Gênesis 12
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 12
Spurgeon - The Obedience of Faith - (As an aside - this is a great message if you are struggling with obedience to God). Hebrews 11:8+ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. THE part of the text to which I shall call your attention lies in these words, "By faith...Abraham obeyed." Obedience—what a blessing it would be if we were all trained to it by the Holy Spirit! How fully should we be restored if we were perfect in it! If all the world would obey the Lord, what a heaven on earth there would be! Perfect obedience to God would mean love among men, justice to all classes, and peace in every land. Our will brings envy, malice, war; but the Lord's will would bring us love, joy, rest, bliss. Obedience—let us pray for it for ourselves and others! "Is there a heart that will not bend To thy divine control? Descend, O sovereign love, descend, And melt that stubborn soul! " Surely, though we have had to mourn our disobedience with many tears and sighs, we now find joy in yielding ourselves as servants of the Lord: our deepest desire is to do the Lord's will in all things. Oh, for obedience! It has been supposed by many ill-instructed people that the doctrine of justification by faith is opposed to the teaching of good works, or obedience. There is no truth in the supposition. We preach the obedience of faith. Faith is the fountain, the foundation, and the fosterer of obedience. Men obey not God till they believe him. We preach faith in order that men may be brought to obedience. To disbelieve is to disobey. One of the first signs of practical obedience is found in the obedience of the mind, the understanding, and the heart; and this is expressed in believing the teaching of Christ, trusting to His work, and resting in His salvation. Faith is the morning star of obedience. If we would work the work of God, we must believe on Jesus Christ Whom He hath sent. Brethren, we do not give a secondary place to obedience, as some suppose. We look upon the obedience of the heart to the will of God as salvation. The attainment of perfect obedience would mean perfect salvation. We regard sanctification, or obedience, as the great design for which the Saviour died (cp Heb 12:14+). He shed his blood that He might cleanse us from dead works, and purify unto Himself a people zealous for good works (Titus 2:14). It is for this that we were chosen: we are "elect unto holiness." (1 Peter 2:9+) We know nothing of election to continue in sin (Ed: cp "chosen....by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus." 1 Peter 1:1,2+). It is for this that we have been called: we are "called to be saints." (Romans 1:7KJV+, 1 Cor 1:2KJV+) Obedience is the grand object of the work of grace in the hearts of those who are chosen and called: they are to become obedient children, conformed to the image of the Elder Brother, with whom the Father is well pleased. The obedience that comes of faith is of a noble sort. The obedience of a slave ranks very little higher than the obedience of a well-trained horse or dog, for it is tuned to the crack of the whip. Obedience which is not cheerfully rendered is not the obedience of the heart, and consequently is of little worth before God. If the man obeys because he has no opportunity of doing otherwise, and if, were he free, he would at once become a rebel—there is nothing in his obedience. The obedience of faith springs from a principle within, and not from compulsion without. It is sustained by the mind's soberest reasoning and the heart's warmest passion.The man reasons with himself that he ought to obey his Redeemer, his Father, his God; and, at the same time, the love of Christ constrains him so to do (2 Cor 5:14), and thus what argument suggests affection performs. A sense of great obligation, an apprehension of the fitness of obedience, and spiritual renewal of heart, work an obedience which becomes essential to the sanctified soul. Hence, it is not relaxed in the time of temptation, nor destroyed in the hour of losses and sufferings. Life has no trial which can turn the gracious soul from its passion for obedience; and death itself doth but enable it to render an obedience which shall be as blissful as it will be complete. Yes, this is a chief ingredient of heaven—that we shall see the face of our Lord, and serve Him day and night in His temple. Meanwhile, the more fully we obey at this present, the nearer we shall be to His temple-gate. May the Holy Spirit work in us, so that, by faith—like Abraham—we may obey! I preach to you, at this time, obedience—absolute obedience to the Lord God; but I preach the obedience of a child, not the obedience of a slave; the obedience of love, not of terror; the obedience of faith, not of dread. I shall urge you, as God shall help me, in order that you may come at this obedience, that you should seek after stronger faith—"For by faith Abraham obeyed." In