The Everlasting Covenant

Preaching the Gospel of God

Abraham was to be a blessing to all people. Wherever he went he was a blessing. But this blessing began in his family. This was the centre. From the family circle the heavenly influence went out to the neighbours. And now we may well notice more closely the statement that when Abraham built an altar, he “called upon the name of the Lord.” ² In Dr. Young’s translation this is rendered, “He preached in the name of Jehovah.” Without calling attention to the various places where the same expression is found, it is worth while to note that the Hebrew words are identical with those used in Exodus 34:5, where we read that the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood by Moses, “and proclaimed the name of the Lord.” We may therefore understand that when Abraham erected the family altar he not only taught his immediate family but he “proclaimed the name of the Lord” to all around him. Like Noah, Abraham was a preacher of righteousness. As God preached the Gospel to Abraham, so Abraham preached the Gospel to others. The Lord does not call any man merely that he himself may receive the Gospel, but that he may make it known to others. “Let him that heareth say, Come!” ³ EVCO 55.1

We must not, however, fall into the mistake of supposing that Abraham was originally good, and that it was for this reason that God called him, or that he had none of the temptations, and was subject to none of the weaknesses, of ordinary men. Goodness is not natural to mankind, and Abraham was very human. He was weak, mortal, sinful flesh, but “he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” ¹ Some very bad things are recorded against Abraham, and if we mention them it is not to disparage him, but to show that God “justifieth the ungodly.” ² “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” ³ To ignore the sins of the patriarchs, is to deprive ourselves of the comfort which God designed for us in recording them. To make heroes of them, as though they were naturally different from other men, is to make of none effect the grace of God. EVCO 55.2

On two different occasions Abraham weakly lied about his wife, putting her into a most compromising position in order to screen himself from possible danger. His course of action in Egypt was base in the extreme. And here we might note in passing that all the connection of God’s people with Egypt has been to their disadvantage. As Abraham was about to enter Egypt he formed the plan of passing his wife off as his sister, lest the Egyptians, enticed by her beauty, should kill him in order to possess her. Whether Abraham thought of it or not, it is very evident that while this subterfuge might save his life, it was fitted to endanger his wife’s honour, since if the Egyptians would be inclined to abduct a man’s wife, they would have still less hesitancy in taking his sister. EVCO 56.1

And this very thing happened. “The Egyptians behold the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake; and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.” ⁴ EVCO 56.2

A more cowardly and base part could not be played by any man than this. Pharaoh learned, however, through the judgments of God that the woman was Abraham’s wife, and not his sister, and then he very indignantly reproved Abraham for his unmanly course. Not only so, but Abraham was summarily sent out of Egypt in disgrace. “Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.” ¹ This simply means that Abraham was told to get out at once, and Pharaoh’s servants were ordered to conduct him away forthwith. It was humiliating, but Abraham had not a word to say in self-defense. EVCO 57.1

Yet the man who could be guilty of so base an act as this, became the father of all them that believe, and was called “the friend of God.” ² Here then is comfort for all. “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord; look unto the rock whence ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you; for when he was but one I called him, and I blessed him, and made him many.” ³ Thank God that Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance! The goodness that appeared in Abraham’s life was only that which the Lord gives every sinner who receives him. EVCO 57.2