The Obedience of Faith
T. H. Leale. Genesis 12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered… I. IT WAS PROMPT. II. IT WAS CONSIDERATE OF THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS. III. IT WAS MAINTAINED IN THE MIDST OF DIFFICULTIES. 1. He was a wanderer in the land which God had promised to give him. 2. He was beset by enemies. "The Canaanite was then in the land." 3. The Divine promise opened up for him no splendid prospect in this world. IV. IT RESPECTED THE OUTWARD FORMS OF PIETY. 1. It was unworldly. The action of Abraham in building an altar amounted to the taking possession of the land for God. Thus the believer holds the gifts of Providence as the steward of them, and not as their possessor. 2. It satisfied a pious instinct which meets some of the difficulties of devotion. It is difficult for man to realize the invisible without the aid of the visible. Hence the pious in all ages have built places in which to worship God. This arises from no desire to limit God in space; but in order that men might feel that He is present everywhere, they must feel that He is specially present somewhere. God meets man by coming down to his necessity. 3. It was a public profession of his faith. Abraham was not one of those who hid the righteousness of God in his heart. He made it known to all around him by outward acts of devotion. Such conduct glorifies God, and gives religion the advantage that is derived from the corporate life of those who profess it. 4. It was an acknowledgment of the claims of God. By building an altar and calling upon the name of the Lord, Abraham confessed that all claims were on the side of God, and not on that of man. He confessed that sin requires expiation, and that all true help and reward must come to man from above. The only religion possible to man is that of penitence and faith. (T. H. Leale.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. WEB: Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother's son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came.