CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD
[p. 23] CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD
Acts 22:16; Genesis 4:26; Genesis 12:7,8; Genesis 21:33; Genesis 26:23 - 25
I have before me to dwell on a great feature which marked the early christians from Pentecost, namely, that of calling upon the name of the Lord.
The formula is derived somewhat from the book of the prophet Joel, quoted by the apostle Peter on the occasion of his great address at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. That address, as you will recollect, was initial, but conveyed one great feature of this dispensation, namely, that of administration from heaven. The Holy Spirit had just come. He had come to those who obeyed Christ. According to what is said later by Peter, the Holy Spirit is given to all those who obey Christ. Let no one assume to have Him save as he obeys Christ. And so the apostle Peter, in his address, cites the prophet Joel, as announcing beforehand the gift of the Spirit, including that remarkable word: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved”, Acts 2:21.
I want to show from the passage in Acts 22 how full of the thought the early christians were. Ananias says to Saul, who had just heard the Lord from heaven, and seen Him, “Why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord”. The Lord had an interview with him in regard to Saul, for He is ever concerned about His converts and would have them rightly received in the assembly. Saul was the theme of that interview. Evidently it was not the first time that Ananias had had to do directly with Christ. He spoke to Him very familiarly, and he told the Lord, in answer to His remarks, that this man Saul had been persecuting those that called upon His name. He said he had heard from many about him. What he had heard about Saul was true, alas! He [p. 24] was set against Christ and against those who called on His name. It is said that those who heard Saul in Damascus were amazed, saying that he had destroyed in Jerusalem those who had called upon the name of Christ. He would blot out that name by destroying those who called upon it. That was the intent of the wicked one and his emissaries, for they said in spirit beforehand, “When shall he die, and his name perish?”, Psalm 41:5. That was what they thought. There was such antagonism to that name that the desire of the enemies of the Lord was, “When shall he die, and his name perish?”
Well, he died, beloved friends, but His name did not perish. In resurrection His name shines out in infinite lustre. To those who love Him it is as ointment poured forth; the assembly in Philadelphia was marked by not denying that name. May it be so with us, beloved brethren, that we shall never deny in word or deed or in attitude that holy name, that name which is above every name and to which every knee shall bow!
Saul was set against this name, and so it is said that he destroyed in Jerusalem all those that called upon it, and that he had come to Damascus with the same intent. He intended to wipe out every trace of that name in Damascus. He was so mad against it! He set out from Jerusalem “breathing out”, as we are told, “threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord”. Acts 9:1. But he did not as yet know the power of that One whose name was revered in those whom he was destroying. They were the disciples of the Lord. The Lord waited until he had reached the neighbourhood of Damascus before He caused him to know his power. And as the Lord’s voice is heard in that man’s soul he says, “What shall I do, Lord?”. Acts 22:10. And Ananias addressed him saying, “Why tarriest thou? arise ... and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord”.
[p. 25] Need I say that he did it, beloved friends? Need I say that that name ever marked the great apostle afterward? He says to the Romans, “The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him”. Romans 10:12. He is rich. As He was rich in the East He would be rich in the West. Oh, how we have proved it! He is rich towards all those that call upon Him; and then the apostle adds from the prophet Joel, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. Acts 2:21.
That is what marked the early christians. They called upon the name of the Lord. They renounced allegiance to man. They renounced reliance upon man. They recognised that the Lord Jesus had all power in heaven and upon earth, and they called upon that name. And in calling upon that name they found deliverance. That marked the early christians, and so it marked Philadelphia, the last but one of “the seven churches” Revelation 1:20; the Lord’s word is, “Thou ... hast not denied my name”. Revelation 3:8 That meant, beloved friends, that they refused other names. It had become the vogue in Philadelphian days to call on other names. Alas! Christians are divided up into many branches, each with its own name. Philadelphia repudiates every name but the name of Jesus. For the Philadelphian the name of Jesus is as ointment poured forth. It is precious. One may enquire whether it is precious to everyone here, or whether we bear other names to our own shame and to His dishonour?
