Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2011
Delivered on Lord’s Day Morning, February 26, 1888
“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. And they came unto Haran and dwelt there.” Genesis 11:31.
“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 land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.” Genesis 12:5.
AFTER the Flood, when men began to multiply and increase in the earth, it was not very long before they began to turn aside from the living and true God. At first the sons of Noah walked in the light of Divine knowledge, though even among them was found an evil seed. When scattered over the earth after the confusion of tongues at Babel, the earth’s hoary fathers carried with them a measure of the knowledge of God which they had received from their sires. But after a while, the light grew dim, men began to worship the sun and the moon and they adored fire as the mystic symbol of the mysterious and spiritual Lord.
They sought out many inventions. And having once begun to quit their allegiance to the one God they very rapidly traveled along the downward road till they worshipped strange gods. It was sad that although the earth produced its mighty hunters and men built city after city, yet few among them sought after God, or built altars to His name. Well might the Lord God cry out, “Hear Me heavens and give ear, O earth—I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against Me.”
A long period passed without a voice from God. Man seemed left to himself and in danger of being given up to idols. The nations wandered each a different way but all the downward road. Yet Divine Grace had not ended its reign. And therefore before the lamp of God had wholly gone out, the Lord determined to reveal Himself and establish His worship in the world. He would select a family to be His peculiar servants. He would manifest Himself to the father of that family and would make with him a Covenant. He would reveal to him the great things which He intended to do in the fullness of time and He would bid him hand down the Revelation to his children from generation to generation.
This family should grow into a nation and to that nation should be committed the oracles of God. Out of that nation should come Prophets and priests and heroes who should believe in God and maintain the true faith against all comers, even until the Son of God Himself should come to manifest the glory of God in a preeminent degree. In the midst of that nation the Lord resolved to set up ordinances and a settled organization by which Truth should be taught through type and symbol and by the hallowed speech of godly men. This, in His wisdom, He judged to be best for the future of the race.
In the wise sovereignty of His choice, the Lord chose Abram and his house. He gives no account of his matters and we cannot, therefore, tell why he took out of Ur of the Chaldees those of whom Joshua says, “Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor—and they served other gods.” The Lord called Abram alone and blessed him. He set apart the Patriarch and his seed and put them in trust with the priceless treasure of Divine Revelation—this they kept for themselves and for the rest of mankind.
It was needful that the elect family should be led apart and kept from the contamination of surrounding evil. Abram must come out from Ur of the Chaldees and all its associations of idolatry and he must even leave his kindred and his father’s house and walk before the Lord in separation unto prompt obedience and complete consecration. Thus his separation unto God
would fulfill the gracious purpose of the Most High. The Lord’s end and aim was to keep His Truth alive in the world by means of a people who should be set apart for that service.
It was therefore essential that the person chosen to be the head of that family, the founder of that nation, should come right away from all connection with the corrupt world and walk apart with God. The chosen nation was to dwell alone and not to be numbered among the peoples. Hence came that call which said to Abram, “Get you out of your country and from your kindred and from your father’s house unto a land that I will show you: and I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing.”
God the Holy Spirit continues to call out and bring to the Lord Jesus those who are chosen of God according to the good pleasure of His will. Practically, conversion is the result of the call—“Get you out from your country.” It is a repetition of that searching word, “Come you out from among them and be you separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.” The Church is a repetition of the camp of Abram in the midst of Canaan. It is the Lord’s portion among men and it keeps His oracles. The Church of the living God is the pillar and ground of the Truth of God. And it is the design of God to find a home for His Gospel in His Church till the dispensation of Divine Grace shall close and the Judge shall ascend the throne.