THE CALLING OF ABRAHAM
Gen 17:1-2 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I WILL MAKE MY COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND THEE, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
Gen 17:5-7 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND THEE AND THY SEED AFTER THEE in their generations for AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
CIRCUMCISION: A TOKEN OF THE COVENANT
Gen 17:10 This is MY COVENANT, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be CIRCUMCISED. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and IT SHALL BE A TOKEN OF THE COVENANT BETWIXT ME AND YOU.
THE COVENANT EXPLAINED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Luke 1:70-75 As he [the Lord God of Israel] spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember HIS HOLY COVENANT; the OATH WHICH HE SWARE TO OUR FATHER ABRAHAM, that he would grant unto us, THAT WE BEING DELIVERED OUT OF THE HAND OF OUR ENEMIES MIGHT SERVE HIM WITHOUT FEAR, IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS before him, all the days of our life.
CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM NOT GENETIC
Mat 3:7-9 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: and THINK NOT TO SAY WITHIN YOURSELVES, WE HAVE ABRAHAM TO OUR FATHER: for I say unto you, that God is able OF THESE STONES TO RAISE UP CHILDREN UNTO ABRAHAM.
ABRAHAM SAW CHRIST’S DAY
John 8:56 Your father Abraham REJOICED TO SEE MY DAY: AND HE SAW IT, AND WAS GLAD.
ABRAHAM’S RIGHTEOUSNESS WAS BASED ON BELIEF, NOT WORKS
Rom 4:1-3 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS COUNTED UNTO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
ABRAHAMS CHILDREN DO HIS WORKS
John 8:37-44 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, IF YE WERE ABRAHAM’S CHILDREN, YE WOULD DO THE WORKS OF ABRAHAM. But now ye seek to KILL ME, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL
ABRAHAM’S FAITH PREDATED CIRCUMCISION
Rom 4:11-12 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that HE MIGHT BE THE FATHER OF ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE, THOUGH THEY BE NOT CIRCUMCISED; THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS MIGHT BE IMPUTED UNTO THEM ALSO: and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
ABRAHAM’S FAITH CHARACTERIZES HIS SEED
Rom 4:16-18 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to ALL THE SEED; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also WHICH IS OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM; WHO IS THE FATHER OF US ALL, (As it is written, I have made thee a FATHER OF MANY NATIONS,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, SO SHALL THY SEED BE.
ABRAHAM’S WORKS WERE AN OUTGROWTH OF HIS FAITH
Jas 2:20-24 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not ABRAHAM OUR FATHER JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS, AND BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and HE WAS CALLED THE FRIEND OF GOD. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
From this part of the study we see that Father Abraham represents all those who become children of God, whether they are physical descendants or only spiritual (by adoption). They will have a faith that predates works of righteousness, but whose faith is evidenced by such. We see that Abraham’s seed will be characterized by the same kind of faith-based works that their father Abraham did.
This tells us that Father Abraham had to encompass everything that would characterize God’s people, in the Old Testament as well as in the New, under the Old Covenant as well as the New.
This leads us to an obvious question, What kind of obedience was expected of Abraham that would be expected of all his children? In other words, what standard would God give those who live in the very end of time that He also gave Abraham less than 400 years after the Flood and nearly 500 years before Sinai?
We know from the verses above that it would be an obedience that was, above all things, relationship based—a friendship with God that excelled all other relationships, for he was called the friend of God.
But, it was also a life characterized by obedience. An obedience to what? This is where this study takes an interesting turn. Early in the Biblical Record God established not only the kind of faith that would characterize His children, but also exactly what He would expect of them in obedience. We are told in the middle of Genesis about a man who spoke face to face with some ancestors who lived before the flood, men who heard with their own ears the Word of God passed verbally from Adam to Seth and from Seth to all his descendants. Abraham, the father of the redeemed, would know exactly what God would expect of him… and his children, till the end of time.
And all this is encapsulated in a single verse… in Genesis 26:5:
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my CHARGE [H4931], my COMMANDMENTS [H4687], my STATUTES [H2706], and my LAWS [H8451].
This is it, reduced to four words. Abraham’s seed, then, would also be found faithful in these same four areas. What do they encompass? What was expected of those who lived before the Flood that would also characterize all those true followers of God after the Flood? All we need to do is simply see what these four words encapsulate.
