God Appears to Abraham (Acts 7:1-4)
By any account of the biblical story, Abraham is one of its crucial characters. Although he lived long before the Israelites became a nation, he was regarded as one of the fathers of their nation. His influence continues in the New Testament, with the writers of the early church asserting that he was their spiritual father. Yet if we had seen Abraham before his encounter with the Lord, we would not have even imagined that he would become such a prominent person in the Bible. The reason for this is obvious – in those days Abraham was not a believer in the true God. Instead he was an idolater, as explained by Joshua, the leader of the Israelites who God chose to lead them into the promised Land: ‘And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many’”’ (Josh. 24:2-3). So how did this idolater became a member of the people of God?
Surprisingly, the answer to this question is not found in the Old Testament. It is the case that Genesis 12 describes a call of God to Abraham, but that call was given to him in Haran many years after he had received his first call from God. The description of his original call is given in the final address of the first Christian martyr, Stephen: ‘Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, “Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.” Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living’ (Acts 7:2-4). So Abraham received two calls from God regarding a journey to an unknown land – one call he received in Ur and the other call he received later in Haran.
Ur of the Chaldees?
Where did Abraham come from? One of the great cities of the ancient world was called Ur, and it was located near to the modern Iraqi city of Naziriyah in southern Mesopotamia. It was the main city of the Sumerian civilisation, a very advanced culture. Many scholars have assumed that was the place where Abraham lived. If it was the place, then Abraham would have probably enjoyed a good standard of life there. In recent years, however, evidence has been found of the existence of another Ur, but in northern Mesopotamia, the area inhabited by the Chaldeans, which would explain why it was called Ur of the Chaldeans. From one perspective, it does not matter which of the Urs is the correct one. Yet there is one aspect to note and it is this. In the past many scholars doubted the biblical account because they had no evidence for calling the southern city by the name of ‘Ur of the Chaldeans’. Yet archaeology has provided evidence for the existence of a smaller town of that name in the Chaldean area of northern Mesopotamia. The obvious deduction to make is that sooner or later archaeological discoveries will vindicate the biblical accounts, and there is no need for us to doubt what the Bible says even on the issues of history and geography.
God appears to Abraham
One clear detail of the initial experience of Abraham is that the Lord often selects an unlikely person in order to bring about an important stage in his purpose. Abraham was an unlikely choice whether he lived in the southern Ur or the northern Ur. He was an idolater, which was not the expected background of one who would become a prominent person in the development of God’s kingdom. Yet is this not the way that God often works? The history of the church is filled with examples of unlikely persons who became his servants. We can think of Saul of Tarsus, the fierce persecutor of the early church. Or we can recall Martin Luther, the dedicated monk desperate to find God in a decadent church, whom God had purposed to use as a catalyst in the Reformation. Then there is George Whitefield, whose mother ran an hotel in Gloucester, where George performed his acting skills to amuse the audience. John Newton, the slavetrader is another unlikely character whom God used to bring hope and guidance to thousands. We can add to them DL Moody whose employment was selling shoes in a Boston shop. From this list of characters we can deduce that we should never be surprised when God uses an unexpected person in his work. In fact, we should be surprised when he uses those of whom it is anticipated.
A second detail is that God knew where Abraham was, whether in the southern or northern location. We are not told how old Abraham was when God appeared to him in Ur. When that occasion took place, it was the first time that Abraham had thought about the true God. But it was not the first time that God had thought of him. In fact, God had his eye on Abraham for every second of his life, watching him, working on him, developing his natural talents, giving him bodily strength. Without Abraham being aware of it, the Lord had been at work, anticipating the time when he and Abraham would have their first conversation.
A third detail concerning the experience of Abraham is that the God of glory appeared to him. We are not given any details of this experience. It was probably what is called a theophany, a temporary appearance of God in human form. In what way this took place cannot be described, except to say that I would suggest it left a permanent effect on Abraham. God was to appear later to Abraham, and on these occasions Abraham had no difficulty in recognising the Lord.
