Multi-Generational Assignments

Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram’s wife) and moved out of Ur of Babylonia. They had planned to go to the land of Canaan, but when they reached the city of Haran, they settled there. Genesis 11:31 (New Century Version, NCV)

The Bible tells us that Terah was the father of Abram, who would later become Abraham. In this verse we see that it was Terah who originally took his family and headed for Canaan, not Abram. However, when they reached the city of Haran, they stopped there and settled. Instead of continuing to Canaan, Terah stopped short. For some reason, Terah decided to stay at Haran. Maybe it was fatigue from the journey that made him stop. Maybe he found Haran to be a nice place and so he decided it was a good enough place to live. Regardless of the reason, he did not reach Canaan and settled for Haran instead. And the Bible tells us that he died in Haran. He never saw Canaan.

However, God’s goal was to get them to Canaan, so He spoke to Abram after his father’s death and instructed him to leave and go on to a land that He would show him. The previous generation left something unfinished, so God moved on to the next one to continue in it.

God saw something in Abram that He could use to bring His plan to fulfillment in the earth. And today, God is still looking for people with a heart to finish things previous generations started. He may use people within a family bloodline to complete what began with their ancestors, or He may have to use someone outside of the family to do it. Either way, there are assignments given to previous generations that must still be fulfilled.

Because Abram was faithful to follow the Lord and believe what He told him, He was called the friend of God. The nation of Israel was birthed out of his obedience and as believers, we are also considered his descendants. I wonder if Terah might have been made the father of nations if he had only gone all the way with what was placed in his heart to do.

Seek the Lord and ask if there is unfinished business within your family bloodline that He wants you to complete. Or, maybe, there is a previous incomplete assignment from outside your bloodline that He wants you to pick up and finish. God is from everlasting to everlasting, and He works with multiple generations to fulfill His purposes.

He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. Luke 1:50 (New Living Translation, NLT)