The Call of Abraham

“Faith is the condition upon which God has seen fit to promise pardon to sinners; not that there is any virtue in faith whereby salvation is merited, but because faith can but hold of the merits of Christ, the remedy provided for sin.” EGW, R & H. Nov. 4, 1890.

“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 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: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the Earth be BLESSED.” Gen. 12:1-3

“There was given to Abraham the promise, especially dear to the people of that age, of a numerous posterity and of national greatness.” PP 125.

CALLED OUT

“After the dispersion from Babel, idolatry again became well-nigh universal…
Abraham had grown up in the midst of superstition and heathenism. Even his father’s household, by whom the knowledge of God had been preserved, were yielding to the seductive influences surrounding them, and they ‘served other gods’ than Jehovah.” PP 125.

The prophet Joshua tells in his book in chapter 24:2, “And 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.” It was for this reason that God called Abraham out from his family and kindred, to separate him from other nations.

Abraham obeyed the call because of his faith in God. “Abraham’s unquestioning obedience is one of the most striking evidences of faith to be found in all the Bible. To him, faith was ‘the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ Relying upon the divine promise, without the least outward assurance of its fulfillment, he abandoned home and kindred and native land, and went forth, he knew not whither, to follow where God should lead.” PP 126.

The same call God gives to his people today, “Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate… And [I] will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17-18. John the Revelator said, “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins.” Revelation 18:4.

“Many are still tested as was Abraham. They do not hear the voice of God speaking directly from the heavens, but He calls them by the teachings of His word and the events of His providence. They may be required to abandon a career that promises wealth and honour, to leave congenial and profitable associations, and separate from kindred, to enter upon what appears to be only a path of self-denial, hardship, and sacrifice. God has a work for them to do; but a life of ease and the influence of friends and kindred would hinder the development of the very traits essential for its accomplishment.” PP 126-127. The patriarch Abraham did not let worldly ties and associations separate him from God. He chose self-denial. Romans 8:35, says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

“The Lord in His providence had brought this trial upon Abraham to teach him lessons of submission, patience, and faith – lessons that were to be placed on record for the benefit of all who should afterward be called to endure affliction. God leads His children by a way that they know not, but He does not forget or cast off those who put their trust in Him. He permitted affliction to come upon Job, but He did not forsake him. He allowed the beloved John to be exiled to lonely Patmos, but the Son of God met him there… God permits trials to assail His people, that by their constancy and obedience they themselves may be spiritually enriched, and that their example may be a source of strength to others.” PP 128 So, God will not abandon us if we choose to serve him, if we choose the path of self-denial, like Abraham.

“And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.” Gen. 12:7-8.

“Abraham, ‘the friend of God,’ set us a worthy example. His was a life of prayer. Wherever he pitched his tent, close beside it was set up his altar, calling all within his encampment to the morning and evening sacrifice. When his tent was removed, the altar remained. In following years, there were among the roving Canaanites who received instruction from Abraham; and whenever one of these came to that altar, he knew who had been there before him; and when he had pitched his tent, he repaired the altar, and there worshiped the living God.” PP 128.

How many of us are following Abraham’s example in prayer today? We talk and discuss business plans but neglect prayer. Even some of us wake up in the morning and forget to give thanks to God. We cannot be overcomers, unless we learn how to communicate with God, like Abraham. Malachi. 4:6, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Please read Eph. 6:1-4 and 2 Tim. 3:1-2. “Abraham’s affection for his children and his household led him to guard their religious faith, to impart to them a knowledge of the divine statutes, as the most precious legacy he could transmit to them, and through them to the world. All were taught that they were under the rule of the God of heaven.

There was to be no oppression on the part of parents, and no disobedience on the part of children. God’s law had appointed to each his duties, and only in obedience to it could any secure happiness or prosperity… How few there are in our day who follow this example! On the part of too many parents there is a blind and selfish sentimentalism, miscalled love, which is manifested in leaving children, with their unformed judgment and undisciplined passions, to the control of their own will. This is the veriest great cruelty to the youth and a great wrong to the world. Parental indulgence causes disorder in families and in society.” PP 142.

Parents need to reform; ministers need to reform; they need God in their households… In too many households prayers is neglected. Parents feel that they have no time for morning and evening worship. They cannot spare a few moment to be spent in thanksgiving to God for His abundant mercies–for the blessed sunshine and the showers of rain.” PP 142-143.

THE PURPOSE OF THE CALLING

“He chose Abraham, of the line of Shem, and made him the keeper of His law for future generations… The true faith was not to become extinct. God has ever preserved a remnant to serve Him. Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem in unbroken line, had preserved from age to age the precious revealing of His will. The son of Terah became the inheritor of this holy trust.” PP 125. Gen. 26:4-5: “And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws.” It was the purpose of God that Abraham should be the inheritor and treasury of His law.

“Faithful among the faithless, uncorrupted by the prevailing apostasy, he steadfastly adhered to the worship of the one true God.” PP 125. So in these last days of apostasy God has chosen us for His purpose. “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.” Isa. 58:12. Malachi 2:7 – For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” 1 Peter 2:9 (a)
Amen.

Anthony Cedric Adjei, Ghana