From chapter 12 then there
is developed altogether a new order of events, which
refer to the call of God, to His covenants, to His
promises, to the manifestation of His people as a
distinct people on the earth, to the counsels of God.
Before the deluge, it was man such as he was—fallen
before God; and though there was a testimony from the
beginning, still no dispensational intervention of God in
His own ways, but man, with that testimony as to divine
institutions[1],
left to himself, resulting in such violence and
corruption as brought on the deluge in judgment on the
world. Afterwards, God having interposed in judgment and
begun the world that now is, there was the government of
that world and its failure and the consequences of this
failure; but, the nations being established and having
submitted themselves to the power of demons, the call of
God, the deposit of promise in him who was chosen of God,
His elect ones (seed of the depositary of the promises),
and subsequently His people, rise up to our view.
The call to
separate
Hence we find them at once
called upon to separate themselves entirely from all that
connected them with their position in nature on the
earth, and to belong to God on the ground of promise and
confidence in His word. "Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's
house, unto a land that I will shew thee." This was
a solemn event. It was in principle the judgment of the
world, though in the way of grace to those called out if
it.
The world and its
prince, and Abram the root of the tree of promise
That we may fully
understand this, we must remember that the world had been
constituted by the judgment of God passed upon the
enterprise of building the tower. Countries and nations
had been formed, as it is to this day. That was the
world. Satan had full hold of it, and the very world
which God had providentially formed Abram had to leave.
God would have a family, a people for Himself, not of it,
though out of it. Another fact adds to Abram's
importance. There had been saints individually, known and
unknown, but no head of a race since Adam. Adam fallen
was the head of a fallen race. Abram was called to be the
root of the tree of promise, of God's people natural or
spiritual. He was the father of the circumcision, and of
all them that believe.
A new principle to
rule
In the outset however,
Abram still held to his family; or at least, if it held
to him, he did not break with it; and though he quitted
his country on the call of God, he stops as far from the
land of promise as before. For, thus called, man must
belong wholly to God on a new principle. In fine, he sets
out as God had said to him.
Abram called out
by the manifestation of the glory of God
We have then here Abram
called by the manifestation of the glory of God (compare
Acts 7) for the journey of faith. The promises are given
to him, whether of a numerous posterity, or of the
blessing of all the families on the earth in him[2]. He sets out, he arrives. There
are not many experiences, though there will be deeper
knowledge of God, in a path which is purely of faith:
power is there, and man walks with God. In the history of
Jacob we have many. Arrived in Canaan, Abraham enters
into possession of nothing, for his life must still be of
faith. And here we see, by comparing this passage with
Hebrews 11, the effect of being left as pilgrims and
strangers on the earth, not yet in possession of what is
promised. Abraham goes in the obedience of faith to the
promised land, and there has not so much as to set foot
upon; but in virtue of this—as God, though He could
prove, could not leave faith without an answer; nor,
indeed, where tried, without leading it on to the
knowledge of further blessing, for He never does—he
has before him the city which hath foundations, and the
yet better country. The energy of faith through grace put
him in a position which, as it was not possession,
necessarily set him in connection with higher and better
things; for he was under the personal calling of God for
blessing: so, practically, we are come into the body and
heavenly things below. But there is the path of
faith—not possession—and the heavenly scene
opens before us. Abraham in Ur could not see the heavenly
portion; a stranger in the land of promise, it was his
natural object under grace. Such is our own case. Only
Abraham rises above his calling; we enter by the Spirit
into what we are called to.
A second
revelation of the Lord for communion and worship
But then there is a second
revelation of the Lord to him in the land, in the place
into which he had been called. The first was to call him
out of the place he was in, and make him walk in the path
of promise. Now the Lord reveals Himself to him for
communion, where he is; speaks with him; unfolds to him
how the promise will be accomplished, and Abraham thereon
worships Him. He has in the land his tent and his altar.