every case where the father of the faithful obeyed, it was the result of his faith; and in every case in which you and I shall render true obedience, it will be the product of our faith. Obedience, such as God can accept, never comes out of a heart which thinks God a liar; but is wrought in us by the Spirit of the Lord, through our believing in the truth, and love, and grace of our God in Christ Jesus. If any of you are now disobedient, or have been so, the road to a better state of things is trust in God. You cannot hope to render obedience by the more forcing of conduct into a certain groove, or by a personal, unaided effort of the resolution. There is a free-grace road to obedience, and that is receiving, by faith, the Lord Jesus, who is the gift of God, and is made of God unto us sanctification. We accept the Lord Jesus by faith, and he teaches us obedience, and creates it in us. The more of faith in him you have, the more of obedience to him will you manifest. I was about to say that that obedience naturally flows out of faith, and I should not have spoken amiss, for as a man believeth so is he, and in proportion to the strength and purity of his faith in God, as he is revealed in Christ Jesus, will be the holy obedience of his life. That our meditation may be profitable, we will first think a little of the kind of faith which produces obedience; and then, secondly, we will treat of the kind of obedience which faith produces; and then we will advance another step, and consider the kind of life which comes out of this faith and obedience. (Read full sermon - The Obedience of Faith) Allen Ross in The Evidence of Saving Faith - The Response of Faith: Those who truly believe forsake all else to become faithful worshipers (Genesis 12:4-9). Here, now, is the great demonstration of saving faith displayed. There are three main descriptions I should like to focus on for a few minutes. The true believer follows Him obediently. He got out. There was not wavering like Lot in Sodom; there was no trial period, no turning back, no retaining lands and positions in case it did not work out. Abram turned his back on idolatry and the pagan world and followed God's call to a totally new beginning. In fact, even in burial there was no going back, as the Semitic culture would believe that the dead would be gathered to their ancestors. Rather, when Abraham bought the Cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah, he was saying here is where they will be gathered. A good way to measure commitment is to ask what it cost the person to follow the LORD. Or, to put it another way, if it all turned out to be false, what had Abram lost? Well, the answer is, everything. What about our commitments today? If it all turned out to be wrong, what have we invested, what have we lost to follow Christ? When I was in Russia, in the eastern countries, it was very convicting to find pockets of Christians--doctors, teachers, scientists--who had lost their posts because of commitment of Christ. Here was no easy-believism. But Christians continue with this type of faith in their walk with the LORD. That is the way of true faith. A number of years ago there was a college student who wanted to go to Seminary. He applied, and was turned down flat for his grades. And they were terrible. I thought I had heard the end of the matter, but in August Brad called me up. I asked him what he was doing; he said, "I'm here." He was so absolutely convinced God called him to Seminary he sold out and moved. He said he would do what it took to get in, and would keep applying. Unknown to him, his father had written a letter on his behalf. His father was not a believer, but was the president of a major university on the west coast. He said he had so hindered Brad in his faith that he had been his worst nightmare for four years, and that was probably the reason for the grades. The seminary took another look. Brad was admitted, went on to graduate, and is out there serving the LORD. That is the kind of faith that God desires, faith that will take the risk, faith that follows obediently. There are two things about Abram's faith I would like you to see. 1. He made disciples in Haran. The text says that he brought "the souls he made in Haran." The expression is very unusual. It cannot refer to slaves, and certainly not children--they didn't have any. The Jewish commentators all confirm that the expression refers to making disciples, proselytes. Apparently Abram had proclaimed his faith in Haran, had spoken of Yahweh, the one true God. And people came with him. Not only had he left; he was being a blessing. 