“NOW the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will skew thee... So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him” (Gen. 12:1, 41Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: (Genesis 12:1)
4So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:4)).
That Abraham heard the voice of God there can be no doubt. Living as he was on the other side of the flood with Terah his father and serving other gods, there came to him, in unmistakable language, a voice, clear and distinct, “Get thee out.” He was to leave his present surroundings and all that pertained to them and go to a land that God would show him.
Has this no voice to us today? Is there not a call to get out? Are there not such things as environments, associations which are not in keeping with the divine mind? Is Christendom today, the well-ordered house of God that obtained at the beginning? Is not a scene of confusion, disorder and self-will? Are not things very much like what obtained in the time of the Judges? “And the children of Israel darted thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance. In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (24:24, 25). Self-will and indifference to the rights of Christ abound. What is the divine call? — “Get out! “But to whom does it come? To those who walk in the steps of their father Abraham.
Is my reader a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ? Then you are a son of Abraham, and called to walk in his steps. The word of God comes to you. Are your associations such as can stand the search-light of the word of God? If not— “Get out.” You will never improve them by staying in them, for rather the reverse will happen— “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” You yourself will be affected and that for the worse. In New Testament language the word is: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:17,1817Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17‑18)). If you have never been exercised bore, may the Lord exercise you now!
Abraham obeyed the call and “went out, not knowing whither he went.” Perhaps you say: “I am aware of many things in my particular associations which are not scriptural; neither is scripture consulted on such matters. I am often disquieted but if I come out—where shall I go?” Three men were once in conversation together. One was disquieted because his minister had developed modernist ideas and was preaching them from the pulpit. He asked what he should do of the second man, who in his turn asked the third—a simple, plain, Bible-loving Christian. Quickly came the answer with no additional arguments to back it up: “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge” (Prov. 19:2727Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. (Proverbs 19:27)). Abraham obeyed because God spoke to him. Fellow-Christian, if you have heard his voice, bidding you come out, obey and leave the consequences with Him. He will certainly show you your way as you proceed.
There may be some reading this article who have heard and obeyed the divine call and are tempted to go back. Let such remember what is written, “And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned” (Heb. 11:1515And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. (Hebrews 11:15)). Return to your old associations you may. But can you; dare you; will you? Who called you out? The Lord Jesus said, “He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice” (John 10:3,43To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. (John 10:3‑4)). Will you turn back from such a Shepherd? Surely the rather, the language of your heart will be, “Lord to whom shall we go? Thou halt the words of eternal life.”
“Keep us Lord, oh keep us cleaving,
To Thyself and still believing,
Till-the hour of our receiving
Promised joys with Thee.”
“Lot went with him.” Did Lot hear the divine call? — we are not told so. He simply went with Abraham—an associate, and nothing more. His subsequent history proved what he was. Personally a “just man” whose righteous soul was vexed because of the filthy conversation of the wicked, but nevertheless, only an associate of Abraham. He could not and did not retain the true pilgrim character and when the test came he disclosed the thoughts of his heart and went after the well-watered plains of Sodom and finally was saved, “but so as by fire.”
May I ask my reader, Are you but an associate with those who—through grace—are seeking to maintain a separate walk with God? — the men and women of conviction, who know where they are, and why they are where they are—who have truly gone “outside the camp” and are bearing the reproach of Christ. Are you where you are, merely because you have been brought up with those who have heard and obeyed the divine call? or because something about them has attracted you? That savours more of a Lot than an Abraham! Take heed! Get down before God at once: seek His face, prayerfully: study His word with holy diligence and give yourself no rest until you reach a divinely given conviction. Oh, for men and women of conviction and spiritual backbone!
Is anything too hard for the Lord? He, who has called us out, can maintain us. Let us seek to be true to our Lord: true to His claims upon us: true to the divine ground upon which His written word puts us. Let us hold fast, and strengthen the things that remain. Our Lord is coming, “Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3:1111Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Revelation 3:11)).
“Hold the fort for I am coming,
Jesus signals still,
Wave the answer back to heaven
By Thy grace we will.”
J. H. Evans.