 |  |
#11.
Blessing, and its connection with purpose
and the obedience of faith.
pp. 175 - 178
Among the outstanding figures of the O.T. that are particularly associated with
blessing, we must include Abraham. There are four periods in his life linked with the
thought of blessing, a study of which will shed some light on the conditions of Biblical
blessing and so, we trust, be a help to us all.
The first occasion in Abraham's life on which we hear of blessing comes after his
response to the call to leave country, kindred and father's house. Arising out of a
consideration of Gen. 11: and 12:, the following features appear to have a bearing upon
our theme:--
(1) What was the necessary condition of blessing?
Let us answer in the words of Scripture:--
"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"
(Heb. 11: 8).
By comparing Acts 7: 2, 3 with Gen. 12: 1 we discover that Abraham received this
call twice; once when he was in Ur of the Chaldees, and once in Haran after the death of
his father Terah:--
"The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia,
before he dwelt in Charran, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee" (Acts 7: 2, 3).
It appears that when Abraham prepared to move out of Ur of the Chaldees in response
to the call of God, Terah his father, Lot his nephew, and Sarai Abraham's wife journeyed
together. At first sight it would appear that Abraham did not fully obey the Lord's
command, but by comparing Acts 7: with Gen. 12: it will be seen that at the first call,
separation from "country and kindred" was commanded, while after the death of Terah it
was separation from "country, kindred and father's house":--
"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee" (Gen. 12: 1).
In our next article we shall show that the Lord kept His word and that Abraham did
not receive the blessing promised until the conditions were fulfilled. This, however, does
not come first. While implicit and absolute obedience is the essential condition for
blessing, and while Abraham did not receive the full promise until he had fully obeyed,
we can contemplate with thanksgiving the fact that the intention of Abraham's heart was