06.21. "He was called" "He went out"
"He was called" "He went out" The one point common to all that is said of Abraham, is that, like Abel, Enoch, and Noah, he stood alone with God. Not all the events of Abraham’s life are brought forward in this chapter, but only three: and these are specially chosen with a view to serving the Apostle’s argument, and to give point, exhortation, example, and encouragement to those whom he was exhorting to stand fast in the midst of trials and difficulties.
Abraham was called to a life of dependence on God; a renunciation of family ties, social position, and all worldly endearments. Instead of a life of ease and security in his own country, and among his own people, he was called to a life of pilgrimage among the lawless inhabitants of Canaan, on the forbearance of whom his life and possessions were dependent.
Living in the world, he was not of the world.
Hence, only those points of Abraham’s history are singled out which showed those Hebrew believers, to whom the Apostle was writing, why they should take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that, like Abraham, they had in heaven, a better and enduring substance. (Heb 10:34). This is why only three things are stated in connection with Abraham’s faith in Heb 11:1-40 :—
1. His CALL: "by faith when he was called he went out" (Heb 11:8).
2. His SOJOURNING: "by faith he sojourned in a strange country" (Heb 11:9).
3. His TRIAL: "by faith... when he was tried he offered up his only begotten son (Heb 11:17). In the example of Abraham we are leaving the first group of three, and passing on to the first of four pairs. Here then will be the place to consider more closely the order in which these "Elders" are set before us.
It may be well, therefore, at this stage, to set out the Structure according to which this "great cloud of witnesses" is arranged. This is the place, and this is the time to see and observe that all the words as well as the works of God are perfect; perfect in their truth, perfect also in their place, and perfect in their order.
We have already seen something of the correspondence between the Chronological and Experimental order.
We can now add to this the correspondence between the various subjects and persons in this chapter.
It will be observed that, in the first member, marked A, we have more than two. This corresponds with A, where again we have more than two. This first group is followed by four pairs: viz., B and C, corresponding with B and C. In B and B we have a double correspondence; for, not only is the second of each pair a woman, but the things said of each pair correspond also; while in C and C there are four things which all have to do with overcoming, and with man; just as in the two larger groups all has to do with God.
Finally, in D and D we have one single person in each; and the correspondence is between Joseph and the Lord Jesus, patiently waiting God’s time.
"The Elders" (Heb 11:2), or
"The Great Cloud of Witnesses" (Heb 12:1). A | ABEL: Faith’s worship OF God.
ENOCH: Faith’s walk WITH God.
NOAH: Faith’s witness FOR God.
B | ABRAHAM: Faith’s obedience: ("Get thee out.")
SARAH: Faith’s conclusion: "she judged, etc." (Heb 11:11.) C | ISAAC: Faith overcoming "the will of the flesh."
JACOB: Faith overcoming "the will of man."
D | JOSEPH: Faith waiting God’s time.
C | MOSES’ PARENTS: Faith overcoming "the fear of Man."
MOSES HIMSELF: Faith overcoming "the praise of Man."
B | ISRAEL: Faith’s obedience: ("Go forward" Exo 14:15).
RAHAB: Faith’s conclusion: ("I know," etc., Jos 2:9). A | 1ST GROUP: Faith conquering THROUGH God.
"OTHERS": Faith suffering FOR God.
D | "JESUS": Faith waiting God’s time (Heb 10:13; 2Th 3:5, marg.) In passing from the first group (A) to the first pair (B), it is necessary, as well as helpful, that we should understand why this is so; and where we are being led; and into what lines of truth and teaching the Holy Spirit is Himself guiding us (John 16:13).
We are now in a position to take up the Faith of Abraham. The first of the three things mentioned concerning him is (1). "He was CALLED."
"By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go forth unto a place which he was to receive for a heritage: yea, he went forth not having any understanding [as to][55] whither he was going." (Heb 11:8.)
