ABRAHAM’S FAITH

Part I

Mankind lives and works for his future. He directs his thoughts to the time that yet must come. Especially young people have many ideals which they will try to realize. These expectations urge them to fulfill their calling, wherefore, when they are ambitious, they are willing to work day and night. The Lord has given such an example in His Word as we read in Prov. 30:25: “The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer.” These little animals are an example for many of us who are not so wise, and who do not care for their future. We know that many people are very ambitious for the time, which is good in itself, but they forget eternity. This is really our future!

The time is only a shadow when compared with eternity. Time is given to mankind, that we might be prepared to meet the Lord. This is so short compared with eternity, that we can say it’s nothing, as Solomon has expressed this: “There is a time to be born and a time to die.” Therefore, friends, remember that we will regret it very much in eternity that we had no desire in the time for the Spiritual good, whereof is preached all the days of our life. These temporal things will never fill our life and often the outcome is so different from our expectations. Solomon said: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

How poor we are with the worldly things only, which will become evident, when the end of our life is there. We travel to our long home, whereof is written: “Who enters here, must abandon all hope.” How different it is with God’s children. By Divine grace they see that the world passes away and the lust thereof. Nothing does last on this world. If we may see this by the light of the Holy Spirit, then we begin to seek the good that will last forever. We are also made willing to leave everything, when this is required by the Lord. A good example of this is the life of Abraham, as we read in Hebr. 11:8,9,10: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Abraham’s Faith

1) by faith he left his native country

2) by faith he sojourned in a strange country

3) by faith he looked for a better country.

1) By Faith Abraham left his native country

From Genesis 11 we can learn, that also after the flood there was a remnant that feared the Lord. A new world is risen out of the water of the great flood; but in this new world the old sin is still present. The eight people rescued from the flood brought the sin into the second world. The water cannot wash away the sin: this is only possible by the blood of Christ. We inherit the sin. This is evident out of the life of Abraham, the man whereof is spoken in our text. He is a descendant from Shem, the son of Noah. His father was Terah and Abraham was born in Ur, a country with a high degree of education and culture, as we know from excavations in the neighbourhood of Ur. But with all their knowledge, the true knowledge of the living God had diminished as Joshua has said: “And they served other Gods.” So the father of the faithful was born in an idolatrous country, which influenced him too. The knowledge of the living God was not completely gone in the life of Abraham, but his calling is only the free sovereign grace of the Lord. Our fathers have expressed it in a beautiful way in the Canons of Dordt: “The good pleasure of God is the sole cause of this gracious election; which does not consist herein, that out of all possible qualities and actions of men God has chosen some as a condition of salvation; but that He was pleased out of the common mass of sinners to adopt some certain persons a peculiar people to Himself.” That Abraham was known by the Lord, is only for reasons on God’s side and so there is fulfilled in him, as Paul has written: “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate; whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”

For many, the election is a stumbling block, that they will not be saved. But this is a misinterpretation of this Divine decree, to blame the Lord for our condemnation. We go lost because of our sins; but here is told that sinners can be saved, even with all their sins, without any reason or good work on our side, because grace excludes everything what is related with works. How long did we bow our knees for satan and all kind of idols. The Lord only can save us and show mercy for Christ’s sake.

Abraham’s calling is spoken of in Gen. 12, and according to Acts 7 the God of glory appeared to Abraham. We don’t know in what way the Lord has spoken to him. Did this happen to us also? The external calling comes to all Christians, which is a great blessing; but friends, you all know that we must hear it twice: not only with the ears, but also with the heart, which means that the Lord applies it in us; “Whom He did predestinate, them He also called.” So we find in our text: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place, which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed.” In Ur he had everything that the world could give when he was called by the Lord. He would never have left this country, his family and friends, if the Lord had not called him irresistibly and had inclined his heart. So he had to abandon himself unconditionally to the Lord: “Thy will be done.”

