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Scripture Reading: Acts 7:2; Gen. 12:4—13:18; 14:11-23
Abraham's history can be divided into three sections. Genesis 12 through 14 form the first section. The emphasis in this section is the land of Canaan. Chapters fifteen through twenty-two form the second section. The emphasis in this section is his son. Chapters twenty-three to twenty-five form the third section. It covers the events which happened in Abraham's old age. Let us first come to the first section.
Genesis 12:4-5 says, "So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came." After Abraham heard God's second calling in Haran, he left Haran and came to Canaan. But we have to realize that it is possible for a person to reach Canaan without knowing why he is there. Do not think that once we see the vision, everything will follow. It is one thing to see the heavenly vision, but it is another thing to not disobey the heavenly vision. After Abraham arrived in Canaan, verse 7 says, "And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him." This is the second time God appeared to Abraham and the third time He spoke to him. God appeared and spoke once more so that Abraham would have a clear and fresh impression of the things God had committed to him.
It is easy for us to lose the vision of God's calling. Even if we are consciously trying to be a proper Christian, it is still possible for us to lose our vision. We can lose our vision even while we are working diligently day after day. Do not think that only mundane things can blur our vision; even spiritual things can blur our vision. If we do not live continuously in God's appearing, it will be easy for us to lose the vision of our calling. The calling that the church has received is the same as the calling that Abraham received. But many people have not seen the hope of this calling. Therefore, Paul prayed, "That you may know what is the hope of His calling" (Eph. 1:18). "Hope" indicates the content of this calling, the things included in God's calling. May God deliver us from selfish thoughts. We know that God calls us with a definite goal. Our salvation is to fulfill this goal. If we have not seen the substance of Abraham's calling, we will not see the meaning of our own calling. If we have not seen the key to Abraham's calling, we will not see our own ministry. If we do not see this, we will be like those who build a house without a foundation. How easy it is for us to forget what God wants to do! Many times, when we have too much to do and the work becomes a little more hectic, we lose sight of our spiritual calling. We need to come again and again to the Lord and beseech Him: "Appear to me again and again, and speak to me again and again!" We need to have a continuous seeing, an eternal seeing; we need to see God's goal and what God is doing.
Abraham had reached Canaan. After he arrived in Canaan, several things happened. First, he built three altars in Canaan. Second, he was tested three times in Canaan.
After Abraham arrived in Canaan, the Bible tells us that the first place he went to was Sichem (or Shechem). In Shechem he built an altar. The second place he went to was Bethel, and there he also built an altar. Later he left Bethel and went to Egypt. Then he went from Egypt to the south, and from the south he went back to Bethel, staying in between Bethel and Hai (or Ai), the place where he first built an altar. Later he went to another place, Hebron, and built another altar. In these three places, Abraham built three altars. All three places have an altar, and all three places are sanctified. The Bible shows us that God used these three places — Shechem, Bethel, and Hebron — to represent Canaan. In God's eyes, Canaan carries the characteristics of Shechem, Bethel, and Hebron. The characteristics of these places are the characteristics of Canaan. Once we see these three places, we will see what Canaan is like. Let us consider the characteristics of these three places.
"And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh...And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him" (Gen. 12:6-7). Abraham arrived in Shechem. The meaning of the word Shechem in the original language is "shoulder." In the human body the shoulder is the place with the most strength. The shoulder can lift what the hand cannot pick up. Therefore Shechem can also mean "strength." The first characteristic of Canaan is strength. This means that God's strength is in Canaan. Canaan is not just a place flowing with milk and honey; it is also a place of strength.
The Bible shows us that God's power is not only a miraculous power, but the power of life; it is a power which satisfies man. The Lord said, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water gushing up into eternal life" (John 4:14). How powerful this is! This is the power of life! The Lord's life has a power that satisfies! Once a man possesses the Lord's life, he will never thirst again, because he will be inwardly satisfied. Those who are inwardly satisfied and who have received life within are the most powerful ones. They are Shechem, the shoulder, and are powerful to bear much burden. Thank and praise the Lord that one characteristic of Canaan is the power of life.
