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.BOE 58.4

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).BOE 58.5

The Lord stooped down to enter into a covenant with His servant. 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 earth restored to Eden beauty, given for an everlasting inheritance as the final and complete fulfillment of the promise.BOE 58.6

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 Abraham, “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.’”BOE 59.1

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 separated from idolaters and that God accepted them as His special treasure. They were not to marry the heathen, for by so doing they would be tempted to engage in the sinful practices of other nations and be drawn into idolatry.BOE 59.2