God also said to Abraham, "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:3). This shows that God has not forgotten the nations. God does not bless the nations of the earth directly. Rather, He blesses them through Abraham. God chose one man, and this one man became a vessel. From this man there was a family, and from that family a nation, and from that nation all the families of the earth are blessed. God does not bless the nations directly. Rather, He worked on one man first, and through this one man all the nations of the earth are blessed. God fully deposited His grace, power, and authority into this one man, and then through this one man dispensed all these things to all men. This is the principle of Abraham's selection. This principle continues until today. Hence, the most important issue for God is the choosing of His vessel. Indeed, those who are chosen as vessels should know Him! Whether or not the families of the earth would be blessed depended fully on Abraham. In other words, God's eternal purpose and His plan are joined to the men He has chosen. The standing or failure of God's chosen men determines the success or failure of God's purpose and plan.
This is why Abraham had to go through so many experiences and had to receive so much from God before he could dispense what he had received to others. It is no wonder that Abraham had to go through so many trials and encounter so many problems. This was the only way that others could receive help and benefit from him. Abraham knew God; therefore, he is the father of those who believe. Those who are of faith are the sons of Abraham (Gal. 3:7); they are begotten of Abraham. We know that all spiritual works are based on the principle of begetting, not on the principle of preaching. Sons are begotten; they do not come about through preaching. God's way of recovery requires man to believe. Only those who believe will be justified. What did God do? First He brought one man to the point of believing so that he would be a believer; from this believer many more believers were begotten.
We have to remember that it is useless to preach without begetting. That kind of preaching will only make men understand doctrines, and the doctrines will pass from one mouth to another. After they circle the earth and come back to the speaker, they will still be nothing more than doctrines. What good will it do for a man to zealously preach the doctrine of salvation if he himself does not know God and is not begotten of God? But if a man is not merely preaching the doctrine of salvation with his mouth, but is testifying of his salvation and how he has met God, others will touch something real. Only this kind of person will beget others. God's principle of work is to do something in one person first and then beget others through him. God's work is living, and when He sows the living seed into a person, the seed will grow. Paul told the Corinthians, "It is not to shame you that I write these things but to admonish you as my beloved children...for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:14-15). Begetting is a great principle in spiritual work. The principle of spiritual work is one of begetting, not of preaching.
May God open our eyes to see the vanity of preaching. It is useless to preach something to others without having that thing ourselves. If we have the seed, we have the growth. Without the seed there cannot be growth. God's work is related to life; it is not an empty doctrine. Once you pass through a certain pathway ordained by God, you will have the ability to beget. Otherwise, nothing will avail. In order to bless all the families of the earth, God first had to work on Abraham. In order to have a group of believers, God first had to gain one believer. Abraham was the first one who believed. Then many more believers were begotten through him. All the families of the earth are blessed not through a sermon they hear, but through a life they receive. God worked on Abraham first, and then through him expanded His work to many people. One day when the city which Abraham eagerly waited for descends, the city whose Architect and Builder is God (Heb. 11:10), all the families of the earth will be fully blessed, and God's eternal plan will be fully consummated. God's work of redemption began at the time of Abraham. God worked in Abraham in order to make him a vessel, and this was not for Abraham alone. Through Abraham God reached others.