2. He was placed in the most needy location. The text says he came down into the land as far as Shechem, to the "Oaks of Moreh." "Moreh" means "the teacher"; and we know that Canaanite shrines were usually in clumps of trees, places of fertility. This was a Canaanite shrine; may I suggest, a Canaanite seminary? The next line tells us, "Now the Canaanite was at that time dwelling in the land." So God calls Abram to be a blessing in the midst of the most wicked religious society on earth. It is a little like God's planting a Church in Corinth; the question then would be, Who will influence whom? Abram did better than the Corinthian believers. So the first evidence of saving faith is that the believer follows God obediently. He may falter, doubt, wonder, even stray--but follow no other way. To whom can we go, for He has the words of eternal life. (Genesis 12:1-9 The Evidence of Saving Faith) Genesis 12:5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan the person: Ge 14:14,21 *marg: Ge 46:5-26 in : Ge 11:31 and into: Ge 10:19 Ac 7:4 Heb 11:8,9 Canaan: So called from Canaan the son of Ham, lies between the Mediterranean sea on the west, the wilderness of Paran, Idumea, and Egypt on the south, the mountains of Arabia on the east, and the mountains of Lebanon and Phoenicia on the north. Its length, from Dan to Beersheba, is about 200 miles, and its breadth, from the Mediterranean sea to its eastern borders, about 90. Genesis 12 Resources - Multiple commentaries, sermons, devotionals Genesis 12:4-9 - Obedient Faith by Steven Cole Genesis 12:1-9 The Evidence of Saving Faith - Allen Ross Map of Abram in Canaan and Migration to Egypt Click to enlarge - from Holman Bible Atlas (digital book; Hardcover) Copyright © 1998 B&H Publishing Group, used by permission, all rights reserved. One of the best resources for Bible maps. Please do not reproduce this map. All their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran (see map above) - Clearly God's good hand of blessing was upon Abram (see The Hand of the Lord) as indicated by these material possessions which included slaves. Spurgeon - Fierce and powerful nations possessed the country; it did not seem a very likely place to be the heritage of a peace-loving man like Abraham. God does not always fulfill his promises to his people at once; else, where would be the room for faith? This life of ours is to be a life of faith, and it will be well rewarded in the end. Abraham had not a foot of land to call his own, except that cave of Machpelah which he bought of the sons of Heth for a burying-place for his beloved Sarah. Spurgeon on set out for the land of Canaan...came to the land of Canaan - It is not enough to set out, we must persevere to the end. How many there are who set out to go to Canaan, but unto Canaan they come not! Some are stopped by the first depression of spirits that they meet with; like Pliable, they run home with the mud of Despond on their boots. Others turn aside to Self-righteousness. They follow the directions of Mr Worldly Wiseman and resort to Dr. Legality or Mr Civility, and Sinai falls upon them and crushes them. Some turn to the right hand with Hypocrisy, thinking that to pretend to be holy will be as good as being so. Others go on the left hand to Formality, imagining that sacraments and outward rites will be as effectual as inward purity and the work of the Spirit in their hearts. Many fall down the silver mine where Demas broke his neck. Hundreds get into Despair’s castle and leave their bones there, because they will not trust Christ and so obtain eternal life. Some go far apparently, but, like Ignorance, they never go really and, when they come to the river, they perish at the very last. Some, like Turn-away, become apostates and are dragged away by the back door to hell, after all their professions. Some are frightened by the lions, others are tempted by By-path Meadow. Some would be saved, but must make a fortune. Many would be saved, but cannot bear to be laughed at. Some would trust Christ, but cannot endure his cross. Many would wear the crown, but cannot bear the labour by which they must attain to it. Ah, sons of men, you will turn aside to Madam Wanton and to Madam Bubble; you will be bewitched, but the beauties of the glorious Saviour, the lasting joys, the real happiness which he has to give, these are too high for you; they are above you and you reach not after them, or if you seek them for a while, ‘The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire (2 Peter 2:22+).’ (Genesis 12:5 Effectual Calling-Illustrated by the Call of Abraham) Comment: Abram's response recalls the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints as taught in the NT, e.g., in Hebrews 3:6+ and Hebrews 3:14+ (cp Matthew 24:13+). Daily Walk: Joseph Chamberlain was a famous British statesman (1836–1914). In his younger years, he taught Sunday school in Birmingham. His favorite verse of Scripture was a sentence from [Ge 12:5]. It was a motto well-suited to a man of his determination and iron will. It also gave him a biblical basis for citing two qualifications for success in life. One is to have the right destination —”They went forth to go to the land of Canaan.” The second is to keep going after we have started—”into the land of Canaan they came.”
