The Sevenfold Surrender of Abraham

June 2024

“So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.”

—Genesis 12:4

Last month we dealt with Abraham and separation—separation as it regards the Lord bringing man out of something in order to bring him into something. This regards God’s will for Abraham’s life.

This article will deal with the subject of surrender. The word surrender means, “The action of yielding one’s person or giving up the possession of something into the power of another.” While the specific word surrender is not found in the Bible, the idea of yielding one’s person or possessions to the power of another is found throughout the Bible. 

In Luke 22:42, Christ, speaking of Himself says, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” So the point that we hope to make is that until our will is perfectly ensconced in His will, there is no true surrender.

Genesis 12:4 states, “So Abram departed.” This is in reference to him leaving his country. So now the journey of faith and surrender begins.

SURRENDER OF HIS NATIVE LAND

The first surrender involved Abraham leaving his native land, Ur of the Chaldees (Gen. 11:28). To leave one’s home and all of its familiarities points to the idea of relationship. Abraham’s relationship with God was more important than location or nationality. Abraham was stating that relationship with the Lord is greater than relationship with location.

SURRENDER OF FAMILY

Genesis 12:1 states that God told Abraham to leave his family behind, and verse 4 tells us that he obeyed. This surrender is much harder than the first. Family is so important, yet the believer must not allow family to come between one’s relationship with the Lord. This is one of the hardest things to do. How many times have I seen individuals put family before the Lord. Over the years, I’ve had individuals tell me how they wanted to go to church at Family Worship Center, but a spouse or children wanted to go somewhere else. If you are being spiritually fed in one place, then you must not allow anything or anyone to come between you and your relationship with God. Compromise in the things of the Lord never ends well; there is always a price we must pay that will always bring regret. 

SURRENDER OF THE VALE OF JORDAN

Genesis 13:10-13 tells us the story of Lot and Abraham regarding their choices of locations to live. Lot looked at the land and saw that the vale of Jordan was well watered, meaning that the land was fertile. It looked the most appealing, the most prosperous, so Lot operated by sight and not faith. Abraham allowed God to choose for him. Lot allowed his senses, his “flesh” to choose for him. Lot saw the well-watered plains, but he didn’t see the wickedness of Sodom. In the natural, the vale of Jordan represented riches—riches that brought destruction and heartache. Abraham surrendered his fleshly desire; he let God choose his place for him and, by doing so, he dwelt in Canaan where Israel would be birthed to become a great nation—a people that would give the world the Bible and, greater still, the Messiah—Jesus Christ.

Lot had improper faith while Abraham’s faith was securely placed in Jehovah God. We all have a choice to make.

SURRENDER OF THE RICHES OF SODOM

Genesis 14:21-23 tells us that Abraham had won a great victory in battle against Chedorlaomer (14:1-16). The king of Sodom offers great riches to Abraham. However, Abraham told him, “I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.” Abraham knew that faith doesn’t respond to Sodom or trust in Sodom. Our blessing comes from the Lord. If the world wants to be a part of blessing, compromise follows.

SURRENDER OF ISHMAEL

Genesis 21:9-12 tells us the story of Ishmael. Ishmael was the product of Abraham’s flesh. God had given him the promise of a son. Abraham, in doubt because of his age and the age of Sarah, tried to bring forth God’s promise though his own works. Ishmael was born and Abraham loved him, as the flesh always loves what it produces (we see this also in the story of Cain). However, Ishmael was not the promised heir; Isaac, a product of the divine power of the Holy Spirit, was the promised heir. The Lord, through Sarah, told Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son.” And Genesis 21:11 says, “The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.” Abraham had a choice to make—Isaac or Ishmael—only one could stay. In this moment,Abraham surrendered Ishmael.

Isaac and Ishmael symbolize the new and the old nature in the believer. When one comes to the Lord, the new nature that is given demands the removal of the Adamic nature. We must surrender Ishmael—we must set aside or surrender our desires for His will.

SURRENDER OF SELF

Genesis 22 gives us the story of Isaac and the Lord’s command to Abraham to offer up Isaac in sacrifice. This was the Lord testing Abraham’s faith. It has been said that faith must be tested, and great faith must be tested greatly. Can you imagine what he must have felt? Self could never offer up Isaac, only faith can. The Lord will test us to teach us dependence. This test leads us right into the seventh surrender.

SURRENDER OF ISAAC

Abraham could not know or understand all that God was doing just as we won’t know or understand all that God speaks to us. But even though he didn’t really understand, he obeyed. His obedience was saying, “I believe that God is going to do what is right.” Abraham’s faith was so great—he believed that even if he did kill Isaac, God would raise him from the dead (Gen. 22:5). Isaac was his son, the love of his life, yet in obeying God, he was saying that the Word of the Lord and God’s will is more important. The Lord asked Abraham for Isaac and, because of his obedience, the Lord gave him a nation of children—Israel. When we surrender what God asks us for, He will always give us more than we could ever hope for. 

In the next issue of The Evangelist, we will deal with the subject of Abraham’s altar.