To facilitate our journey through the labyrinth of Hebrew words, I included the Strong’s numbers coded to the exact words Moses used to define what Abraham obeyed. This will help immeasurably, because for those four words the Old Testament translators used 23! Imagine one word has 11 Hebrew words to express its different uses, another word has 4, another 3, and the last 5. To find all four, or even three lined up elsewhere in the Old Testament would be like finding a needle in a haystack, if, indeed, there were such a needle in the Old Record. Here, look at the list. You will see what I mean:
But shouldn’t we hope there would be? If Abraham is the encapsulation of all God’s people till the end of earthly time, the one whose faith would characterize his seed, and the one whose obedience would be duplicated in his spiritual offspring, shouldn’t we expect God to define exactly WHAT Abraham was obedient to? Especially when there are so many spiritual gurus giving their opinion what should or shouldn’t be our guide of life!
Well, God cannot be accused of letting His people down. He did specify in His word EXACTLY what it was that Abraham was obedient to. We find its counterpart in a book Moses did not write, in Nehemiah 9. In fact, to emphasize His point, God had the person repeat it twice! We find the list (3 of the 4 words) perfectly lined up in verses 13 and 14, and only there— in the rest of the Old Testament.
Thou camest down also upon MOUNT SINAI, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments [H4941], and true laws [H8451], good statutes [H2706] and commandments [H4687]: and madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts [H4687] [commandments], statutes [H2706], and laws [H8451], by THE HAND OF MOSES thy servant:
The Bible makes a close affiliation of the law (H8451) with the testimony of God. They work hand-in-hand. “To the law (H8451) and to the testimony (H8584): if they speak not according to this word [singular], it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20 (see also verse 16). The law is our guide of life. Always has been. Always will be. The word for testimony used here is explained in Ruth 4:7—to confirm all things in regard to redeeming and making a change. “Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.” The law and the testimony must agree.
In fact, you may notice I also included the Strong’s number for “judgments” (H4941). Look at chart again to see what is it most closely related to. You aren’t surprised it is “charge,” are you? If you can connect dots in a line, you can know God’s will for you.
In other words, Abraham, who prophetically saw Christ’s day and was glad, was also aware of God’s standard for all people, including the first world destroyed by the Flood. He must have been given a vision of the Great Controversy (at least to the fulfillment of the Covenant Promise). And this could possibly have included the first codification (written version) of God’s will at Sinai. He would see what God expected of people in Noah’s day, was what was expected of him, and those at Sinai, and till the end of time. He would see no variation, for he, their spiritual father and example, would set the pattern in faith and obedience.
Some have taught that God hadn’t included the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments prior to Moses’ day, that the detail given at Creation about the seventh day being blessed and sanctified by the Creator, who Himself set the pattern for what was expected on that day, did not intend for man to be thus “encumbered.” In justification of this they observe that God did not COMMAND them forthright to keep it. Its purpose was only to set apart a special group of people for a specific period of time, until the consummation of the Covenant at Christ’s death. But, according to the Sacred Canon (Nehemiah 9:14), it WAS God’s intent to make known to His people that the seventh day of Creation Week was still His special day, His holy Sabbath, and they were expected to be as faithful to it as was Father Abraham.
This is illustrated in an experience God had with the Israelites BEFORE they reached Mt. Sinai. They had shortly before crossed the Red Sea and were hungry and afraid they would die in the wilderness before they could reach the Promised Land. God came through and provided them manna. But He made it clear that it wouldn’t fall on the Sabbath Day, that they were not needing to look to gather it on that day. And to allay their fears that they might run out on Friday’s portion, He gave them twice as much and kept it from going bad before the next day (as all other excesses had during the week). But that first Sabbath still found some not believing God’s word and looking for a fresh supply during the sacred hours. [I imagine they must have used up their double portion the day before by feasting on the abundance, instead of eating temperately, as God designed: 1 homer/man.]
Now look at what God said about these rebellious people, in reference to their disobedience of the Sabbath Commandment.
Exo 16:27-28 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandmentsH4687 and my lawsH8451?
Note that those were two of the very same words used in proclaiming Abraham’s faithful obedience… by the same writer. It wasn’t the LETTER of the law God addressed, for they did not “gather” any manna that day. They COULDN’T. It was the SPIRIT of disobedience that God spoke to. If they would disobey their Deliverer to do what they wanted and hoped to do, As Eve did, then their heart obviously was not ruled by faith and love. In effect, they would keep only those commandments that pleased them. They were in charge.
And so it goes with us today. In Christ’s famous Sermon on the Mount, where He encapsulated His Father’s will in simple, practical lessons, He addresses the Ten Commandments (Matthew 5:17-48). He makes it clear that it wasn’t His will nor intent to do away with the sacred law. In fact, not one jot or tittle (Hebrew accents to give certain nuances to words) would pass from the law till all be fulfilled. And that would be—if it ever would be—only after heaven and earth pass away when God makes everything new.
May God bless all the true seed of FATHER ABRAHAM, who are honestly seeking to do God’s will, those whom He proclaims,
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
