Why did God choose Abraham?
In the ONLY verse given to explain why the God of heaven and earth chose ABRAM to be a Hebrew (as we’ve become by adoption, to keep ourselves in God’s love by keeping covenant – Jn 15:3-14; Rom 11; Gal 3:29; Heb 13:20,21), by ‘crossing over’ from death, mired in the idolatry of Ur of Chaldea; to life and immortality through the Gospel PRE-ANNOUNCED to him (Gen 14:13; Matt 8:11,12; Jn 8:56; Gal 3:8,9), YHVH says that He chose Abraham
“…SO THAT he will (walk before Me and be perfect, and) command his children and his household after him (the church of Acts 7:38 & Eph 2:11,12,19) to keep the Way of YHVH (later to be called The Way of Holiness – Is 34:8-10; Matt 5:48; 7:13-27; Lk 20:21; Acts 24:14; Heb 12:14,28), doing righteousness and justice, SO THAT I may fulfil what I have promised him (inheritance of the world)” (Gen 17:1; 18:18,19, 26:5; Rom 4:13).
As the “Begotten Son,” Y’shua-Jesus was sent out of the bosom of YHVH to be Abraham’s Seed (Ps 2:7; Jn 1:18; Gal 3:16; Heb 2:14-16) to lay down His life as Mercy Seat and as the once-and-for-all Appeasement, as Atoning Messiah our Passover, through faith in His Blood for the remission of past sin (Acts 13:39; Rom 3:25,26 Amp; 1 Cor 5:7,8; Heb 8-10), to be raised (to the Glory He had before) for our justification through our repentance and His forgiveness, confirmed by baptism.
That was the only way the Gift of His indwelling Holy Spirit could be sent to “magnify” and “make Torah honourable” (Ps 138;2; Is 42:21; Matt 5:17-19; Jn 17:5; Acts 2:38,39; Rom 3:31; 4:25) by our obedience to be sanctified in righteousness by the commandments given to “make us wise…” to run the race lawfully, striving for masteries of the ABRAHAMIC mandate.
That mandate to the church, both then (as Abraham’s own household and as the House of Jacob on Exodus) and now (as the more glorious remnant House of Jacob (Lk 1:33), has been to diligently “DO righteousness and justice” to BE righteous at all times” – Ps 106:3; 1 Jn 3:7) to win “the crown of righteousness,” to attain final redemption, for resurrection to life (not to damnation – Jn 5:24,28,29), by being AS prepared for selection for the bride, as Abraham Isaac and Jacob (Matt 8:11,12; Acts 10:35; Rom 8:4-14,23; 1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Tim 3:14-17; 4:3-8).
So much for Torah (Instruction in the righteousness of the Way, for correction of false doctrine) being ALIEN to the Gospel (Hosea 8:1-3,12; Acts 24:14)
The father of our faith (whom the Spirit evidently schooled in the Way), would laugh such an insinuation to scorn, and in pity, would shed a tear for the woeful, wilful ignorance that mostly prompts ridicule of the first five Books of the Bible which are our heritage, to help bring clarity to what is written elsewhere. That’s its chief function (Rom 3:20b,31; 1 Tim 1:8-11; 2 Tim 3:14-17).
OUR Exodus trek to perfection of sanctification (2 Cor 7:1) which began with our Justification by faith in the Name above all names through the Lamb of God’s Jerusalem Passover’s Blood of sprinkling, for CONFIRMATION of “EVERLASTING salvation” by our “obedience to righteousness” (Is 45:17-25; Acts 5:32; Rom 2:6-13; 6:12-22; 8:4,23; 1 Cor 1:8; Heb 5:9; 10:35; James 2:12-26; 1 Peter 1:2b; 1 Jn 2:17), is every bit as much a test of the SPIRIT of our response to the inevitable salting by fire (Mk 9:49; 1 Peter 1:1-9) of character-forming trials necessary to conform us to Messiah’s image (Rom 5:3-5; 9:29), as the remnant in the wilderness church (Acts 7:38) that endured to the end (as we are to do according to Matt 24) to be found worthy to cross the Jordan on dry ground to possess and defend their inheritance.
God have mercy on those who DON’T learn the Torah lesson to keep the Word of YHVH’s patience (Rev 3:10; 14:6,7,12), by NOT obeying His Voice, which Abraham NEVER failed to do (Gen 26:5); doubting His Presence; fearfulness and unbelief (Rev 21:8); contradicting Him; questioning His provision and route directions; slandering His promises (as they would the Land of milk and honey itself – Nu 14), and allowing dissatisfaction to become self-inflicted wounds, festering into the treachery of insolence and rebellion (e.g. Ex 14:11-14; 17:1-7; 1 Cor 10:1-12).
God has made Abraham Isaac and Jacob’s realization of His promises to THEM, DEPENDENT on the ’emunah’ (faith & faithfulness) of a remnant worthy to be accounted for as a “wholly sanctified…” remnant of their Messianic Dynasty in fulfilment of Ex 19:5-8/1 Peter 2:9,10 (Is 29:22-24; Lk 1:32,33; 1 Thess 5:23).
It seems that this extraordinary conditional promise to Abraham (Gen 18:18,19) is a great test not only of the sincerity of OUR response to the ‘Shema,’ to love YHVH with our all and our neighbour as Y’shua loved us (Mk 12:28-34; Jn 13:34,35), but of OUR love for the fathers in particular – whether our love FOR THEM expressed as obedience to YHVH (see 1 Jn 5:2&3; 2 Jn vs 5&6) will match the Father’s own unshakeable love for THEM (Deut 4:37; Rom 11:28).
We CAN do it, by the Spirit!
We MUST do it, because that contingent promise places a moral obligation upon us, for Abraham’s sake, to match the zeal for truth and righteousness of the Jewish firstfruits in Acts 21:20 and of Gentile converts in Eph 4:23-32 and Col 3:9,10, to BE the visionary “one new man” schooled by the Spirit to ESTABLISH and not VOID that magnificent body of Instruction and training in righteousness (Lk 20:21; 2 Tim 3:14-17).
So to summarize, WHY did the Almighty choose Abram from amongst his entire generation, to be progenitor of Israel; to become an heir of the righteousness which is of faith in order to be faithful to inherit the world (Rom 4; James 2:14-26); and as Abraham, to be “father of many nations”? (Gen 17)
Answer:
Because knowing the end from the beginning, God foreknew that He’d be able to trust Abraham (“for I KNOW him” – Gen 18:19), to prove (to Israel, the church and the world) by Abraham’s obedience to His Voice and to His righteous precepts which comprise “the Way of the LORD” (Gen 18:18,19; 26:5), that neglecting Torah/Instruction (Rom 3:31) which is neglect of the finer points of holiness, limits His ability to perfect His workmanship (Eph 2:10; Col 1:21-23,28,29) which in turn, is neglect BY US, of “so great a salvation,” which to be “CONFIRMED to the end” (1 Cor 1:8), has to be worked out precept by precept in fear and trembling, under grace (Is 28:9-13; Rom 2:6-13,26; Rom 8:4-14; Phil 2:12,13; Heb 2:1-3; 5:11-14; 6:1-12; 12:28; 1 Peter 1:13-17)
“Let God be true and every man a liar,” if these facts (concealed from so many for so long) are disputed.