Now I want to show from the Old Testament how this truth is amplified in detail. I want to show you, beloved friends, how the Name is called upon; how it comes about that men call upon the name of the Lord. Light springs up. Light arises in the darkness. That is a great principle with God. When things seem to be darkest light springs up. And so it was in the days of Seth. The world had become dark. Cain had gone out from the presence [p. 26] of the Lord, and no one can go out from the presence of the Lord and be active save to darken others. It is as sure as anything if anyone retrogrades; if anyone turns away from the truth he is sure to darken others. He is dark himself, and he darkens others. It says in John’s epistle, “Many false prophets are gone out into the world”. 1 John 4:1. They went out from the assembly and the light that was in them became darkness. You may talk of things you had learnt earlier, but as out of communion with God the things you are saying are darkness. The light that is in you becomes darkness. It is a very serious matter to turn away. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, it says, and he built a city and called it after the name of his son; he darkened his posterity.
Now light arises. How? By one Man accepting the judgment of God. There is no possibility of recovery except through the acceptance of divine judgment. If men have turned away from the Lord they have turned away sinfully and have disregarded the rights of God, which Cain did. God dealt in wonderful grace with Cain. God put a mark on him, even in his murderous course, so that no one should slay him. But that did not prevent Cain from darkening the world. But in the darkness light arises, I would say that for the encouragement of anyone here who may have turned away, but who may have been exercised. It is in the darkest moment of your exercise that light arises for you. And I will tell you how it arises: By your acknowledging the judgment of God. You have allowed what the judgment of God is upon and it is in the acknowledgment of that that you get light.
Seth has a son born to him, and he calls his name Enosh. Cain had a son born to him and he built a city and called it after the name of his son. There was no recognition in Cain of the judgment of God [p. 27] upon his son and upon himself, and hence the darkness. But with Seth there is recognition of the judgment of God. And what is that, you say? Enosh. The word signifies a weak, mortal creature. “Thou shalt surely die”, Genesis 2:15 God said. Seth recognises that word spoken to his father, and he says his babe is born to him, but as born after the flesh it is born to die. That was an acknowledgment of the judgment of God, and in that acknowledgment light sprung up, not only for Seth, but for men. For you may depend that when light springs up with you it will spring up in you for others. One would think oneself extremely poor if one’s testimony did not enlighten others. If God enlightens one it is that he should enlighten others. And so the apostle says to the Ephesians, “Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord”. Ephesians 5:8. In the recognition of the Lord the believer’s light arises. His eye is single, and his whole body is luminous, hence his neighbours get the benefit of the light. It is a poor thing if his neighbour is not illuminated by a believer. The Lord dwelt in Capernaum, we are told, and in the place where men stood in darkness and in the shadow of death light sprang up. So it was in Seth’s day; light sprang up. “Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord”. It is not a question of preaching simply. It is in the acknowledgment of the rights and judgment of God that light springs up, and men begin to call on the name of the Lord. Whatever a christian may be, however humble his circumstances, as he accepts the judgment of God and walks in that light he becomes light to others. He is a light in the world. You cannot be a light otherwise. It is as you are in the recognition of the Lord in heaven that the Holy Spirit in you makes you a luminous body, like a star. “They that turn many to righteousness” shall shine “as the stars for ever and ever”, Daniel 12:3. Light began from God.