There is much confusion as to this "Call of Abraham." It is generally taken as being recorded in Gen 12:1, which is the reference given against Heb 11:8 in the A.V. But it is remarkable that, while we have "no generations of Abraham" we have "the generations of Terah." That Abraham, "the father of the faithful," and the founder of the Hebrew race, the depositary of all the promises of blessing for Israel and the world, should not have his own "generations" or family history, is remarkable. It is also remarkable that we have no "generations" of Joseph. But the generations for (Toledōth)of the Bible have both supernatural design and spiritual significance.
There are fourteen in the whole Bible: Eleven in Genesis, one in Numbers (Num 12:1, Aaron and Moses,) one in Ruth (Ruth 4:18, Pharez and David) and one in Matthew (Mat 1:1 of "Jesus").
They divide the book of Genesis (with its Introduction) into twelve parts. And we thus have to do with God’s twelve divisions instead of with man’s fifty chapters. We have the Introduction (Gen 1:1-31; Gen 2:1-3).
1. The generations of heaven and the earth (Gen 2:4-25; Gen 3:1-24; Gen 4:1-26).
2. The generations of Adam (Gen 5:1-32; Gen 6:1-8).
3. The generations of Noah (Gen 6:9-22; Gen 7:1-24; Gen 8:1-22; Gen 9:1-29).
4. The generations of Sons of Noah (Gen 11:1-9).
5. The generations of Shem (Gen 11:10-26).
6. Terah (Gen 11:27-32; Gen 12:1-20; Gen 13:1-18; Gen 14:1-24; Gen 15:1-21; Gen 16:1-16; Gen 17:1-27; Gen 18:1-33; Gen 19:1-38; Gen 20:1-18; Gen 21:1-34; Gen 22:1-24; Gen 23:1-20; Gen 24:1-67; Gen 25:1-11).[56]
"The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran."
God is called "the God of glory" (i.e., the glorious God) in contrast to the idols which were worshipped by Abram and his family.
He appeared to Abraham, there, "on the other side of the flood" (i.e., the Euphrates). This agrees with Jos 24:2; Jos 24:14, where it is distinctly stated that Abraham and all his kindred were idolators. So that Abraham was not called for any merit of his own. Indeed in Neh 9:7 we see that God chose Abraham simply because He willed to do so:—
"Thou art the LORD God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham."
Moreover, we are told what the glorious God said to Abraham: but there is nothing said about Abraham’s faith, only about his obedience: "Then came he." Hence, he was not called because he had believed. In Jos 24:3 God says, "I took your father Abraham. I led, ... and I gave." All was of grace. In Gen 11:31 we have the historical record of the instrumental act. "Terah took Abraham." In Jos 24:3 we have the gracious record of the Divine purpose; while in Acts 7:4 we have the inspired comment on Abraham’s obedience of faith. For Terah to have taken Abraham, Abraham must have told him of the vision he had seen of "the glorious God;" and Terah must have believed Abraham. But how much he believed we are not told. He must have believed enough to make him leave Ur of the Chaldees, and take Abraham with all his family, and go into Haran, but not enough to make him give up all his idols, or to go on into Canaan; for we find these idols still lingering in the family of his great-grandson, Laban (Gen 31:19; Gen 31:30; Gen 31:32). From whatever reason, whether from age, health, or unbelief, Terah never got further than Haran; for, it is emphatically recorded that "they came to Haran and dwelt there" (Gen 11:31). Whereas it is as emphatically stated that when Abraham "left Haran to go into the land of Canaan, into the land of Canaan they came" (Gen 12:5).
Abraham’s ancestors "dwelt" in Haran; and his descendants "dwelt" in Egypt; but Abraham himself "sojourned" in Canaan.
God has given us a sufficient explanation of the delay of five years in Haran in Acts 7:4, where, of these two migrations of Abraham we read: "Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell."
Whatever it was that hindered Abraham’s complete obedience, Terah’s death ended it. In Heb 11:8, both these calls (Gen 11:31 and Gen 12:1) are merged, and the Spirit concentrates our attention on the fact that he "obeyed." This is why we have, in our structure of this chapter, specialized Abraham’s faith, as "Faith’s obedience," obedience being that which distinguished his faith from all the others. We say "distinguished" not because others who believed did not obey; for they all obeyed, they all acted on their faith; but, in the case of Abraham, this is the special characteristic of it; and therefore stress is laid upon it, by not mixing up anything else with it in this eighth verse.
