The History of God in His Union With Man, Ch. 7, Sec. 2 of 9

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In the previous chapter we saw God’s history in His working on Abraham. Now we want to see not only the history of God but also God Himself in Abraham’s life. In the Bible we cannot see another person whom God contacted, appeared to, and spoke to as much as Abraham. In His dealings with Abraham, God unveiled what kind of God He is. In Exodus 3:15 God declared that He is the God of Abraham but without any details. It was in so many dealings of God with Abraham that the details of what God is were unveiled.

THE GOD OF GLORY

The God of Abraham is the God of glory. Stephen said that when Abraham was called by God in Ur of the Chaldeans, God appeared to him in glory as the God of glory (Acts 7:2-4a). God’s glory is God Himself expressed. If God hides Himself, there is no glory. If God appears, if God is expressed, that is glory. God’s glory in His appearance might imply a kind of splendor, bright and shining.

The God of glory in His first appearing to Abraham with His first calling and His first speaking was as a vast magnet and great motivation to Abraham, which moved him to come out of the country of satanic idolatry (Gen. 11:31). No one could stand against such an appearing, calling, and speaking.

Abraham was attracted, but Genesis shows us that he did not answer God’s call in an absolute and willing way. It was not Abraham who took the lead to initiate leaving the world of idolatry. His father took the lead, and he followed. Actually, though, God was the magnet and motivation that moved Abraham to come out of the country of satanic idolatry. Abraham would not have made this move if God had not come to him as the God of glory. That drew him, attracted him, and motivated him.

THE GOD OF BLESSING

God is also seen as the God of blessing in His second calling with His second speaking to Abraham (12:1-4). God not only called him but also promised to make of him a great nation and make his name great. Today in human history Abraham is a great name. Furthermore, God promised to make him a blessing to others. God not only blessed him but also made him a blessing to others. This blessing is the blessing of the New Testament gospel (Gal. 3:9, 14).

Abraham was a descendant of Shem, and we have seen that according to Noah’s prophecy, God would be the God of Shem, and Japheth would dwell in the tents of Shem. Japheth received the blessing of being enlarged (Gen. 9:26-27). According to history, the Europeans as the sons of Japheth have expanded and spread all over the earth. The whole world has become the dwelling place of the Europeans. Five hundred years ago it was not like this. But after Columbus discovered the Western world and through the development of transportation, the Europeans have spread everywhere. But they have to dwell in Shem’s tent, which becomes a blessing to them. God made Abraham, a descendant of Shem, a blessing to others. This blessing is in the tent of Shem. Many people throughout the whole earth are enjoying the blessings of God in Shem’s tent.

Every person needs a tent in which he can rest and enjoy life. God’s blessing to Abraham, which made him a blessing to others, implies the tent of Shem. When the Lord Jesus came as a seed of Abraham and a descendant of Shem, He became the tent, the tabernacle (John 1:14), which will consummate in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2-3). The New Jerusalem will be God’s eternal tabernacle, His eternal tent, in which numerous Old Testament saints and New Testament believers from all the nations will dwell to participate in the eternal blessing of the eternal life. This is all implied in the blessing God gave to Abraham. God’s second calling with His second speaking as the God of blessing attracted Abraham to go into the good land of the divine promise.

© Living Stream Ministry, 2021, used by permission