When we recall that God is infinite, then we can deduce that it was an act of surpassing condescension when he appeared to Abraham the idolater. The Lord was so determined to have Abraham become his servant that he was willing to humble himself to bring this about. Sometimes we ask ourselves, what would God have to do in order for me to worship him? Perhaps he could throw a few universes into existence before my eyes. I would certainly be impressed, but I think I would want to worship such a God from a distance. But if after making these universes, the almighty God was to take on a form whereby he could draw near to me and speak to me, then I would not only be amazed by his power but also attracted by his condescension, and I would worship him with respect and intimacy.
In whatever way, God appeared to Abraham, it caused the idolater to immediately change his practice of worship. The information he discovered about God made him the priority in the life of Abraham. This explains why it was straightforward for Abraham to do what God requested of him.
Fourthly, we can note the requirement that God made of Abraham. It was a divine call requiring separation and a divine promise assuring security. Perhaps we are puzzled by why Abraham was required to leave his land and family. Why could he not stay where he was and evangelise Ur? One suggested answer is that his environment and his family were riddled with practices connected to worship of the moon. As long as Abraham remained in Ur, he would be tempted by his connections to make compromises. It was for Abraham’s own spiritual good, and the spiritual prosperity of his descendants, that God separated his servant from the surrounding culture.
Obedience to this divine command also required an element of sacrifice on the part of Abraham. Yet the Lord assured him that the recompense of his dedication would be great. He would receive territory from the Lord, land that would be his by divine gift. Abraham was called by God to respond in faith, which he did, but his faith was governed by the visit he had received from God and the words he had heard spoken to him by the Lord. Therefore, Abraham explained the situation to his family and immediately left Ur, with some of his family going with him.
Lessons for ourselves
Earlier we spoke about God choosing unlikely people through whom to fulfil his purposes. Perhaps we think that God would never use us. Strangely, such an outlook is an expression of pride because it assumes that God is not able to use us. The fact is that we do not know what God will use us for. Yet it is the case that he can use us to do something for him. We should offer ourselves to him, whatever our age, to serve him wherever he wishes to place us. He may give us a ministry of prayer that will change the destiny of nations. He may give us the opportunity to influence in a spiritual way a person who will later become one of God’s giants.
We also noted that the Lord knew where Abraham was and came down to his level. In a far more profound way, God has also done this for us. We could say that God’s own experience on this occasion was a foretaste for him of his own incarnation later on. The Lord of glory became a man in order to reveal to sinners the various features of the infinite, transcendent God. The One who formed the universe took on our frame and came and spoke to us about God. What great humility was displayed by Jesus throughout his earthly journey! And he has retained his humanity so that he will in the future, throughout the endless ages, be able to tell us about God and his greatness.
We also noted that it was the sight of the God of glory that stimulated Abraham to begin his journey. Too us has been given a greater sight, the sight of a suffering Saviour taking our place on the cross of shame. The story is told of Count Zinzendorf, the founder of the Moravian church. One day, he saw a painting of the cross and beneath it the words, ‘All this I did for thee, what hast thou done for me?’ Zinzendorf was so affected by the cross of Christ that he gave his vast wealth for the spread of Christian missions. In addition, we have the sight of the exalted Saviour, reigning triumphantly for ever. His is the eternal glory, and he desires that sinners share it with him for ever.
Again, as with Abraham, Jesus comes to us with a call to separate from what is sinful and with a promise of secure territory. He calls us from an environment of spiritual danger and from the prospect of eternal destruction. We are urged to leave a world of sin and begin a journey to the heavenly city, and we are urged to begin the journey now. Jesus gives us the promise of secure territory as an incentive to make the choice. The territory is not some acres in the Middle East, but the new heavens and new earth, the heavenly country, the land of limitless dimensions.
Abraham made the right choice, and we shall see in later weeks how he got on. Sufficient to say for the present that he is now in the presence of the God of glory who came to him in Ur of the Chaldees. And the patriarch still marvels at the humility of the One who became a man in order to reveal God.