Chapter 6. Genesis 12. The Call of Abram.
THE terrible punishments that God had sent—the flood, and the confusion at Babel —did not make men fear God, for they continued in their wicked ways paving no attention to God’s will.
On the contrary, they began to make themselves images of gold, silver, stone or wood, called them gods and worshipped and prayed to them. Some worshipped the sun and the moon; some worshipped serpents; and men, women and children were killed and their bodies offered in sacrifice to these false gods, which are called idols, and those who worship them, are called idolaters. The first idolater we read of was a man named Terah.
From the time of the first disobedience God had tried by promises, warnings and punishments to remind men of their duty to their Creator, but always in vain.
Now in His love and patience, He would get for Himself a people; would teach and lead them in a special way and see if they could not live to please Him. So He called Abram, the son of Terah, and said to him: “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
Abram believed God and went away, not knowing where, but trusting that God would lead him. He took with him Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his nephew, with all that they had and went into the land of Canaan. When they came to a place called Sichem in the plain of Moreh, God appeared to Abram. and said to him: “Unto thy seed,” that is, to thy children and grandchildren, etc., “will I give this land.” The Canaanites were then in the land, and Abram might have doubted that it could ever belong to him, but he trusted God, and God counted his faith for righteousness, and called him His friend, and promised that through him, the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of sinners, should be born.
It was not for any great thing he had done, that Abram was so honored, but for his simple belief in God’s word. Nor is it by anything we can do, that we shall ever be able to enter heaven—our land of Canaan—but by our simple trust in God’s word, which says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31). “NEITHER IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER; FOR THERE IS NONE OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN, WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED.” Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).
Abram went from Sichem toward the south to a mountain near Bethel. There he built an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.
ML 02/14/1909