Abram's call

"Get out of from this place", echoed the divine voice through the stillness of the night (Acts 7:3). Abram fell to the ground and shivered. "Get up, take your family and belongings and go where I lead you. He lay there all night long, unable to move, but resolved to do as God had commanded. In the morning, Sarai contended with him, arguing that they had little or no living knowledge of this God. Yet Abram stood firm, utterly riveted. It was done, he would go and his family with him. His father, Terah, tried to dissuade him, yet he carried on loading his belongings.

So Terah had Abram locked up with his own gods to reflect on his rashness. In the night Abram stood before each god, willing it to speak, but when nothing happened he struck the idol down in anger. Soon the floor was strewn with debris and Abram realised just how bankcrupt that pagan culture was. In the morning, Terah raged at what had happened, but Abram just said "I asked your gods for advice, but they couldn't agree on anything and started fighting amongst themselves". So Terah told Abram to take his family and go.

The life and times of Abraham (c) P Eleazar, http://www.bethelstone.com/