This is the second part of the life of faith. The
revelation of God, when far from Him, sets us out on the
journey of faith, inspires the walk toward heaven. When
in the heavenly position, God reveals Himself for
communion and worship and a full revelation of His ways.
The Canaanite is in the land; the heir of promise has no
possession of the thing promised. We have to do with
spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, but the Lord
reveals Himself, shews the heir and inheritance when the
Canaanite will be gone; and so Abram worships by faith,
as before he walked by faith. This is the full double
function of faith.
Abram's lack of
faith
The rest of the chapter is
the history of his personal want of it. Pressed by
circumstances, he does not consult God, finds himself in
the presence of the world, where he has sought help and
refuge, and denies his true relationship with his wife
(just as has been done in respect of the church), is
cherished by the world, which God at last judges, sending
Abram again out from it. During this period, and until he
was returned to the place from which he started, he had
no altar. When he left Egypt and returned to his
strangership in Canaan, he had what he had before. But he
must return first to the same place and find his altar
again. What a warning for Christians as to the
relationship of the church with Christ[3]! And, however the world may be a
help for the church, this relationship cannot be
maintained when we seek that help.
I would again recall here
a remark made elsewhere, that in types the woman presents
the position in which those prefigured are placed; the
man, the conduct, faithful or unfaithful, of those that
are there.[1]
Sacrifice may be called an institution of God perhaps,
but it was individual. There was no establishment of a
people who were God's upon earth.
[2] This last promise is repeated only in
chapter 22, during Abraham's history, and then to the
seed alone; the promise of his posterity and of the land
to him and to his seed is often repeated. It is to this
promise given to Abram in chapter 12 and confirmed to the
seed in chapter 26, that the apostle refers in Galatians.
The earthly seed, on the contrary, was to be numerous.
The translation of Galatians 3: 16, should be, "now
to Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed."
And in the following verse, not in Christ but to Christ.
He was the seed of promise.
[3] There may be a certain typical
reference to Israel while in the world and away from God.
But these things happened unto them for ensamples (tupoi)
and are written for our admonition on whom the ends of
the world are come. Abraham was away from his altar at
Bethel.
Genesis 12 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
From chapter 12 then there is developed altogether a new order of events, which refer to the call of God, to His covenants, to His promises, to the manifestation of His people as a distinct people on the earth, to the counsels of God. Before the deluge, it was man such as he was—fallen before God; and though there was a testimony from the beginning, still no dispensational intervention of God in His own ways, but man, with that testimony as to divine institutions[1], left to himself, resulting in such violence and corruption as brought on the deluge in judgment on the world. Afterwards, God having interposed in judgment and begun the world that now is, there was the government of that world and its failure and the consequences of this failure; but, the nations being established and having submitted themselves to the power of demons, the call of God, the deposit of promise in him who was chosen of God, His elect ones (seed of the depositary of the promises), and subsequently His people, rise up to our view.
The call to separate
Hence we find them at once called upon to separate themselves entirely from all that connected them with their position in nature on the earth, and to belong to God on the ground of promise and confidence in His word. "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee." This was a solemn event. It was in principle the judgment of the world, though in the way of grace to those called out if it.
The world and its prince, and Abram the root of the tree of promise
That we may fully understand this, we must remember that the world had been constituted by the judgment of God passed upon the enterprise of building the tower. Countries and nations had been formed, as it is to this day. That was the world. Satan had full hold of it, and the very world which God had providentially formed Abram had to leave. God would have a family, a people for Himself, not of it, though out of it. Another fact adds to Abram's importance. There had been saints individually, known and unknown, but no head of a race since Adam. Adam fallen was the head of a fallen race. Abram was called to be the root of the tree of promise, of God's people natural or spiritual. He was the father of the circumcision, and of all them that believe.
