Topical Bible: Abraham: Divine Call of

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The divine call of Abraham marks a pivotal moment in biblical history, signifying the beginning of God's covenant relationship with the patriarch and his descendants. This call is primarily documented in the Book of Genesis and is foundational to understanding the narrative of the Israelites and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.

Background

Abraham, originally named Abram, was born in Ur of the Chaldeans, a city in ancient Mesopotamia. He was the son of Terah and belonged to a family that practiced polytheism, as suggested by Joshua 24:2, which states, "In ancient times your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, and they served other gods."

The Call

The divine call of Abraham is recorded in Genesis 12:1-3 : "Then the LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your kindred, and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.'"

This call was a command and a promise. God instructed Abram to leave his homeland and family, a significant act of faith and obedience, and promised to make him a great nation, bless him, and make his name great. The promise extended beyond personal blessings to a universal scope, indicating that "all the families of the earth will be blessed through you."

Response to the Call

Abram's response to God's call is immediate and obedient. Genesis 12:4 states, "So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran." Abram's departure from Haran, where his family had settled after leaving Ur, marks the beginning of his journey to Canaan, the land promised by God.

Significance of the Call

The call of Abraham is significant for several reasons:

1. Covenant Relationship: It establishes the covenant relationship between God and Abraham, which is further elaborated in Genesis 15 and 17. This covenant includes the promise of land, descendants, and blessings, forming the basis for the nation of Israel.

2. Faith and Obedience: Abraham's response exemplifies faith and obedience, qualities that are celebrated throughout Scripture. Hebrews 11:8 highlights this, stating, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going."

3. Universal Blessing: The promise that "all the families of the earth will be blessed through you" foreshadows the coming of the Messiah, through whom the ultimate blessing to all nations is fulfilled.

4. Model of Faith: Abraham's journey and relationship with God serve as a model of faith for believers. Romans 4:3 references this, "For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'"

Further Developments

The divine call of Abraham is further developed through various encounters with God, including the covenant of circumcision (Genesis 17), the promise of Isaac (Genesis 18), and the testing of Abraham's faith through the command to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). Each of these events reinforces the themes of faith, obedience, and God's faithfulness to His promises.

The call of Abraham is a foundational narrative that not only shapes the identity of the Israelite people but also sets the stage for the unfolding of God's plan for salvation history, impacting both the Old and New Testaments.

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Genesis 12:1-3
Now the LORD had said to Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you:
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Joshua 24:3
And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
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Nehemiah 9:7
You are the LORD the God, who did choose Abram, and brought him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham;
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Isaiah 51:2
Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah that bore you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
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Acts 7:2,3
And he said, Men, brothers, and fathers, listen; The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelled in Charran,
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Hebrews 11:8
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 where he went.
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Library

Divine Calls.
... whither he went." "Abram [Transcriber's note: Abraham?] departed as ... Such are the
instances of Divine calls in ... require instant obedience, and next to call us we ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon ii divine calls.htm

The Call of Abraham
... I conclude this sketch of the Patriarch's call, by observing ... and every doubt is
hushed""Fear not Abraham, I am ... TO FOLLOW THE GUIDE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE AND ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the call of abraham.htm

The Call of Moses
... THE BOOK OF EXODUS THE CALL OF MOSES. ... Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham,
of Isaac ... This passage begins in the midst of the divine communication which ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the call of moses.htm

How Human Actions are Without Worth when they are done Without ...
... reigns therein; but as soon as divine love dies ... These are the works which divines
call killed (mortifi??es ... like Ismael, in the family of Abraham, they afterwards ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xi how human actions.htm

Author's Preface.
... Experiences of Abraham. The character of Abraham. The character and career of Isaac.
Stories about Jacob. ... The divine call. Time and extent of Paul's journeys. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tidwell/the bible period by period/authors preface.htm

Letter xxii. --Fidelity to the Call of God.
Abandonment to Divine Providence. ... It only remains for you to be faithful to the call
of God and ... Your second duty is to hope against hope as Abraham did; that is ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter xxii fidelity to the call.htm

The Obedience of Faith
... Lord may have said to the Chaldans, or to other families in Ur, Abraham was not ... of
mankind, ought to feel that if no other ears hear the divine call, our ears ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/the obedience of faith.htm

The Eclectic Philosophy Paves the Way for Divine virtue.
... [1876] But such conclusions of human reasonings, as men have cut away and falsified,
I would never call divine. ... "But Abraham was not justified by works, but by ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vii the eclectic philosophy paves.htm

First Day. God's Call to Holiness.
... are not as though they were: His call gives life to ... He calls us to Christ, in whom
Divine Holiness became ... When God called Abraham, he answered, Here am I. When ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/holy in christ/first day gods call to.htm

An Exposition of the Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles.
... Stephen, and his address concerning the covenant of God with Abraham, and concerning ...
M. Of the divine call that came from heaven for Paul to the apostleship of ...
/.../pamphilus/the writings of pamphilus/an exposition of the chapters.htm