Beyond the Limit of Haran, To the Summit of Moriah

Genesis 11:31-32, 22:1-2 

(The Limit of Human Will VS The Life of a Disciple Led by the Word)

Hallelujah. It is another blessed day in the Lord.

We often hear the saying, "Well begun is half done." But in the world of faith, starting is merely starting. If you do not go to the very end, it amounts to nothing. If a marathon runner is supposed to run 42.195km but stops at the 40km mark, we do not call him a 'finisher.'

In today’s text, there is one person who set out on a journey of faith but stopped at a 'stopover' rather than the 'destination,' and another person who went all the way to the end. They are the father, Terah, and his son, Abraham.

God asks us today: "Will you stay in comfortable Haran, or will you climb up to the promised land of Moriah?"

1. The Limit of Terah - The End of Human Will

First, let’s look at Terah in Genesis 11. Verse 31 records, "They went out... to go to the land of Canaan." Terah was an excellent family leader who made the decision to leave 'Ur of the Chaldeans,' the land of idol worship. He led his family and started toward the Promised Land. His intentions were good, and his start was excellent.

But the tragedy lies in the second half of verse 31. "But when they came to Haran, they settled there... and Terah died in Haran."

Friends, why did Terah stop in Haran instead of going all the way to Canaan? Was Haran a bad place? No. Rather, it was because Haran was 'too good a place to live.' Civilization was developed there, water was plentiful, and it was safe. To Terah’s human eyes, there probably seemed to be no difference between Canaan and Haran.

Here, we learn an important spiritual lesson. Faith that starts with 'human will' or a sense of 'responsibility' surely stops when the environment gets comfortable. Terah had a 'responsibility for his family,' but he did not have the 'direct Word of God' to help him break through Haran.

According to scholars, some suggest Terah wanted to leave Ur due to the sorrow of losing his son Haran or for political reasons, and it just coincided with Abraham’s calling. The main interpretation is that Terah heard the calling Abraham received and agreed to lead the move as the head of the household.

This is the faith of the 'Crowd.' In other words, you can start a life of faith following the church atmosphere, following your wife, or following your parents. But if there is no Word implanted in your own heart, we eventually settle down in a 'Spiritual Haran.'

2. The Breakthrough of Abraham - A Life Led by the Word

On the other hand, look at his son, Abraham. Did he go to the end because his character was better than his father's? No. Acts chapter 7 testifies: "The God of glory appeared to him and said..." To Abraham, 'God's Word' came. A person who has the Word cannot settle in Haran. Because the Word will not let him stay put.

Abraham not only left Haran, but in Genesis 22, he climbs the roughest mountain of his life, 'Mount Moriah.' God tells Abraham, "Sacrifice your son, Isaac." This is not a cruel command to kill a child. This is a question asking, "To whom does the Sovereignty of your life belong?"

Terah stayed in Haran, the flat land, saying, "This is enough," but Abraham went up to the summit of Moriah saying, "If it is God’s Word, I give even my most precious thing."

This is the difference of "Not a Crowd, but a Disciple" that our church pursues in 2026. The Crowd stops at a comfortable place, but the Disciple goes up to the end—to the place of the Word, the place of worship, and the place of devotion.

Let me conclude the message.

When Abraham lifted the knife at the summit of Mount Moriah, only then did God stop him and show him a ram caught in a thicket. We call that 'Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide).'

Remember this. God’s provision (Jehovah Jireh) was not in Haran at the foot of the mountain. It was at the summit of Moriah. If Abraham had stopped in the middle like his father Terah, he would have never experienced God’s miracle in his life.

This early morning, where is your spiritual address? Are you pitching a tent in Haran, saying, "This much faith life is enough"? Do not become a life like Terah—having a good start but a weak finish.

Now, take off the old shoes called 'human will,' and put on the wings called the 'Word.' Wake up from your comfort and climb up to the mountain of prayer, the mountain of devotion where God is calling you.

At that summit, may you be the ones in 2026 to experience the amazing grace God has prepared for you, the blessing of 'Jehovah Jireh.' I bless you in the name of the Lord.