A new principle to rule
In the outset however, Abram still held to his family; or at least, if it held to him, he did not break with it; and though he quitted his country on the call of God, he stops as far from the land of promise as before. For, thus called, man must belong wholly to God on a new principle. In fine, he sets out as God had said to him.
Abram called out by the manifestation of the glory of God
We have then here Abram called by the manifestation of the glory of God (compare Acts 7) for the journey of faith. The promises are given to him, whether of a numerous posterity, or of the blessing of all the families on the earth in him [2]. He sets out, he arrives. There are not many experiences, though there will be deeper knowledge of God, in a path which is purely of faith: power is there, and man walks with God. In the history of Jacob we have many. Arrived in Canaan, Abraham enters into possession of nothing, for his life must still be of faith. And here we see, by comparing this passage with Hebrews 11, the effect of being left as pilgrims and strangers on the earth, not yet in possession of what is promised. Abraham goes in the obedience of faith to the promised land, and there has not so much as to set foot upon; but in virtue of this—as God, though He could prove, could not leave faith without an answer; nor, indeed, where tried, without leading it on to the knowledge of further blessing, for He never does—he has before him the city which hath foundations, and the yet better country. The energy of faith through grace put him in a position which, as it was not possession, necessarily set him in connection with higher and better things; for he was under the personal calling of God for blessing: so, practically, we are come into the body and heavenly things below. But there is the path of faith—not possession—and the heavenly scene opens before us. Abraham in Ur could not see the heavenly portion; a stranger in the land of promise, it was his natural object under grace. Such is our own case. Only Abraham rises above his calling; we enter by the Spirit into what we are called to.
A second revelation of the Lord for communion and worship
But then there is a second revelation of the Lord to him in the land, in the place into which he had been called. The first was to call him out of the place he was in, and make him walk in the path of promise. Now the Lord reveals Himself to him for communion, where he is; speaks with him; unfolds to him how the promise will be accomplished, and Abraham thereon worships Him. He has in the land his tent and his altar. This is the second part of the life of faith. The revelation of God, when far from Him, sets us out on the journey of faith, inspires the walk toward heaven. When in the heavenly position, God reveals Himself for communion and worship and a full revelation of His ways. The Canaanite is in the land; the heir of promise has no possession of the thing promised. We have to do with spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, but the Lord reveals Himself, shews the heir and inheritance when the Canaanite will be gone; and so Abram worships by faith, as before he walked by faith. This is the full double function of faith.
Abram's lack of faith
The rest of the chapter is the history of his personal want of it. Pressed by circumstances, he does not consult God, finds himself in the presence of the world, where he has sought help and refuge, and denies his true relationship with his wife (just as has been done in respect of the church), is cherished by the world, which God at last judges, sending Abram again out from it. During this period, and until he was returned to the place from which he started, he had no altar. When he left Egypt and returned to his strangership in Canaan, he had what he had before. But he must return first to the same place and find his altar again. What a warning for Christians as to the relationship of the church with Christ[3]! And, however the world may be a help for the church, this relationship cannot be maintained when we seek that help.
I would again recall here a remark made elsewhere, that in types the woman presents the position in which those prefigured are placed; the man, the conduct, faithful or unfaithful, of those that are there.[1] Sacrifice may be called an institution of God perhaps, but it was individual. There was no establishment of a people who were God's upon earth.
[2] This last promise is repeated only in chapter 22, during Abraham's history, and then to the seed alone; the promise of his posterity and of the land to him and to his seed is often repeated. It is to this promise given to Abram in chapter 12 and confirmed to the seed in chapter 26, that the apostle refers in Galatians. The earthly seed, on the contrary, was to be numerous. The translation of Galatians 3: 16, should be, "now to Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed." And in the following verse, not in Christ but to Christ. He was the seed of promise.
[3] There may be a certain typical reference to Israel while in the world and away from God. But these things happened unto them for ensamples (tupoi) and are written for our admonition on whom the ends of the world are come. Abraham was away from his altar at Bethel.