The conversion of Abraham had far reaching consequences, not only for him and his relatives, but for the whole world, satan included. Satan’s intention was to make it impossible that the seed of the woman would be born. This he tried before in Abel, in Enoch, in Noah and now in the second world again, but the Lord intervened: Abraham is called. This is the internal calling, but at the same time it is a calling to leave his country, his relatives, his father’s house: the exodus must be complete, which Abraham did not like, First Abraham took his father Terah with him, but he died in Haran. His cousin Lot was also with him, but he has lost him too, after his arrival in Canaan.

You understand that it was not an easy way for Abraham. The Lord does not spare our flesh, and when He calls, then Abraham had to obey and leave his native country. It is only possible by faith to obey in such circumstances. No, the Lord did not make it easy for Abraham. He took everything away from him and gave him only the promise, that he would receive a land as an inheritance. Not right away, no, but to the following generations! “And he went out, not knowing whither he went.” What a risky thing we would say. Is there a risk with the Lord? No, not at all! The Lord fulfills what He promises, but at His time and in His way. The Name of the Lord is connected with His promises! This was experienced by Abraham. The Lord makes a willing people to follow Him, as the will is renewed to will what the Lord wants, so that we so do. So he follows unconditionally. Abraham became an emigrant, and we wish there were many emigrants in the same way as Abraham. Emigration is always hard, but especially in those days.

When we may know that the Lord is going with us, then it is different, but still it is very difficult. I am afraid that many went only in the providence of the Lord, and did not need God’s favor. Secondary reasons often turned the scale. If we still walk on our own ways, then we must realize that such a way will lead to destruction. Solomon said: “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” This is not only in temporal things, but also in spiritual things.

That means that we all are called to leave our country, kindred and father’s house, when we may live under the Truth. Time and again the Lord knocks at the door of our heart, in preaching and reading, to leave the world and the service of sin. But by nature we don’t like this and refuse to listen to this calling, which will make the punishment heavier. It is a great blessing, but also a great responsibility, to live under God’s Word. We are unwilling to listen, which shows our misery. It is true, we cannot convert ourselves; it is God’s work by Word and Spirit, but when we are warned and refuse to go, then our condemnation will be more righteous. We go lost because of our hard heart; no blame can be laid upon the Lord. Still it is free sovereign grace which is given to all of God’s people. With an internal calling we will leave our country, kindred and father’s house. So conversion is as an exodus; as the children of Israel were lead out of Egypt, so the Lord leads his people out of the servitude of satan, which brings a renewal in our life. The darkened mind is enlightened, the perverse will begins to ask for the Lord’s will, the sinful affections are changed and the worldly conversations are sanctified. There comes a hating and fleeing from sin and a desire to righteousness.

It is as an exodus from the former life, everything changes. Do you know something of that Divine work in your life? Just as an emigrant does not know where he will arrive and in what circumstances he will come, so it is, when the Lord calls us, but we have to obey. In daily life there are many who try to prevent that we leave our native country. The relatives weep, the neighbors call us a fool, the friends say we are out of our mind, etc. In the spiritual exodus it is not different, because satan does not want to lose his subjects. He tries and continues to try to keep them in his dominion. In God’s Word is spoken of the enmity of satan and his followers. That three headed enemy is always trying to defend and extend his kingdom, but also to prevent such an exodus.

It is too bad that in the life of many, that struggle is unknown, and that it never comes to such a break with the world. They don’t live in public sin, they are religious, on many no blame can be laid, but it never came to a final break with the world; they halt between two opinions.

With the internal calling it is so different; never will they forget the time and place, when the Lord calls us. In the moment of regeneration the Lord implants faith which can not die. The people who experience this can understand that choice of Abraham, after that the Lord has called them. Because the favor of the Lord is more than the whole world. Who loves his father, mother or relative more than the Lord, is on the wrong path.

This, God’s work, is not only a forsaking of the world, but also a coming to the rest in Christ, which He has prepared. This those can never find in the temporal faith, who rest on the external change only. It is the longing of God’s child to find that rest. In the beginning this is hidden and the Lord must reveal this, but it is only in Christ’s work and person, that we can find rest. When the Lord is our Leader, then He leads His people so that even the fools will not err therein.

What a blessing would it be, if there were many of those spiritual emigrants among us, as it was with Abraham.

Norwich

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