CHAPTER XII. a NOW the LORD had said unto a ch. 15. 7. Neh. 9. 7. Isa. 41. 2. Acts 7. 3. Heb. 11. 8. country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and shall not be reckoned among the ceive, on any other ground, the reason nations.' The house of Israel was ac- of its selection.-As to the time of Abracordingly long kept in a secluded state, ham's receiving the call here mentionthe depositary of God's word and prom-ed, although some commentators refer ises; but as the time drew near when it to the period of his sojourn in Hathe day-spring from on high was to ran, after his father's death, yet upon visit the earth, this characteristic began comparing the words of Stephen, Acts to be withdrawn from the Levitical 7. 2-4, with the narrative of Moses, it church, as far as it could be without de- would appear that the supposition is stroying altogether its distinctive con- untenable. Stephen expressly says, stitution. The Sun of righteousness 'The God of glory appeared unto our was about to rise upon the Gentiles, father Abraham when he was in Mesand like the natural sun he was prece- opotamia, before he dwelt in Charan ded by a twilight. Through the medi- (Haran), and said unto him, Get thee um of the Babylonish captivity, the out of thy country,' &c. The rendertruth was carried far into the East. By ing in our version, therefore, 'had said,' the emigrations of numerous Jews into is undoubtedly correct, though it is Egypt it was borne into that country, still possible that the call may have where, as elsewhere, the translation of been repeated during his sojourn at the the Scriptures into Greek, offered facil- latter place.-As to the manner in ities for the acquisition of divine knowl- which the call was made, we have no edge not hitherto enjoyed by the Pa- other clew to it than is contained in the gans; and many foreign proselytes to words of Stephen, who says that the the worship of Jehovah were received 'God of glory' appeared to him, and as in increasing numbers into the pale of this phrase usually has reference to the Jewish communion. Thus the some visible manifestation of the diway was prepared for the last and vine glory, such as was witnessed in crowning dispensation of God's mercy the Shekinah that dwelt between the viz. that of Christianity, whose genius cherubim and above the mercy-seat, it still more eminently than that of Pa is not unlikely that some display of triarchism is universal, and which is this kind was now granted to Abraham. destined to work powerfully but silent- Whatever it were, it was some efficient ly till eventually the earth shall be full disclosure of the divine majesty and of the knowledge of the Lord as the glory which at once sufficed to wean waters cover the sea. his heart from his former idolatries, and in connection with the command, to prompt him to abandon his country and kindred, and travel to a distant unknown region. A heart-affecting view of the divine glory has always a powerful loosening influence upon the ties which bind the heart to the world and to sin.-That the family of Terah was infected with the prevailing idola 1. The Lord had said unto Abram. Heb. Abram, a word compounded of father and high, importing a high, i. e. an eminent or distinguished, progenitor of a race. If the name were bestowed by his parents, which is perhaps doubtful, it was probably under the prompting of the spirit of prophecy, as it is difficult to con 2 b And I will make of thee a | thee, and make thy name great; great nation, and I will bless and thou shalt be a blessing: C b ch. 17. 6. & 18. 18. Deut. 26. 5. 1 Kings 3. 8. c ch. 24. 35. d ch. 28. 4. Gai. 3. 14. try is evident from the express declaration of Joshua, ch. 24. 2, that they served other gods;" and though it can scarcely be supposed that the land of Canaan was entirely free from the same corruption, yet it would seem from the case of Melchizedek that it did not there so universally abound; and at any rate, the patriarch might more easily avoid it among strangers, than among his former associates. - Get thee out. Heb. 75-73 go for thyself; i. e. go for thine own advantage; go thou, even if no one will go with thee. Yet it is evident from the context, that if he could persuade his family and friends to accompany him he was at liberty to do it, and not only so, but that he actual ly succeeded in inducing a large part of his father's house to be his companions. God is not wont to put restrictions upon the efforts of his chosen to prevail upon all in their power to cast in their lot with them in travelling to that better country to which he calls them; nor can the benevolent heart be content to leave any behind. Abraham therefore was to go from his country and kindred and his father's house only in case they would not go with him. - Unto a land that I will shew thee. He was to leave all and to go he knew not whither. Had he been told it was to a land flowing with milk and honey and that he should be put in possession of it, the trial to his faith would have been far less. But it was not so. That which was promised was not only promised in general terms, but was very distant. God did not even tell him he would give him the land, but merely shew it to him. Nor did he in his lifetime obtain the possession of it. He was only a sojourner in it; without so much as a place to set his foot upon. He obtained a spot indeed in which to lay his bones; but this was all. The Apostle however, Heb. 11. 8, lays open the secret of his obedience. 