The call of Abraham occurred at a. time when the human race was sunk in idolatry, and resulted in his removal from its atmosphere (Josh. 24:2, 3); for God set him apart for Himself, to serve Him in a place to be shown him. '' 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 at I will show thee:and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing:and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee :and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:1-3). And again, in verse 7, " Unto thy seed will I give this land"

The truth thus exemplified was significant, for God's selection of Abraham for Himself indicated His right to the affection of all men; and His gift of inheritance to a chosen people affirmed His ownership of the earth.

Let us then consider this call especially in its practical effectiveness:(i) from the time Abraham heard it until his journey to Egypt; (2) during his sin there; (3) as recovered.

A tardiness that is gently hinted at in Acts 7:4 marked the

BEGINNING

of his career, so that in the historical account Terah his father takes the initiative. It was Abraham to whom the God of glory had been manifested, yet he was in the background during the first stage of the journey Canaan ward; for it is written, "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan " (Gen. ii:31). His motive can only be conjectured. Doubtless his son sought only to act for himself, but if others would go with him he forbade them not:indeed, he may have believed that his decision had effectually impressed those about to consort with him, although the halt at Haran, where Terah subsequently died, proved rather that he had been retarded by their company, and that as far as Terah was concerned all might have ended in failure with his decease. But in Acts 7:4 we read that when he was dead God removed Abraham to Canaan; and in Heb. ii:8, " By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out into a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Not a word about Terah.

How profitable therefore to ponder the movements of this man, seeing we are saints by calling, and distinctively "partakers of the heavenly calling" (Rom. 1:7; Heb. 3:1). For we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; we have been called to a more intimate knowledge of and a closer relationship with God than was Abraham, having been brought to Him in accord with the revelation in Christ of what He is, and as sons (Eph. i); and have also been brought into corporate relationship with Christ as members of His body (Eph. 2).Oh, to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called!

Observe, also, that if Abraham's earthly seed received an earthly inheritance, we have been begotten " to an inheritance . . . reserved in heaven " for us (i Pet, i:3, 4). Yea, God has given us to know what it is to be placed under Christ when, in the administration of the fulness of times, God will gather together in one "all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him:in whom also we have obtained an inheritance" (Eph. i:9-14). So that, as sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, we anticipate the future manifestation of Christ, when He will take His purchased possession, when love

"Gives not as the world, but shares
All it possesses with its loved coheirs."

Having observed Abraham's fairly good progress in the path of obedience, we are now to see him

TESTED

The test was, Would he remain obedient to God ? Alas, he did not. To escape a famine that had arisen in Canaan, he had gone to Egypt without a command from God. He had ceased to live by words proceeding out of the mouth of God. And not walking in the fear of the Lord, he feared what man would do unto him. Therefore he told Sarah that she would be favored in Egypt because of her beauty, he slain as her husband, and that they should therefore pose as brother and sister. The ruse succeeded, for Sarah was installed in Pharaoh's house, and Abraham enriched as her brother.

And may not Christians be similarly injured through love of ease ? Have we not seen instances of this ? Being pressed in spirit, they sought relief in the world; turned from occupation with Christ and things above, and ceased to stretch forward toward the heavenly goal. Surely no sadder sight can be seen than the gradual darkening of a Christian's life-one whose path, instead of being as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, ceases to give light. When he walked with God, how wholesome was his influence, as when a member of the body was honored and all the members rejoiced with it; but when he declined in spiritual energy, what sorrow he caused!

But to return. In the prevarication of Abraham we see the course a believer may pursue when decoyed from the way of righteousness. He told a tale that could be explained to be technically correct while entirely misleading. See Gen. 20:12. His life was not one of confession. He had failed to let his light shine before men. His breakdown was an exemplification of the first half of that text, " The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe" (Prov. 29:25).

But a pitying God intervened for the deliverance of His servant; helped him out of a false position by compelling Pharaoh to expel him as a menace to the community. Therefore he returned to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; there to call on the name of the Lord.

After the

RECOVERY

of Abraham we see exhibited in him the results of his training in the school of God, notably on the occasion of a strife between his herdsmen and Lot's (Gen. 13:6-12). This dispute applied once more the test-Would Abraham remain obedient to God ? The result declared how well he had learned his lesson. No doubt the disputants advanced their rival claims according to their respective view-points, but the man of God refused to attach importance to the subject of dispute, and pressed upon Lot the relationship in which God had set them to each other:"We be brethren," said he. As to the claims of those at strife he affirmed nothing, but allowed Lot to adjust details any way he liked, making it his sole business to see that he was not diverted from the testimony of God. Contrariwise, Lot chose the well-watered plains of Sodom, thereby proving his failure to learn from the discipline of his uncle-failure in valuing the things of God. Nor was his defection temporary, as was Abraham's; for later events revealed the purpose of the man. For when four kings invaded the plain of his choice, and carried him off as prisoner, he perceived no help of God in this, no merciful interposition; but when rescued by Abraham, he returned to the wicked city where "his righteous soul" was continually vexed.

Time and testing had reduced the movement of an earlier day to its real proportions. He who was told to sever his kindred relations was at last thus separated. And no sooner so than Jehovah told him to lift up his eyes and look north, south, east and west, and behold the inheritance He would give him and his seed-to arise and walk through its length and breadth. Thus did he value his calling and await the inheritance, living in his tent at Hebron, where he builded an altar unto the Lord. If a stranger on earth, he was a worshiper of God.

Another instance of obedience we see exhibited after Abraham's return from "the slaughter of the kings "(Gen. 14:17-24 and Heb. 7:i). On that occasion "Melchizedek (righteousness) king of Salem (peace) brought forth bread and wine:and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet," etc. (Gen. 14:18-24). In looking at this scene we confine ourselves to that side of it (1) in which Abraham's appreciation of Melchizedek is seen; (2) to his refusal of a recompense from the king of Sodom.

As to the former, " he gave him tithes of all." He owned that all he had belonged to God, and recognized this in His priest. Now it has often been observed that the mysterious introduction of this great person, without a word of his genealogy or subsequent record of death, serves the more clearly to render him a type of Christ. As it is said, "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually" (Heb. 7:3). And in reference to Christ, "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Heb. 7:17). While it is true that the functions of priesthood now exercised by the Son of God are after the pattern of the Aaronic priesthood, the "order" of this great and glorious priest is after that of Melchizedek. It is a question of who He is. Nevertheless, as priest of the most high God He stands preeminently before us in this passage as the One to manifest Himself in the Millennium as the righteous King who brings peace upon earth after the destruction of the enemies of God's people, Israel, bringing them joy and strength, and leading their worship.

And surely we who revere and should render "all we have and are " to the Son of God-the Priest who sympathizes with us in our weakness and supports us in our worship of God, look forward to the public manifestation of His glory.

In conclusion, let us notice that it was the man who gave Melchizedek his rights who refused'' from a thread to a shoe-latchet" from the king of Sodom. He was a benefactor to the community, not a recipient of its rewards. When living under false pretenses, he had allowed Pharaoh to enrich him; but when walking with God, he awaits the recompense of " the Possessor of heaven and earth."

And if we appreciate Christ, we will refuse the world's favors, and that while doing good. "Ye are the salt of the earth," said our Lord; and "salt is good." We are to pray for all men. We are to express the character of a Saviour-God among them. Rivers of living waters are to flow out of our inward parts (John 7:38); and if walking worthy of our calling, and anticipating the manifested glory of our Lord, we shall keep ourselves unspotted from the world. R. J. R.