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Spurgeon - Though the land was given to the patriarch by promise, yet he did not actually possess a single foot of it. Unbelief would have reckoned this to be a very shadowy inheritance; but faith is the substance of things hoped for (Heb 11:1+), and makes us content to wait (cp Heb 11:9, 10+). The Canaanite is still in the land, yet we rightly reckon that all things are ours (cp Ro 8:17, 18+. Genesis 12:7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him appeared (KJV): Ge 17:1 18:1 32:30 To your: Ge 13:15 Ge 17:3,8 26:3 28:13 Ex 33:1 Nu 32:11 Dr 1:8 6:10 30:20 Ps 105:9-12 Ro 9:8 Ga 3:16 4:28 builded (KJV): Ge 12:8 8:20 13:4,18 26:25 33:20 Heb 11:13 Genesis 12 Resources - Multiple commentaries, sermons, devotionals Genesis 12:4-9 - Obedient Faith by Steven Cole Genesis 12:1-9 The Evidence of Saving Faith - Allen Ross Map of Migration of Abram from Ur to Haran to Canaan Map of Abram in Canaan and Migration to Egypt THE LAND PROMISED TO ABRAM'S DESCENDANTS The LORD appeared to Abram: This is the second "appearance" of God to Abram for as Stephen declared "The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran." (Acts 7:2). The term for this divine appearance is theophany, The actual form of Jehovah's appearance is not stated. Other appearances of the LORD to Abram are described in Ge 17:1 (the form of the appearance is not clear) and Genesis 18:1-2 where the appearance was in the form of a man. While we cannot be dogmatic Genesis 18 was likely a Christophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ (see Angel of the LORD). Finally in Ge 22:11 we encounter an appearance of the Angel of the LORD. Spurgeon - Thus, you see, Abraham began his separated life with a blessing from the Lord his God. Further on in his history he received a still larger blessing when he returned from his victory over the kings. And said, "To your descendants I will give this land." - In Genesis 12:1 the land was mentioned in the statement that Abram was to go "To the land which I will show you." As noted above, Abram himself did not take possession of the promised land. Give (nathan) appears >1800 times in the Bible, with many of the uses related to God's giving the land of Palestine to Israel. Genesis 12:7 is the first passage describing the giving of the land to Abraham and his descendants. This truth is repeated in approximately 150 OT passages from the days of the patriarchs to the return from the exile (Neh 9:35,36 "the land which You gave to our fathers") and even incorporated in the Decalogue (Ex 20:12 = "days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you."). Note that God's promise to give Abram the land of Canaan was unconditional. Abram had already met the only condition by exercising faith, the genuineness of which was manifest by his obedience to depart from his homeland in Ur to go to Canaan just as God had commanded him. It is notable that when Abram died his only real estate was a cave he had bought for his family’s burials (Ge 23:17–20). God's Promise of the Land to Abraham and his descendants is repeated many times Gen 13:15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. Gen 17:8 "And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Gen 26:3 (To Isaac) "Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. Gen 28:13 (To Jacob) And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Ex 33:1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your descendants I will give it. Dt 1:8 See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them. Dt 6:10 "Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, Dt 30:20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." Ezek 36:28+ "And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. You is Israel. The church is not in view in this context. God is serious about this promise and repeats it many times in Ezekiel's prophecy = Ezek 11:17, 28:25, 34:13, 36:10, 39:27. The land - This phrase in the OT most often refers to the Promised Land of Canaan (but always examine the context), the land promised by Jehovah to Abraham in an unconditional, immutable, unbreakable covenant. Some today teach that God is "finished with Israel", but Ezekiel argues strongly against this viewpoint. The miraculous creation of the nation of Israel in May, 1948 after almost 2000 years of having no homeland should be strong evidence to every skeptic that God is clearly not finished with Israel! Warren