In Shechem there was the oak of Moreh (Gen. 12:6, ASV). The name Moreh means "teacher" or "teaching" in the original language. It has something to do with knowledge. The oak of Moreh was in Shechem. This means that knowledge comes from power and that knowledge is the result of power. In other words, genuine spiritual knowledge comes from the power of Christ. If we do not have the satisfying power of the life of Christ, we will not have genuine spiritual knowledge and will not be able to convey anything spiritual to others. If God is to have a vessel to recover His testimony on earth, such a vessel must be a particular vessel. With such a vessel, the first need is not to be taught doctrines; the first need is to be satisfied and to acquire the power of life. Then there will be real knowledge. There is a tremendous difference here. One is a matter of doctrine, while the other is a matter of life. One is the result of hearing something outward, and the other is seeing something inward. One results in forgetting what one hears, and the other results in receiving something unforgettable. If anyone says, "I no longer remember the cross, because no one has preached about the cross during the past few months," this proves that the cross he has is only in doctrine and memory; it is not in life. We have to remember that all genuine knowledge is found in the power of life. Christ's power is our power. Because we have something within us, we can share the same thing with others. The Lord gives us inward power and inward knowledge. Moreh comes from power.
We have to be careful not to give to others just the doctrines that we have heard. We must have the spiritual thing itself before we can give it to others. In spiritual matters the clever ones end up taking the circuitous way. They trust too much in their cleverness, and as a result they wander farther away from the spiritual path. May the Lord deliver us from objective teachings.
"And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord" (Gen. 12:8). God brought Abraham not only to Shechem, but to Bethel as well. The name Bethel in the original language means "the house of God." God is not after hundreds and thousands of strong, but uncoordinated, men like Samson, and He is not after a pile of unorganized, living stones. God's intention is to build a temple — the house of God. One characteristic of Canaan is that God's people are the temple of God and the house of God. Hebrews 3:6 tells us that it was not Moses who was over this house, but the Son of God who is over this house.
God wants to raise up a vessel to fulfill His purpose. Such a vessel must be His house. A few particularly gifted gospel preachers will not fulfill such a purpose, nor will a few capable revivalists do the job. It is not enough to have Shechem (power) only. There must also be Bethel. All the powerful ones must become God's house and the Body of Christ before they can become useful. God has to deliver us from all forms of individualism. God has not saved us only to be proper Christians, but to be God's house and one Body together with all His children. Therefore, we should not have our personal "liberty." Unfortunately, many Christians love their personal liberty and are very good at preserving their personal liberty! Brothers and sisters, if we are truly clear about the testimony of God's house, and if we know that God's vessel is a house, not individual, scattered stones, we will learn to submit to one another, reject any individual move, and take the same way as all of God's children.
God's house is not only a principle, but a life. The problem is that many Christians consider the Body of Christ merely as a principle; they have not seen the life of the Body of Christ. What good is it if we try to do something according to a principle without having the life to do it? We think that we should cooperate with one another in everything, and we often reluctantly agree to cooperate, but our heart has no taste for it. What is the use of doing such a thing? We have to remember that the Body is a life and not merely a principle. If we do not know that the Body is a life, and if we merely act according to a principle, we are only imitating in an outward way. Many Christians have never been dealt with by the Lord. They have heard that they should not act independently and that they should cooperate with others, and they try to practice cooperation. However, they do not realize that this is something that one cannot learn to do. Just as our relationship with Christ is not something we acquire by learning, our relationship with the Body of Christ is not something that we acquire by learning.
How can we know the life of the Body? The basic condition for knowing the life of the Body is that our tent must be pitched between Bethel and Ai. To our west there should be Bethel, and to our east there should be Ai. It is not merely a matter of Bethel, but a matter of Ai as well. The name Ai means "a heap" in the original language. Bethel is a house, the house of God, while Ai is a heap, a desolate heap. The desolate heap signifies the old creation; Ai symbolizes the old creation. If we are to turn our face towards God's house, we must turn our back towards the desolate heap. In other words, unless a Christian is dealt with in his fleshly life, he cannot possibly know the Body of Christ. Only when we have Ai on the east will we have Bethel on the west. If we do not have Ai on our east, we will not have Bethel on our west. One begins his experience of the Body of Christ and enjoys and lives out the Body life by dealing with the life of the flesh. If we want to find out what the house of God is, we must deny the desolate heap on the negative side. Only after our natural life has been dealt with by God, and only after we have been subdued to realize that the natural life should be judged rather than praised, will we be joined spontaneously to the other brothers and sisters. Only then will we be able to live out the life of the Body of Christ. The only reason we cannot be joined to the other brothers and sisters is that the life of our old creation is too strong. Once the old creation within us is dealt with, we will spontaneously live out the life of the Body of Christ; we will see that we are a part of the Body of Christ and that we are in the Body. Hence, the life of the old creation must be dealt with and thoroughly denied. No matter what is in the heap, it is a desolate heap and not the house of God.
