Gods Sabbath

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E NTERING INTO G OD ’ S S ABBATH R EST

and his household a glowing future filled with prosperity, and promised the best security the world could provide. Even more difficult to break, were the close ties formed with family and business associates to whom Abram could not ex plain the reason for his seemingly foolish and illogical depar ture. To all appearances he was literally giving up everything in exchange for nothing. He had only God’s unproven word to as sure him that true greatness and eternal rewards were to be found away from Ur. Because spiritual things can be discerned only spiritually (see 1 Corinthians 2:14), Abram’s idolatrous kindred could not comprehend his motives and actions. So it was, by living faith, that Abram and Sarai abandoned prosperous Ur in favor of the unknown land of promise. “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would lat er receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he became a sojourn er in the land of promise as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents ....” Hebrews 11:8, 9. Such an undertaking required a great step of faith, as the fol lowing paragraphs reveal: “Abraham’s unquestioning obedience is one of the most strik ing evidences of faith to be found in all the Bible. To him, faith was ‘the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ Verse 1. Relying upon the divine promise, without the least outward assurance of its fulfillment, he abandoned home and kindred and native land, and went forth, he knew not whither, to follow where God should lead. ‘By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.’ Hebrews 11:9, R.V. “It was no light test that was thus brought upon Abraham, no small sacrifice that was required of him. There were strong ties to bind him to his country, his kindred, and his home. But he did not hesitate to obey the call. He had no question to ask concern ing the land of promise—whether the soil was fertile and the cli mate healthful; whether the country afforded agreeable sur roundings and would afford opportunities for amassing wealth. God has spoken, and His servant must obey; the happiest place