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Spurgeon - The patriarch was careful to maintain the worship of God wherever he might be placed. Go where we may, let us not forget to render devotion and obedience to God. Allen Ross - The true believer worships Him reverently. The second evidence of a living faith is true worship. Twice in this short passage we are told that Abram built an altar to the LORD. It need say no more. That tells us that he made a sacrifice to worship God. Everyone knew what altars and sacrifices meant; to make one to Yahweh set him apart. There are three significant aspects to sacrificial worship that must not be missed: 1. Surrender. When the ancients brought the animal to the shrine, they were taught that this animal would represent them, would substitute for them, would atone for them. It was up to the worshiper, then, to kill the animal in the holy courtyard. He would identify with the animal by placing his hand on its head, and then slit the throat with the other. The animal would die "in his hand"--the priest catching the blood in a basin. The believing Israelite would know that that blood should have been his, that that carcass on the ground should have been his, for sinfulness brings the penalty of death. But God in His grace allowed a substitute, so that the true worshiper could walk away free. Thus it had always been. Adam and Eve never dreamed that God would deprive an animal of its life to clothe them; they snatched leaves from a tree, leaves that would grow back and not be missed. But God demanded life for life. So when a worshiper brought the sacrifice for atonement, it signified his complete surrender to God by faith; it being burnt on the altar signified God's complete acceptance of him by grace. Fifty years later the Word of the LORD would come to Abraham again: Get you out of this land to a mountain which I will show you; and there offer to me your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac. My how he poured it on to display the cost of sacrifice. And Abram obeyed; he was willing to give back to God the dearest possession he had, what he considered the future, God's gift to him. But true worship is surrender, no holding back. And at times God will test us, to see if we truly are worshipers, willing to relinquish whatever He asks of us. Of course God did not take Isaac from him; he wanted to see if he would obey. Abram praised God there, saying the LORD will provide. And it is this idea that led Paul to expound on the theme of Genesis 22--If God the father did not spare his only Son, but freely delivered Him up for us all--how shall he not also give us all things? Yes, when we come to worship we praise God that Jesus Christ gave his life a ransom for us. But we also come with the attitude of surrender, holding nothing back from God. 2. Gratitude. This praise is central to our sacrificial worship. Both testaments call for us to offer to God the sacrifice of praise. That is why we call it the Eucharist, the Great Thanksgiving. When Noah offered sacrifices after the Flood, he was expressing his profound gratitude that God spared him and his family from the judgment, and would begin a new program with him. 3. Devotion. Sacrificial offerings were gifts to God; and giving is the greatest evidence of gratitude. It cost Israel to worship, to bring the animals. But true faith did that, because it was devoted to serving the LORD who delivered from the bondage of the world. So true worship centered in the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ becomes the second evidence of saving faith. In John 4 Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan woman about true worship: ". . . they who worship will worship in spirit and in truth . . . the Father is seeking such to worship Him." This is why God is calling people. Today we are curious about meeting the greatest needs. What is God looking for? Great evangelists and missionaries? Some would agree to that. Great preachers and teachers? Probably. People who pray? Surely. But first and foremost, "The Father is seeking worshipers." If they are true worshipers, God will have them, and everything else. For they will have surrendered to Him, be filled with gratitude to Him, and devoted to Him. So when we gather to worship in His name, we are reminded that it is sacrificial worship--it is centered around His sacrifice, but it calls for our sacrifice. And yet we walk away from the altar with greater confidence and brighter hope than ever before. Listen again to the words of Charles
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Spurgeon - It was God’s intention to keep his truth and his pure worship alive in the world by committing it to the charge of one man, and the nation that should spring from him. In the infinite sovereignty of his grace, he chose Abraham,—passing by all the rest of mankind,—and elected him to be the depository of the heavenly light, that through him it might be preserved in the world until the days when it should be more widely scattered. It seemed essential to this end that Abraham should come right out from his fellow-countrymen, and be separate unto Jehovah, so the Lord 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 shew thee.” Genesis 12 teaches us that God called Abram to a life of holiness (separation from the profane) and His call is the same to all those who are "Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise" (Gal 