Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
To understand and profit by the history of Abraham it is necessary to realize the character of the world in which he lived, and from which he was called.
The Background of His Life
The Apostle Peter refers to the time before the flood as “the world that then was.” The Apostle Paul speaks of “this present evil world” (Gal. 1:44Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:4)); and finally, he speaks of “the world to come”— the Millennial world (Heb. 2:55For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. (Hebrews 2:5)). There is, then, the world that then was, the world that now is, and the world to come.
The world before the flood was ruined at the fall, and became utterly lawless. For sixteen hundred and fifty years God bore with the increasing wickedness of men, until the whole world—having become corrupt before God and filled with violence—reaped the judgment of God and “the world that then was being overflowed with water, perished” (2 Pet. 3:66Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: (2 Peter 3:6)).
After the flood, the world that now is had its commencement. It was marked by entirely new elements. Government was introduced so that, in the mercy of God, wickedness should not go unpunished. Man was made responsible to curb evil by exercising judgment on the wicked. Noah was told, “whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” But as man had failed in innocence and ruined the world before the flood, so man failed in government and ruined the present world.
As ever, when man is set in a place of responsibility, he fails, and that from the outset. Noah, who was set to govern, fails to govern himself. He became drunk and was mocked by his son. In the main, these things unfortunately have marked the government of the world. Those put in authority fail to govern, and those in opposition mock their failure.
Moreover, we see that, as time passed, men misused government to exalt themselves, and acted in independence of God. They say, “Let us build us a city ...and let us make us a name.” Finally the world became apostate and fell into idolatry, for we read, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood [the river Euphrates] in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods” (Josh. 24:22And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. (Joshua 24:2)).
As a restraint upon man’s evil, the world was separated into different families, with distinct nationalities and diverse languages. By this confounding of languages, knowledge was fragmented, thus limiting or delaying the damage that men could do with that knowledge.
Such then, was the commencement, and such is the character of the present evil world which is fast ripening for judgment. A world in which government is constituted by God, but ruined in the hands of men, who act independently of God, exalt themselves, and finally apostatize from God, falling into idolatry.
The Turning Point in Abraham’s Life
For over four hundred years, God bore with this world. Then suddenly the God of glory appeared to a man on earth and commenced to act on an entirely new principle—that of the sovereign call of God. It does not set aside the government of the world; it makes no suggestion as to improving or reforming the world, or correcting its evil. It leaves the world just as it is, but it asserts God’s paramount claim on an individual, who is elected in sovereign grace, and called out of the world. Abraham’s call was to be the instrument of God’s blessing to the nations of the world entirely apart from human government. Through his family would come both the written Word and the living Word that would introduce salvation to the whole world.
We cannot help but realize the importance of this great truth, when we see from the New Testament that it is still the principle on which God is acting today. The Church is entirely composed of individuals that are called by grace. The Apostle Paul clearly states that God has not only “saved us” but also “called us”; and that this calling is “an holy calling... according to His own purpose” (2 Tim. 1:99Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (2 Timothy 1:9)). Again, in his epistle to the Romans we are reminded that believers are “the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:2828And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)). So in writing to the Hebrew believers, the Apostle appeals to them as “partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:11Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)). The Apostle Peter tells us we are “called... out of darkness into His marvelous light,” and, he adds, “the God of all grace...hath called us unto His eternal glory” (1 Peter 2:9; 5:109But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9)
10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1 Peter 5:10)).
It is clear then that believers are not only “saved” but “called.” Naturally the first concern of an anxious soul is, like the Philippian jailer, “What must I do to be saved?” Having found salvation through faith in Christ and His finished work, we are too often content to rest in the knowledge that our sins are forgiven, that we are sheltered from judgment and saved from hell. We are slow to see that the same gospel that brings the good news of salvation from judgment proclaims the call of God to the glory of Christ. The Apostle says to the Thessalonian believers that God “...called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:13-1413But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13‑14)).
These different passages clearly show that if God calls us it is because He has a purpose in His heart which He desires to gratify. Moreover we learn that we are called out of one world lying in darkness, in ignorance of God, to come into the marvelous light of all that God has purposed for Christ in another world. Further, if we are called to heaven, it is that we may enter into the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The prize of the calling on high is to be with Christ and like Christ.
These are some of the blessed truths connected with the call of God and illustrated in the life of Abraham. The practical importance of the story of Abraham’s life lies in the fact that this great truth of the calling of God is brought before us, not by a doctrinal statement, but as exhibited in the life of a man of like passions with ourselves. Thus the patriarch’s life gives us a living, breathing portrait of what it means to be a friend of God.