For those Christians who have not passed through the judgment of the old creation, the old creation is a boast to them. They still think that what they have in themselves is good. Although they admit with their mouth that they are weak and corrupt, they have never been judged in reality. They do not consider corruption to be corruption. Instead they consider corruption to be something lovable. They consider the part in them which cannot get along with others to be something noble. Whenever we find ourselves in this state, that is the time we need God's mercy the most.
One day God will bring us to the point where we realize our uselessness. We will lose our self-confidence. Only then will we come into God's house spontaneously. It is impossible to live the Body life without having the flesh dealt with. We must ask the Lord to show us that the Body of Christ is not just a principle, but a life.
"Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord" (Gen. 13:18).
The name Hebron means "fellowship" in the original language. God's house is a matter of life, while fellowship is a matter of living. It is impossible for one to live in Hebron without first passing through Bethel. We have to remember that Hebron comes after Bethel. Where there is God's house, there is fellowship. Fellowship is not a community organized by a number of people. Fellowship can only be found in the house of God. Without God's house it is impossible to have fellowship. If our natural life is not dealt with, we cannot have any fellowship. We live in the Body and have fellowship only when the natural life is dealt with.
Bethel appears to be the center of Canaan. God brought Abraham to Bethel to dwell there. As soon as Abraham left Bethel, he failed. When he came back from Egypt, God brought him back to Bethel, the place where he had built an altar. Only after he settled down in Bethel did God gradually move him to Hebron. This is very meaningful. One will be led into the fellowship only after he sees the house of God — the life of the Body of Christ.
The Body is a fact; it is a real, definite fact. In this Body we spontaneously communicate and fellowship with other children of the Lord. Once we turn our back towards Ai and judge the natural life, we will enter into the life of the Body of Christ and be brought into the fellowship spontaneously. Those who truly know the Body of Christ are freed from individualism spontaneously. They do not trust in themselves, and they realize that they are very weak. They fellowship with all the children of God. God must bring us to the point where we cannot go on without fellowship. God will show us that what is impossible with individuals is possible when it is done in fellowship. This is the meaning of Hebron.
In Shechem there was an oak called the oak of Moreh. In Hebron there were also oaks called the oaks of Mamre (Gen. 13:18, ASV). The name Mamre means "fatness" or "strength" in the original language. The result of fellowship is fatness and strength. All fatness, riches, and strength come from fellowship.
In summary, Shechem, Bethel, and Hebron signify the characteristics of Canaan. Although no one on the whole earth knows God, His people in Canaan know His power, His Body, and fellowship. As a result of seeing this, God's people become His testimony. They must maintain themselves in such a condition before they can bear God's testimony. Only when they bear these three characteristics will they be able to offer up burnt offerings, and only then will God accept the sacrifice. A sacrifice is not only an offering, but there is also the element of God's acceptance. We may want to offer many things to God which He absolutely does not want. All three places have altars. This means that these are the places that God wants and that God accepts.
If a Christian wants to maintain God's testimony on earth, his spiritual knowledge must come from power. Otherwise, it is of no avail. The only kind of knowledge that has spiritual value is the knowledge that comes from Christ as our power. It is easy for us to take the knowledge we have heard as our own and convey it to others, but this has no spiritual value. May the Lord be merciful to us! However, when we find out what power is before the Lord and acquire some spiritual experience, it is easy for us to become disobedient. It is easy for us to think that we know what others do not know, and that we can do many things. Immediately our self is exposed. At this point, God turns our attention to His house. God's house demands our obedience. If we act according to our own will, we cannot live in God's house. When we see the life of the Body, we see our place in it, and we will not overstep. A person who has received God's revelation of the Body of Christ will not act independently. If we truly see the life of the Body, we will see that there is restriction in the house of God, and we will not move freely. At the same time, if we have the life of the Body, we will spontaneously fellowship with other children of God, and we will treasure this fellowship and not feel that it is a burden to us. If God's children do not know the meaning of God's house, they will not be able to fellowship with God's other children. Whoever cannot honor the other brothers and cannot render them their due respect, praise, and position has not seen the house of God. If our natural life has been dealt with, and if we know what the life of the Body means, we will learn to treasure the other brothers and to touch life and receive help in the meetings. We often receive help and touch life when we come to the meetings. Yet when we leave the meeting, another brother may come and tell us that the meeting was terrible and wrong. Actually, what was terrible and wrong was not the meeting but the brother; he did not take his stand in the house of God. As a result, he could not fellowship with others and could not receive the supply of life from others. If his flesh is dealt with, he will see the Body of Christ and spontaneously fellowship with others. He will find that even the weakest brother or sister can render him some help.