3:29+) and so now "like the Holy One Who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” (1 Peter 1:15-16+, Lev 11:44+) Genesis 12:1-3 THE CALL Genesis 12:4-9 THE OBEDIENCE Adrian Rogers outlines Genesis 12 as follows... (click here to listen to his sermon on this chapter) WHEN YOUR FAITH FAILS Introduction I. The Root of His Faith II. The Requirement of His Faith III. The Reward of His Faith IV. The Relapse of His Faith V. The Restoration of His Faith Conclusion Abraham's Chronology: Keep Abraham's age in mind as you study the life of the patriarch in Genesis 11-22. Genesis 12:4 - Age 75 (Sarai = 65).God told him He would make Abe a father of many nations. Genesis 16:16 - Age 86 Abe went into Hagar producing Ishmael, Genesis 17:1, 17:17 Age 99 In Ge 12:3 God preached the gospel to Abraham (Gal 3:8), and not only would the Jews find salvation but so would the Gentiles. The seed that God promised was in fact Jesus Christ, [Gal 3:16] Steven Cole introduces Genesis 12 explaining that Abram "was living as a pagan idolater (Ed: Josh 24:2) in a pagan city, Ur of the Chaldees (Ed: Ge 15:7, Neh 9:7 - Ur was devoted to Nanna, the moon-god also a chief idol at Haran. See Ziggurat of Ur; Schematic plan of city of Ur), when God called him and made a covenant with him. Abram left familiar surroundings, family, and friends and went out by faith to an unknown destination and future. Believing the promise of God, he became the father of all who follow God. He died in faith, not having received all that God had promised, but believing that it would be so. Abram’s life, and especially God’s calling him, teach us that ... God calls us to bless us and to make us a blessing to all the nations." (Genesis 12:1-3 Great Privilege, Great Responsibility) Now the LORD said to Abram: Where does this discourse take place? In the NT Stephen says that it was while Abram was in Mesopotamia (Ur of the Chaldeans in Ge 11:28). And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran (location on map), and said to him, ‘LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.’ “Then (Abram obeys immediately) he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living.(Acts 7:2-4) Go forth from your country,(Rev 18:4): In this command we see a basic Biblical concept of to those who would follow God and that is the idea of SEPARATION from that which is profane , unholy and common and unto that which is set apart, holy and divine. For example, Paul records a divine command to all NT believers which is similar to the command God issued to Abram... Therefore, COME OUT (aorist imperative - Do this now!) FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE (aorist imperative - Do not delay!),” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH (present imperative = keep being separate, only possible as we depend on the Spirit's enabling power!) WHAT IS UNCLEAN; (The reward when we trust and obey = ) And I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty. (2 Cor 6:17-18, compare Ro 12:2+, Eph 5:11+, James 4:4+, 1 Jn 2:15-16+, Isa 52:11, Rev 18:4+) Spurgeon comments - IF you desire to know the character of a child, you will probably learn much about it from observing the father. The young bird flies and sings as its father did before it. If we would know the life of the child of faith, we should study the history of the “father of the faithful.” Abraham, the man of faith, is a type of all believing men, and the narrative of his life, if rightly considered, is the mirror of the history of all the saints of God. The commencement of his career of faith, when he first became separated from his own country and went into the land of Canaan, is a most instructive representation of our effectual calling, when we are, by a work of omnipotent grace, separated from the world, and made to obey the great precept, “Come ye out from among them, be ye separate, 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.” The life of the believer is as Abram’s was, a separated life, a life regulated by other affections than those which arise from the relationships of flesh and blood, a life of walking in the unseen, in which God’s command, presence, and approval are paramount considerations, and faith guides the soul, sitting like a pilot at the helm of the vessel. Abram denied the flesh, took up the cross, went without the camp, became sanctified unto the Lord, and lived and died the friend of God, and a stranger among men. The commencement of his separated life is a lively picture of the commencement of the same life in ourselves. The calling of Abram is a representation of our calling, and to that matter I shall ask your earnest attention this morning. (EFFECTUAL CALLING—ILLUSTRATED BY THE CALL OF ABRAM) Spurgeon adds - God had elected Abram, and therefore in due time he called him, and so separated him unto himself. All the chosen seed must in this be conformed to the father of the faithful. The grace which chose him made him obedient (Ed: God's sovereignty - Read John 15:16), and he left all at the divine command (Ed: Abram's responsibility). Only in the separated life could he inherit the blessing (Ed: We need to fix this truth in our minds for we live in a modern world that would seek to ensnare us and in effect steal from us God's blessing on our life!), and therefore he cheerfully forsook all to follow his Lord. (The Interpreter: Spurgeon's Devotional Bible) NET Note on "go forth" - The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lékha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.” Steven
