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own devices. That He did not, but called out Abram to walk with Himself, and become
the father of a great and privileged nation, is an eloquent testimony to the great purpose
of love that shines out with ever increasing splendour as the Scripture story develops. Let
the reader remember as he finishes the eleventh chapter of Genesis, that so far as the
periods covered are concerned, he is half way through the O.T. It is an illuminating fact
which shows how truly the Bible is the record not merely of human history, but of Divine
purpose.
#24. The Foundation Covenant (Gen. 12: 1-4).
pp. 166 - 171
TERAH is the watershed of the Old Testament, even as his generation is the central
one of the eleven in Genesis. His most famous son, Abraham, not only left his city and
his home, but we nowhere read, "these are the generations of Abraham", the whole of his
wonderful life being ranged under the "generations of Terah". Abraham beyond all
things else sets forth the principle of faith. He is the first one of whom the Old Testament
records that he believed in the Lord. The twelfth chapter of Genesis opens with the
words:--
"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 show thee."
Stephen in his speech before the Council said:--
"The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was yet in
Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy country"
(Acts 7: 2, 3).
The Lord not only called Abraham out from Ur of the Chaldees, but from his kindred,
yet the first movement after the word were spoken to Abraham is that of Terah.
"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. . . . and Terah died in Haran" (Gen. 11: 31, 32).
The call of God to Abraham involved separation of a very drastic character, and we
shall see that the Lord did not lay upon him the whole burden at once; he was to leave
country and kindred, but not at first his father's house; he obeyed the call so far as
leaving his country was concerned, and Heb. 11: records the step of faith with divine
approval. Scripture does not say, "and Abraham took Terah"; it is put the other way,
"and Terah took Abram his son". Terah's name means a "traveler", or a "wanderer", and
as a type he may well represent that class who "go out", not by faith, but by reason of
temperament; the call that quickened Abram with a living faith acted upon the fleshly
mind of Terah, and he too felt attracted by the journey.