing everything including his health situation, that was bad enough. He was up against the devil and the devil had been loosing. But Job was just about to step over a line of thinking he knew better so God stepped up, “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?” and then goes on with quite a spiel of asking Job how he measured up. Job could only say one thing, “You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”
God has a plan. It was made before creation and it included the creation, the universe, our planet, and us. The plan was absolute and unconditional. That plan took into account that man would reject Him. God knew before creation that creation would reject Him but even still, He loved us!
The book of Genesis is God’s gradual revelation of that plan. Abraham was a part of that plan. God made a promise to Abraham without conditions. He didn’t tell Abraham “If you do this that or the other thing I will bless the world through you.” God said I have a plan to save the world and it will happen through you (Genesis 12:1-3 see also Galatians 3). God was so adamant about this He tells Abraham this several times in his life (for example Genesis 17).
Abraham did have to leave behind a life of comfort in Harran for the promise to become reality. It can be said that the promise was conditional on Abraham’s obedience to the command to go. But Scripture seems to indicate that the promise was based on Abraham’s faith, not obedience, Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3). There is a subtle difference. One is a “work” verses faith (see Romans 4:16).
Abraham believed in the plan so much that he willing to sacrifice Isaac because God had a plan that could not be thwarted. It is that belief and determination that we need in our lives too. God’s plan is still in effect.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. -Ephesians 1:4
