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Abraham, a Good Neighbor in Canaan
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who had brought about deliverance by His servant. And Abraham
“gave him a tithe of all.”
Abraham Is Afraid
Abraham had been a man of peace, shunning strife as much as
possible. With horror he remembered the massacre he had witnessed.
The nations whose forces he had defeated would certainly renew the
invasion and take special revenge on him. Furthermore, he had not
begun to take possession of Canaan, nor could he now hope for an
heir to whom the promise might be fulfilled.
In a vision of the night God’s voice was heard again. “Do not
be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
But how was the covenant promise to be fulfilled while the gift of a
son was withheld? “What will You give me,” he said, “seeing I go
childless? ... Indeed one born in my house is my heir!” He intended
to make his trusty servant Eliezer his son by adoption, but he was
assured that a child of his own was to be his heir. Then he was told to
look up to the countless stars glittering in the heavens, and the words
were spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” “Abraham believed
God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (
Romans 4:3
).
The Lord stooped down to enter into a covenant with His ser-
vant. Abraham heard the voice of God, telling him not to expect
immediate possession of the Promised Land, and pointing forward
to the sufferings of his descendants before Canaan would be theirs.
The plan of redemption was opened to him in the death of Christ,
the great sacrifice, and His coming in glory. Abraham also saw the
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earth restored to Eden beauty, given for an everlasting inheritance as
the final and complete fulfillment of the promise.
When Abraham had been in Canaan nearly twenty-five years,
the Lord appeared to him and said, “Behold, My covenant is with
you, and you shall be a father of many nations.” In pledge of the
fulfillment of this covenant, his name Abram was changed to Abra-
ham, “father of a great multitude.” Sarai’s name became Sarah—
“princess,” for “‘she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples
shall be from her.’”
At this time the rite of circumcision was given to Abraham, to
be observed by him and his descendants as a sign that they were