Who originated this calling? Abraham did not originate it. Although he was the father of the called race, the calling was not initiated by him. I believe that Abraham was the same as we are today. He never dreamed of being called by God. Suddenly, while he and his relatives were there in Chaldea worshipping other gods (Josh. 24:2), God appeared to him. God was the originator of this calling.
Although God's calling is carried out in time, something prior to that—God's selection—took place in eternity past. God selected Abraham in eternity past. After that, also in eternity past, God predestinated, premarked, Abraham. Before Abraham was born, even before the foundation of the world when nothing but God Himself was in existence, God chose Abraham and predestinated him. One day, in time, while Abraham was worshipping other gods, having no forethought that he was to be called by God, God visited him. God just came in as the very God of glory. Abraham was surprised. The God of glory not only came to Abraham, but He appeared to him.
Because Abraham's background was so dark, God had to appear to him in a strong way. Many of us have also experienced such a strong calling of God. I can testify that one day, when I was an ambitious young man, God came to me in a strong way. That was God's visitation to me. I cannot deny it. Many of us have experienced the same thing. We were deeply fallen, and light and loose preaching would never have worked in our case. We needed the living God, the God of glory, to pay us a visit. I have heard many testimonies regarding this.
God appeared to Abraham twice. The first time was in Ur of the Chaldees (Acts 7:2; Gen. 11:31). If we study the Bible carefully, we shall see that, in Ur of the Chaldees, God did not appear to Abraham's father but to Abraham. Abraham, however, did not accept that calling immediately, and God sovereignly caused his father, Terah, to bring the family from Ur to Haran. They stayed there until Terah died. Abraham's staggering in answering God's calling brought about his father's death. God took his father away. Then, at Haran, God appeared to Abraham the second time (12:1). We can see by this that God has a specific purpose in dealing with people. I do not believe that any of you reading this message would respond immediately if God were to visit you. We all are the children of Abraham, and children are always like their fathers. Because Abraham hesitated in following God, God had to appear to him the second time.
God not only appeared to Abraham twice, but He called him twice. The first calling of God was when Abraham was at Ur (Acts 7:2-4). According to Acts 7, God called Abraham out of his country and out of his kindred. But, in the second calling at Haran, God called Abraham out of his country, his kindred, and also out of his father's house (12:1). So God appeared to Abraham twice and called him twice. The first time God called him out of his country and kindred, mentioning nothing of the father's house. So the father's family also came out of Ur. At the time of God's second calling, however, He told him not only to leave his country and kindred but also his father's house. Abraham had two appearings of God and two callings of God. These appearings and callings of God show that God was the origin of God's calling.