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Spurgeon - There, you see, was the missionary character of the seed of Abraham, if they had but recognized it. God did not bless them for themselves alone, but for all nations: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Steven
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Spurgeon - He had already attained a fine old age, but he had another century of life before him, which he could not then foresee, or expect. If, at his age, he had said, “Lord, I am too old to travel, too old to leave my country, and to begin to live a wandering life,” we could not have wondered; but he did not talk in that fashion. He was commanded to go and we read, “So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him.” So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him: God spoke (Ge 12:1 "Now the LORD said to Abram") and "Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him." God commanded, SO Abram obeyed. O, to have such a heart that leads to continual obedience to the Lord! God grant it to us all in Jesus' Name. Amen Note that all Abram could base his decision to leave his home was the promises of God (the Word of Truth) and yet he immediately obeyed and went forth just as Jehovah had commanded. God called and Abram obeyed in faith. Remember that God's commandments always come "pre-packaged" with His enablements! "When God calls us to Himself, He always supplies the grace we need to obey His call." (Cole) On one hand, we must still make a personal choice just as Abram did, but God's grace enables us to walk out in faith based on His Word of Truth and strengthened by His Spirit. How the Holy Spirit supernaturally worked in Abram's life is uncertain, but I have no doubt that the Spirit was active in giving Abram the desire and the power to obey God. "Abram believed what God said and acted on it. And, of course, God is always faithful to His Word of promise to those who believe and obey Him." (Cole) The only way you can follow God’s call is by taking God at His Word. - Steven Cole I might add a thought to Pastor Cole's good word above -- ultimately the only way to follow God's call is by relying wholly on His grace and the provision of His Spirit. The writer of Hebrews has several passages that provide wonderful commentary on Genesis 12:4... Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it (faith) the men of old gained approval. (Hebrews 11:1-2) And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.(Hebrews 11:6) By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8+) Steven Cole on he was called - In the New Testament, the word “call” or “calling” is most often used of God’s call to salvation. It is not a helpful hint for happier living. It is the authoritative command of God. When Jesus began to preach the gospel, Mark 1:15 sums up His message: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” It was the word of the King calling rebellious subjects to quit their rebellion and bow before His rightful sovereignty....While God may not ask you or me literally to leave our country or our families, He does call us to separate ourselves from all that would hinder our complete commitment to Him. The word “holy” comes from a word meaning to be separate or set apart. To be holy is to be separate from sin and set apart unto God. The core of holiness, or separation, is not outward, but inward. We must break from our culture’s sinful ways of thinking. We must become 4 biblical thinkers who are able to evaluate our culture by the standard of God’s Word. (ref) Abram trusted the promises of God and acted on them. He didn’t look at his difficulties, but at the omnipotent King, "for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:10). Faith is not believing in spite of evidence, that's superstition. Faith is obeying God's Word in spite of circumstances or consequences. Notice the vital association of faith and obedience. Stated another way one could say that Abram demonstrated his faith by his obedience. Our soul is saved solely by faith, but faith that is genuine will obey.
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Spurgeon adds that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I know that you are a beautiful woman - This is always a good word of affirmation for a husband to speak to his wife! Steven