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.' the divine 2. And I will make of thee a great nation, &c. The promise had reference to things which could be but of small account to an eye of sense, but faith would find enough in it to satisfy the most enlarged desires. The objects though distant, were worth waiting for. He should be the father of 'a great nation;' not only by the vast multiplication of his natural seed, but God's making them a select peculiar people, to be distinguished by signal favours above all other nations. They should be the Lord's people. I will bless thee. The leading import of blessing' is an abundant increase or multiplication of favours, both temporal and spiritual. The 'curse' of God on the other hand is a privation of all good, and the imposition of numerous positive evils upon those who are its subjects. "The blessing of the Lord maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow with it,' Prov. 10. 22. While of the wicked it is said, 'Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them,' Lam. 3. 65.- T I will make thy name great. Not so much in the records of worldly fame, as in the history of the church. Yet it is a remarkable fact, that perhaps no mere man has ever been so widely and so permanently honoured. 'The Jews, and many tribes of the Saracens and Arabians, justly own and revere him as their progenitor: many nations in the 3. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that e ch. 27. 29. Exod. 23. 22. Num. 24. 9. curseth thee: f and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. fch. 18. 18. & 22. 18. & 26. 4. Ps. 72. 17. Acts, 3. 25. Gal. 3. 8. 3. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee. Heb. those that make light of thee will I curse. This is language never used but of an object of special favour. It is declaring that he should not only be blessed himself, but that all others should be blessed or cursed as they this the histories of Abimelech, Laban, Potiphar, Pharaoh, Balak, and Balaam furnish striking examples. The original, from the root p, signifies to account and treat as light, vile, worthless, contemptible, an idea not perhaps exactly expressed by the English word curse, the leading import of which is impre temptuous or disparaging treatment East exceedingly respect his memory to this day, and glory in their real or pretended relation to him. Throughout the visible church he has always been highly venerated; and even now Jews, Mohammedans, and many Gentiles vie with each other and with Christians, who shall most honour this ancient patriarch! Nothing could be more im-respected or injured him and his seed. Of probable at the time, than this event; yet the prediction has been fulfilling, most exactly and minutely, during the course of almost four thousand years!' Scott. Thou shalt be a blessing. That is, thou shalt be so signally and pre-eminently blessed, as to be, as it were, converted into a blessing; thou shalt be all blessing; a blessing in thy-cation of evil. But as such a conself, and a source of blessing to others. The phrase is in the highest degree emphatic, and in this sense the promise has been abundantly fulfilled; for all the true blessedness which the world is now, or shall be hereafter possessed of, is owing instrumentally to Abraham and his posterity. Through them we have a Bible, a Saviour, and a Gospel.surance is the highest pledge of friendThey are the stock on which the Chris- ship and favour that can be given, and tian church is grafted. Their very dis- sets forth the privileges of the Lord's persions and punishments have proved chosen in the most impressive light. the riches of the world. How signally The strictest leagues and covenants of then has this promise to the father of kings and princes contain no stronger the faithful been fulfilled. What a far bond of alliance than the engagement more illustrious greatness his, than to regard each other's friends and enethat which has pertained to the kings mies as common friends and enemies. and conquerors of the earth! While their great names have been acquired principally by deeds that have made them plagues and curses to mankind, to Abraham belongs the honour and happiness of having been great in goodness, great in communicating light and life to his species. Such was the hope of his calling; and yet, as if all this were not enough, it is added -T In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Common usage as it respects the bearing of the Heb. preposition will allow us to render by thee instead of in thee; i. e. by or through thee as a medium all nations shall be ultimately blessed. The apostle's exposition Gal. 3. 8, 16, does not essentially militate with this, though it brings the promise into a narrower 4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. compass, and makes it to be emphati-ests, yet the patriarch implicitly put cally in Christ the appointed and pre-himself under the conduct of that eminent seed of Abraham. In him providence whose summons had called was the gospel of salvation to be preached to all nations, to Gentiles as well as to Jews, and the very communication of such tidings could not but be a blessing to all the families and tribes of the earth, even though it should be supposed to be made effectual only to a part of them; which is all that is necessarily to be inferred from the words. The passage contains a clear intimation of what God himself, whose judgment is according to truth, regards as the source of the truest and richest blessings to the children of men. It is not wealth, fame, power, sensual pleasure, or mental endowments, but the gift of his own Son as a Saviour, the bestowment of the Holy Spirit, the pardon