While Abram was living in Ur, the God of glory suddenly appeared to him, telling him to go out of his land and from his relatives (Acts 7:2-3). Because he lacked boldness, he did not answer God’s call immediately. Although God raised up an environment in which, by His sovereign hand, He took away Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen. 11:28), Abram still delayed and would not take action. Finally, it was Terah, Abram’s father, who brought the whole family out of Ur of Chaldea to go to the land of Canaan (Gen. 11:31). It was in this way that Abram got out of Ur.
Although God’s sovereign hand caused Terah, Abram’s father, to lead the whole family out of Ur toward the land of Canaan, they stopped on the way at Haran (Gen. 11:31-32). Because Abram hesitated again to answer God’s call and remained there, God had no choice but to take away his father also (Acts 7:4). Then God appeared to Abram again, calling him to get out not only of his land and from his kindred but also from his father’s house (Gen. 12:1-2), and He also made a covenant with him. Thus Abram came into the land of Canaan according to Jehovah’s command (Gen. 12:5).
While Abram was staying at Haran, Jehovah told him to get out of his country, from his kindred, and from his father’s house unto the land that He would show him. Abram originally lived in Ur of Chaldea. “Chaldea” means demonic. Chaldea was a demonic place, a place that was fallen, rebellious, and full of idols. Terah, Abram’s father, and his relatives dwelt there serving idols (Josh. 24:2). When God called Abram, on the negative side, He told him to go out of his country, from his kindred, and from his father’s house, to stay far away from the people, place, activities, and things related to the service of idols. On the positive side, He told him to go to the place that He would show him, implying a promise, the promise of the good land. God intended for Abram to serve Him in the good land.
In this covenant God also promised Abram that He would make him a great nation (Gen. 12:2). At Babel, man had abused the God-given authority to form nations (Gen. 10), but here God promised to make Abram a great nation. He did not have to struggle and endeavor to form a nation. What a strong contrast this was to the background at that time! The great nation promised by God is the kingdom of God, constituted of Abram and his descendants and composed of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, the church in the New Testament, the millennial kingdom in the coming age, and the new heaven and the new earth in eternity. All the nations formed by man on the earth will pass away, but this great nation will last unto eternity.
God also promised to bless Abram and to make his name great. This also was a strong contrast to the background at that time, where the people, like those at the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:4), were trying to make a name for themselves, to make their names great. In contrast to them, Abram did not have to do anything for himself; God would bless him and make his name great. In human history, other than the name of the Lord Jesus, no name on earth is greater than that of Abraham. He is the father of “a great nation.” He is the father of the nation of Israel and the father of the church, and he will be the father of the millennial kingdom and of all the redeemed ones in eternity. What a great name this is!
In this covenant God promised not only that He would make Abram a great nation and make his name great, but also that He would make him a blessing to others, that is, that all families of the earth would be blessed in him (Gen. 12:2-3). The blessing promised by God to Abram is the blessing of God’s creation and of His redemption, including all that God wants to give man—God Himself and all that He has in this age and in the age to come. Galatians 3:14 shows us that this blessing eventually is the promise of the Spirit, who is the consummation of the processed Triune God, the very God Himself. Therefore, God’s promise to Abram was that He would give Himself to him as the blessing. This blessing, which is a great blessing, would come first to Abram and then, through him, would turn to others that all the families of the earth might receive the same blessing.