These are the characteristics of Canaan. Among all of Abraham's experiences, God chose these three places for him to build altars. This means that God's acceptance, approval, hope, and countenance are upon these three places.
After Abraham arrived in Canaan, the Bible shows us that he was tested three times concerning the land of Canaan. Let us consider these three tests one by one.
Soon after Abraham reached Bethel, failure set in. This was God's dealing to show him that his calling was of God's mercy and was not due to his own goodness. Abraham was not born good; he failed just as everyone else does. Genesis 12:9 says, "And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south." This was his failure: God had brought him to the house of God, but he did not stay there for long. Instead he moved gradually to the south. Although he did not move immediately into Egypt, he was in the south at the border of Egypt.
When he moved to the south, he encountered a famine. Verse 10 says, "And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land." Abraham had reached the border of Egypt, and it was very easy for him to go into Egypt. After he arrived in Egypt, he began to lie and was rebuked by Pharaoh. There he suffered great shame (vv. 11-20). After this he returned to Canaan. This was his first test.
How did this test start? God appeared to Abraham in Shechem and said to him, "Unto thy seed will I give this land." God intended to give Canaan to him. Did he want it? Abraham was not a strong man. Although God promised to give him this land, Abraham did not maintain his stand. What did he do? He kept moving to the south until he reached Egypt. This was the cause of the first test. The first trial tested Abraham to see if he wanted this land. Abraham did not see the preciousness of the land. In order to establish him in the land, God had to test Abraham.
After his failure in Egypt, Abraham learned one lesson: He realized the importance of Canaan and knew that it was wrong to lie or deceive. It was a shame for God's people to be rebuked by the Egyptians. What did he do? Genesis 13:1-3 says, "And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai." He returned to his former position. Now Abraham knew how to treasure the land. In this land there was no need to lie, and he did not need to bear the reproach of the Egyptians. In this land he could glorify God.
After Abraham returned to Canaan, he encountered the second test. The first test was to see how much Abraham valued and treasured the land. After he learned the lesson of defeat in Egypt, he realized that Canaan was the only place of value, and he returned. After his return it was easy for him to exercise his fleshly hands to hold on to Canaan. Therefore, there was a second test. Genesis 13:5-7 says, "And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land." God showed Abraham that although he had obeyed half of God's commandment to leave his country, his kindred, and his father's house, he had not yet obeyed the other half; he had not parted with Lot. Hence, God needed to discipline him through Lot.
Verses 8 and 9 say, "And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left." Now Abraham knew that God's calling was only for him and not for Lot. Brothers and sisters, we must realize that those who have been called to be the ministers cannot bring along those who have not been called by God. Abraham saw God's calling for him to be a minister, and he said to Lot, "Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left." He would not hold on to the land with fleshly hands; he was willing to let Lot make the choice.
On the one hand, Abraham had to fulfill God's calling. On the other hand, God had to teach him the lesson that there is no need to use fleshly methods to hold on to God's promised land of Canaan. We should take care to learn this lesson well. God gave the land to Abraham, but this does not mean that Abraham could hold on to it with his flesh. We must learn the lesson of trusting in God to preserve that which He has promised us. There is no need for us to try to preserve it with earthly means or fleshly energy.
This was the second test of Abraham. In the end he overcame, and he was able to say to Lot, "If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left." He did not try to preserve anything with his own strength.
Genesis 13:10-12 says, "And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where...Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan..." The best portions were chosen by Lot, while Abraham remained in Canaan. All those who know God do not vindicate themselves. If we truly know God, we do not need to vindicate ourselves. If God has given Canaan to us, there is no need for us to hold on to it with our fleshly hands. We have to learn to believe in God, trust in Him, and bear the cross. Although the result of Abraham's faith in God put him on the hilly terrain, he was nevertheless in the land of Canaan. Lot chose the plain but ended up in Sodom.
