The Call of Abram
Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing." (Genesis 12:1-2)At this major turning point in God's dealings with mankind, he calls Abram and begins his dealings with with the people of Israel
There is a clear contrast between what God says here and what happened at the tower of Babel. God says that he will make Abram's name great, in explicit contrast to Genesis 11:4 where man wanted to make his own name great.The key difference is this: When man undertakes to make his own name great, he takes credit for his own accomplishments and does not give glory to God. But when God undertakes to make a person great, the only proper response is trust and gratitude on the part of man, which gives all glory back to God, where it belongs. Abram proved himself to be very different from the builders of the tower of Babel, because (as we see in Genesis 15:6) Abram trusted God.In Romans 4:20-21, the apostle Paul shows us the link between Abram's faith and God's glory: "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith, giving glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." So, in contrast to the builders of the tower of Babel, the children of Abram were chosen by God to be a people who trust him and thus give him glory. This is what God says in Isaiah 49:3, "You are my servant Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing." (Genesis 12:1-2)At this major turning point in God's dealings with mankind, he calls Abram and begins his dealings with with the people of Israel
There is a clear contrast between what God says here and what happened at the tower of Babel. God says that he will make Abram's name great, in explicit contrast to Genesis 11:4 where man wanted to make his own name great.The key difference is this: When man undertakes to make his own name great, he takes credit for his own accomplishments and does not give glory to God. But when God undertakes to make a person great, the only proper response is trust and gratitude on the part of man, which gives all glory back to God, where it belongs. Abram proved himself to be very different from the builders of the tower of Babel, because (as we see in Genesis 15:6) Abram trusted God.In Romans 4:20-21, the apostle Paul shows us the link between Abram's faith and God's glory: "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith, giving glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." So, in contrast to the builders of the tower of Babel, the children of Abram were chosen by God to be a people who trust him and thus give him glory. This is what God says in Isaiah 49:3, "You are my servant Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
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