Abraham’s faith, in respect to his obedience, is thus emphasized, and has its correspondence with Israel’s obedience in crossing the Red Sea (B).
"Get thee forth" is God’s word which came to Abraham. "Get thee forth" is the command which God said Israel would hear from Pharaoh (Exo 11:8).
Abraham’s obedience is the more marked, because God did not, at the time of the call, tell him what or where the land was. The words are "unto a land that I will show thee" (Gen 12:1). So it was clearly faith, and not sight. God did not say, "a land I do tell thee of, but to a land I will tell thee thereof." It was the same with the "inheritance. He was to go to the place which he should after, receive."
Moreover, the Greek is very emphatic. In the English, the verb "obeyed" is put at the end of the sentence; but in the Greek, it is, by the Figure Hyperbaton, put almost at the beginning: "By faith, Abraham being called, obeyed to go out, etc."
Later on, he learned that his "seed" should sojourn for 400 years before they should enter the land (Gen 15:7; Gen 15:13-21), and that the promise would not be ratified till after his death.
Abraham’s obedience was further intensified by the words "and he went out." The
Thus far, we have the interpretation of the Scriptures which speak of Abraham’s faith, but what is the application of them to ourselves? In what way are we to apply it, so that we may learn the lesson for ourselves today, as those to whom Heb 11:1-40 was first written learned the lesson for themselves?
What has Abraham’s "obedience of faith" to say to us? In answer to this we observe that this expression is afterwards specially associated with "the Mystery." This is stated, in Rom 16:26, to be the special object for which it is revealed. It is made known to us "for the obedience of faith," so that, believing it, we may "obey the heavenly vision."
God has "made it known" for this purpose. This word,
If we display Abraham’s obedience in connection with what God has made known for our faith, we should like him, "go forth" from all human traditions and "doctrines of men." We should "sojourn" in the world as being indeed "a strange land." We should regard our "seat of government" as already existing[58] in heaven; that heaven from whence we should be looking for the Saviour, and for our "calling on high" (Php 3:20; Php 3:14).
"Obedience of faith," is the one thing needful in connection with the fact of the Mystery having been made known to us.
It was exactly what Israel lacked when told to go up into the land. They obeyed to cross the Red Sea; but they did not obey when told to "go up over the hill-country of the Amorites" at Kadesh-Barnea. This command at Kadesh-Barnea exactly corresponded with Abraham’s call in Haran (and was indeed to be the consummation of the call from Egypt, as Abraham’s was the consummation of the call in Ur of the Chaldees!):—"Go up and possess it." But they believed man, instead of God. In spite of the actual evidence of "the good land," Moses has to say "Ye would not go up" (Deu 1:26) And why? Because "Ye did not believe Jehovah your God" (Deu 1:32). The making known of the Mystery is, to us, exactly what Ur of the Chaldees was to Abraham; and what Kadesh-Barnea was to Israel. The difference was that, "Abraham believed God."
Israel "did not believe,"
They provoked God—(Heb 3:1-19).
How do we stand in this matter? Do we believe what God has "made known for the obedience of faith"? or, do we provoke Him, and grieve Him, with our unbelief?
Oh, let us go up and possess this "good land" which is set forth before us in the Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, and there discover not only the riches of His grace, but the riches of His glory.
It is a land, not of "grapes, pomegranates, and figs" (Num 8:23), but of all that which they symbolize. A land of "grapes:" which tell of the Vine, and of Him with whom we are made one Body (Eph 1:23; Eph 4:4). A land of "pomegranates:" which tell of our worship being wholly centered in Him, who is the alone object and subject of our spiritual worship.[59]
Oh! that we may "at once," by faith, go up, and enjoy this "good land," waiting till we shall be called up "on high," exchange our faith for sight, and our spiritual vision for actual possession.