We encounter Abraham - still named Abram - God instructs him to leave his homeland and move to a new land. Abraham takes a leap of faith., going into the unknown
He knows is that God gives him a promise-
I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
And you shall be a blessing
I will bless those who bless you
And curse him that curses you;
And all the families of the earth
Shall bless themselves by you.”
At the end of Abraham’s life he receives a greater and stronger promise
I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants
as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore;
and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes.
All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants,
because you have obeyed My command.”
What did Abraham do to merit the increased promise from “a great nation” to “as numerous as the stars and the sands”?
Let’s explore the events between the two visions
Abraham obeys God and travels to the new land. Once there he travels throughout the land. Even when he is forced to leave the land because of a famine and even when his wife is taken by two different kings, his faith does not waver.
Abraham’s vision gave him the strength to take on challenges and emerge stronger.
There is a wonderful model to help us reach our vision- “Logical Levels'' by Robert Ditls. Dilts explains that there are various levels to facilitate our journey to our vision. According to Dilts ,the lower the level, the easier the change , but the effects are also smaller. The higher the level ,the harder change becomes , but when we make the change , the impact can be astounding. You can read about them here: https://www.logicallevels.co.uk/pages/logical-levels-model-1
Before we get back to Abraham - let’s take a modern example of Logical Levels. Tommy is an excellent chef who prepares delicious , mouthwatering food .. Tommy’s journey began with a vision. Tommy had a dream of becoming a chef and enrolled in culinary school.. Tommy was not familiar with “logical levels” but we can see his progression leading to his vision
The logical levels of change are:
Environment
Behavior
Capabilities
Belief
Identity
Vision- Your life purpose
The logical levels Tommy followed were:
Environment: he equipped his kitchen with professional cooking and baking tools. He surrounded himself at the culinary school with like minded people who supported his goals.
Behavior: he cooked professionally for restaurants, schools and and his own family.
Capabilities - He went to a fine culinary school and learned the arts of cooking. He sought out feedback from his customers and incorporated their ideas into his menus..
Beliefs: he believed that people want quality, healthy food and that he provides more than nourishment - He supplied the cuisine so that his customers can enjoy quality time with their families
Identity: he is A CHEF. He is a chef who understands his clientele and strives to give them more than just food. He is a chef who is always evolving .
These logical levels take him to his new vision. His initial vision was to be a chef to allow his family a certain standard of living. In his new and improved vision, he is a chef who adds value to his community and contributes to his customers’ quality of life
Let’s get back to Abraham’s vision and the Logical Levels
Environment: Abraham moved to new land together with his loved ones - his wife, his nephew and his followers
Behavior: Abraham traversed the land. The Bible describes in varied language that he “journeyed”, “passed through the land”, “moved to the Hill country”, “proceeded by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel” He got to know the various parts of the land
Capabilities : Abraham displayed incredible political and business acumen. Perhaps more surprisingly we see military might and fearlessness in negotiations after winning a war
Belief: Abraham’s strong belief in God and His promise accompanied his journey. Furthermore - he believed that setbacks were temporary. And the vision always guided him in his beliefs.
Identity: Abraham’s name was changed by God. No longer Abram - he is now the father of many nations. Earlier, at the “covenant of the pieces” God “took him outside” The medieval commentator Rashi comments that God changed Abraham’s identity. No longer guided by the stars, he sets his o
Vision: The new vision is to for Abraham to have descendants as numerous as the stars and sands, that can’t be counted,. The stars above guide us and inspire us
Just like Abraham - we need a vision to accomplish great things. When we start with a vision and go through the logical levels we will be able to see the vision grow, and expand and fill the sky like the stars
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