of sin, peace of conscience, and the high and purifying hopes connected with eternal life. This is the inheritance that makes us truly rich, and utterly vain, foolish, and fatal is it to seek for real blessedness from any oth him forth, and following its leadings bade defiance to difficulty and danger. We cannot fail to observe in this remarkable event (1.) The display of the divine sovereignty. Why was Abraham thus distinguished above all other of the sons of men, to be called out from a nation of idolators, and made such a signal blessing to the world? The Scripture affords us no reason to conclude that he was better than his associates. He and all his family were idolaters, and so were all around him. Yet he was selected from among them, and made the friend and favourite of heaven. What account can be given of this? Can it be traced to any thing but the sovereign will and pleasure of Jehovah? Even granting-what can by no means be proved to have been the fact that he was more faithful to the monitions of natural conscience than the mass of the heathens of Chaldea, and that he did not go to the same extent in upholding a false worship, 4. So Abram departed as the Lord yet he cannot well be conceived to had said unto him. No sooner did have been so far superior to his counAbraham receive the divine command trymen in moral qualities as to have than he obeyed it. When acting in the entitled him to such a distinction as he ordinary affairs of life, and from mere received. So that in any view we are worldly considerations, prudence may still compelled to recognise the discrimdictate delay, and the propriety of con- inating grace of God in his call, and to sulting friendly advice; but when the say in regard to it, 'Even so, Father, call is evidently from above, when the for so it seemed good in thy sight.' direction is clearly from God, to be dil-(2.) The self-denying zeal of Abraatory is to be disobedient. Faith is ham. He undoubtedly felt the attachprompt in compliance and makes haste ment which all men usually feel to to execute the will of our heavenly their native land. It was the same triMaster. Though the journey to be un-al to him as to others to leave the dertaken was above three hundred miles scenes of his childhood and the abode in length, and rendered formidable by of his kindred. At the age of seventydeserts, high mountains, and thick for- five the spirit of adventure was doubt er source. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the g ch. 14. 14. h ch. 11. 31. less in a great measure quelled, his hab. its fixed, and his partialities riveted to the land of his birth. To tear himself away from his accustomed haunts and occupations, to turn his back upon his friends and kindred, and to go to a distant and unknown land, and there seek a habitation among strangers, perhaps enemies, must have put his fortitude to a test of which we can form but a very imperfect idea. Yet we, like Abraham, are to consider ourselves sojourners, called to go from a dark and idolatrous world into a land of promise. And if we are of his seed we shall do his works. We shall, if bidden to forsake all and follow Christ, part with father and mother, brethren and sisters, country and kindred, and renounce every enjoyment that may stand between us and duty. 5. All their substance. Heb. land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. 6 And Abram i passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. i Heb. 11. 9. k Deut. 11. 30. Judg. 7. 1. 1 ch 10. 18, 19. & 13. 7. 17, My power hath gotten me this wealth;' Heb. 'hath made.' Eccl. 12. 12, 'Of making many books there is no end;' i. e. of the business of col lecting or amassing books there is no end. Abram's making souls therefore is doubtless to be understood of his enlarging his household establishment, of his gradually gathering around him a train of domestics and followers who were disposed to cast in their lot with him some from one motive and some from another, and to whom he probably imparted those great religious truths respecting God and his worship which had obtained a lodgment in his own mind. Though the sense of making proselytes is not conveyed by the words in their primary meaning, yet they are lem Targum, and the Chaldee Paraexpressly thus rendered in the Jerusaphrase has, 'All the souls which he had subdued unto the law;' and the fact that Abraham is afterwards said to have had three hundred and eighteen trained (Heb. catechized) servants in his house, as well as his acknowledged character as a pious man, makes the | הנפש אשר־עשר .Heb their acquisition which they had acquired; a term applied in a general way to money, cattle, or effects of any kind. And the souls that they had gotten. the soul (collect. sing. for souls, i. e. persons) which they had made. The original word for made () very frequently bears the sense of acquisition, accumulation, equivalent to the Eng. usage, when we say 'a man makes money,' i. e. acquires or amasses wealth. Thus Gen. 1. 12, 'The fruit tree yielding fruit ;' Heb. 'the fruit tree making fruit.' Luke, 19. 18, 'Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds;' Gr. 'hath made five pounds.' Deut. 8. supposition altogether probable. The true sense of the phrase at any rate so nearly approximates to this, that we cannot hesitate to adduce the example of Abraham as an admonition to us, that wherever the providence of God shall place us, there we are to labour to be 'makers of souls,' to gain proselytes to our heavenly master, to increase to the utmost the number of those who shall devote themselves to his fear and service. |