Here we see that Abraham had made some progress. From this time on, he began to shine! Verses 14 through 17 say, "And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee." Once more God established Abraham in the land. Humanly speaking, a portion of it seemed to have been taken by Lot. But at this juncture, God came and spoke to Abraham. There was no need for Abraham to stretch out his hands to do anything. Canaan was given to him by the Lord, and there was no need to preserve it with fleshly ways. Our vindication comes from our trust in God; it does not depend on our holding on to anything with fleshly means. May the Lord be merciful to us and deliver us from our own hands and our own ways.
Verse 18 says, "Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord." Having passed the second test, Abraham made some progress. He moved to Hebron. We have to realize that God is after a total victory. While Lot was choosing the plain of Jordan, Abraham might have overcome outwardly, but might not have overcome inwardly. Perhaps outwardly he said, "If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left." But inwardly he might have hoped that Lot would act according to his conscience and would not be so shrewd as to take the best portions. Yet God brought Abraham through; he did not just overcome outwardly, but also inwardly. He moved his tent and dwelt in Hebron. He had indeed overcome.
The second test had passed, and the third test came. Genesis 14:11-12 says, "And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed." This was the last test Abraham experienced for the sake of the land.
When Abraham heard the news about his nephew's captivity, he did not say, "I knew that he should not have gone to such a place. When he did, surely God's hand was heavy upon him." What did Abraham do? Verse 14 says, "And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan." This shows that Abraham was truly an overcomer. He overcame his self and was brought to the point where he no longer had any personal feelings. It did not matter how Lot had treated him; he still recognized Lot as his brother. Although Lot had never overcome, he was still Abraham's nephew. Lot was an ordinary man in Mesopotamia, he was an ordinary man when he reached Haran, and he was an ordinary man after he reached Canaan. He even chose the good land for himself and moved to Sodom. Lot had no virtue except his sorrow over the licentious manner of life of the lawless (2 Pet. 2:7-8); he had no testimony other than this one. Yet Abraham still recognized him as his nephew. Only those who stand on the ground of Hebron, that is, the ground of fellowship, can engage in spiritual warfare. In order to have the strength for warfare, we must not harbor any complaint within us. Even if our brother has wronged us, we should still consider him our brother, and we should still pray for him and help him unreservedly. Only this kind of person can have the power to fight the spiritual battle. Abraham fought by standing on this ground. Therefore, he was able to overcome the enemy.
When Abraham defeated the enemy and took back Lot from the hand of the enemy, it would have been very easy for him to become proud. It would have been very easy for him to say to Lot, "I told you so, but you would not listen!" It would have been very easy for him to have had an expression of contempt on his face, as if Lot owed him something for such a deliverance. Yet Abraham did not show any such expression.
After Abraham brought back all the goods, including his nephew Lot and his goods and the women and the people, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh. Melchizedek king of Salem also brought forth bread and wine to meet him. "And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself" (Gen. 14:21). Abraham had learned the lesson. He did not consider the goods as trophies of his hard-fought battle and that he deserved them. On the contrary, "Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich" (vv. 22-23). He took a certain stand and showed others that, other than Jehovah, no one could give him anything.
Abraham called God "the possessor of heaven and earth"! We should not think lightly of this title. This means that because of Abraham's stand for the Lord, heaven became the Lord's, and the earth became the Lord's. God was no longer the Lord of heaven only, but the possessor of heaven and earth! Abraham did not invent the title "the possessor of heaven and earth"; he learned this from Melchizedek. After he slaughtered Chedorlaomer and the other kings, he met Melchizedek at the valley of Shaveh, which was the king's dale. After he won the victory, he did not meet others at the height of the city wall, but at the bottom of a humble valley. Melchizedek came to him with bread and wine and blessed him, saying, "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand" (vv. 19-20). Because a man stood on earth for God, Melchizedek was able to proclaim God as the possessor of heaven and earth. This is the first time in the Bible that God was called the possessor of heaven and earth. After Abraham won the victory on earth, God was called the possessor of heaven and earth!
Abraham had passed through all the tests. In the end he overcame! This was God's work on Abraham. Blessed be the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth!
