Now the Lord had said unto Abram, &c.— It is observable how Moses hastens over other events, to introduce the principal subject of his history; he comprises the history of the world, from the creation to the deluge, in six Chapter s, though that was a period of one thousand six hundred and fifty years; while he bestows on the history of Abram fourteen Chapter s, though it contains no longer space of time than one hundred and seventy five years. The reason is evident: he was not writing a history of mankind, but of that wonderful and gracious method, by which God determined to preserve at once the knowledge of himself in the world, and to prepare the way for the full accomplishment of the original promise. For this end God's purpose was to choose and adopt one family, afterwards to be formed into a nation, instructed in religious knowledge by the Lord himself, and favoured with such extraordinary privileges and honours above all other nations of the earth, as were adapted to engage them, by the most rational motives, to adhere to God and his worship. At the same time, to prevent their being infected with the idolatries and vices of the rest of the world, as they certainly would have been, had they mingled with them; they were to be distinguished and separated from all other people, by their diet, and by divers civil and religious rites and ceremonies; but, more especially, by a secret mark in the flesh, by which they might certainly be known from other men. Thus they would be kept together in a body, and hindered from mixing with, and being corrupted by, their idolatrous neighbours. And further, their laws and religious institutions, being originally recorded in books, would more certainly be preferred and known in all future ages and dispensations. Thus God provided a storehouse of religious knowledge, a school of instruction and wisdom, for all the world. ABRAM, a person of the most eminent piety and holiness, was chosen to be the head and father of this nation; that, as he would always be held in great veneration among them, he might always shine before their eyes as an illustrious pattern of godliness. To which end, Moses gives so circumstantial an account of him.
But the ground of this whole scheme, and of God's singular regard to Abram and his posterity, was the COVENANT OF GRACE; the PROMISE or Grant of favours and blessings to mankind, in, Jesus Christ our Lord: a covenant first made with Adam, renewed with Noah, and well known to the patriarchs; but more clearly revealed to Abram. See this ch. Genesis 12:3 Genesis 17:7; Genesis 17:19. Genesis 18:18. Genesis 22:18.
The Lord had said— "Though we are told in the former chapter," Houbigant observes, "that Abram left Ur with his father Terah, yet this must have been after the revelation made here by God to Abram; St. Stephen assuring us, that the God of Glory appeared to him, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran," Acts 7:2. And they judge inconsiderately, who suppose the words of God here spoken, to be another revelation made to him, when he dwelt at Haran. For when God says, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred;" what can be more manifest, than that he had not yet left his country? for Abram's country was Ur of the Chaldees, not Haran. St. Stephen, after relating the Divine command, Get thee out of thy country, immediately adds, then came he out of the land of the Chaldees, and dwelt in Charran. We are therefore to understand, that the departure of Terah from Ur was in consequence of the command given to Abram: which command is placed here, 1st, Because the narration concerning Abram begins here; 2nd, Because the command was given to Abram, not to Terah, who did not worship the true God, though probably he was converted to him by means of Abram; and, 3rdly, we may add, Because the sacred historian chose to conclude his account of Terah, before he entered more immediately upon the history of Abram. Though we are not told how God revealed himself to Abram, yet it seems to follow, from St. Stephen's words, that there was such a visible manifestation of himself, as could leave Abram no room to doubt of the reality of a Divine appearance; The God of Glory appeared to our father, &c. God had various ways of ascertaining the reality of his revelations to those whom he favoured with them; and it seems probable, that the second Divine Person was more immediately concerned in such appearances as we read of in the Old Testament, and which were accompanied, no doubt, with evident tokens of the Shechinah or Divine Presence.
Get thee out of thy country, &c.— We are certainly assured from the sacred writers of the New Testament, that Abram's was a voluntary obedience to this command, and an act of faithful reliance on the Divine Commander. St. Paul expressly says, By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place, which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went, Hebrews 11:8 that is, not knowing, till he had left Ur, when God, most probably, directed him by some revelation which way to steer his course; and not knowing what sort of country it was, or how, or when, or by what means he should possess it: an act certainly of triumphant faith.