[p. 28] Now I want to show you how, in the case of Abraham, you have this great subject amplified. And I want to show you from Abraham and Isaac how that the recognition of the Lord, calling upon the name of the Lord, is accompanied by spiritual dignity and support in one’s environment. It is a poor thing for us, beloved brethren, if we are on the level of our fellow men around us. One great principle of christianity is elevation. That is to say, spiritual elevation and dignity and corresponding power in our environment, whatever it may be. You have in Abraham’s case an appearing. The Lord appeared to him. That is another thing that belongs to christianity — divine appearings. As Abraham goes into the land of Canaan the Lord appeared to him. Indeed, he is the first man, as far as Scripture goes, to whom the Lord is said to have appeared. You will not think that is in any way a strange statement, because, although the Lord spoke to Adam, Cain, and Noah, it is not said that He appeared to them. It is said that He appeared to Abraham when he dwelt in Mesopotamia, and then again, as he came to the land of Canaan Jehovah appeared to him. Now an appearance of the Lord means that He is known to you in a new way. Abraham built an altar to Jehovah who had appeared to him. That is to say, he was fully equal to the increased light. It is a great matter to keep abreast of the light, for God is moving on. He is ever moving, and your altar should not be lower than the present light. That is what you find in the patriarchs’ continual building of altars. They were keeping abreast of the light. Abraham built an altar to Jehovah who had appeared to him, and then it says, “He ... called upon the name of Jehovah”.
Now we have not only men calling on the name of the Lord but one man building an altar and calling on the name of the Lord — keeping abreast of the light that had been vouchsafed to him — a divine [p. 29] appearing. I do not know how many of us have had that experience, a divine appearing. It belongs to christianity, beloved brethren. Let us not restrict it to the early days; it belongs to christianity. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him”, John 14:21.
I want to show you how that in chapter 21 Abraham proceeding on these lines acquired great power. If I am not acquiring spiritual power and a corresponding dignity in my environment then I should look and see what is the matter. There is something wrong. Abraham had acquired power as he proceeded on these lines, and in the passage immediately preceding that which I read it is said that Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, and Phichol the chief captain of his army came to Abraham. The Philistines are people who are great according to flesh. Had not Abraham acquired spiritual power and dignity they would have despised him. They would never have visited him. The Lord promises the Philadelphian believers that He would make those who say they are Jews by profession, but are not, “to come and worship before thy feet”. Revelation 3:9. Mark that! They have to come to the saints. It does not say My feet. “I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee”, Revelation 3:9.
Is not that a wonderful promise? Abimelech and the captain of his host came to Abraham. Who was Abraham? He was a foreigner in their midst. What right had he there? Jehovah did not tell Abimelech He had brought Abraham into the land of Canaan. It was Abraham’s light. Ephesian light is our light. We do not make it common. God had told him He would give him the land. He was heir to it. But what had brought the king of the Philistines to [p. 30] Abraham? It was because Abraham had acquired power. How? By separation, calling on the name of Jehovah. Jehovah made him great. You may depend upon it, the presence of the Lord with you will make you great, great morally, and the greatness will be seen in your meekness and lowliness. You will not be self-assertive, Abraham was not. As it was with the patriarch so it is with the believer now; as calling upon the name of the Lord we acquire moral dignity.
The Philistine king comes — not with his prime minister, but with the captain of his host. That is to say, he came to Abraham in full power, but he was not equal to Abraham morally. So in the presence of spiritual persons, modern giants of education and intellect have to admit they are inferior. They have to muster all the power they have got to compete with men of God. And so did Abimelech. He came to Abraham with the captain of his host. That is to say, he would say to Abraham, I am great too. That is what he meant. He meant that he acknowledged the greatness of Abraham. What made Abraham great? Not a great army, but the presence of the Lord upon whom he called. That made him great and nothing else will make us great but the presence of the Lord. Moses said to Jehovah that the people could only be distinguished from other peoples by His presence with them (Exodus 33:16). What comes out in our chapter? Abraham reproves Abimelech. As later Jacob blesses a great potentate of the world, so Abraham had moral power to reprove the king of the Philistines. Then Abraham gave him gifts. He gave him sheep and oxen. He was wealthy. It is the divine intent, beloved brethren, that we should be a benefit to the world; as we are separate we are able to benefit men, not only with material things but with spiritual things.
[p. 31] Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs. I want you to take particular notice of this as it marks the difference between Abraham and Abimelech. Abraham had flocks and particularly these ewe lambs. Ewe lambs do not denote power after the flesh. They denote subjection. They denote fruitfulness. The lamb of a sheep is always a type of passiveness, of readiness to suffer. The Lord himself “is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth”. Isaiah 53:7. But in that very way He was victorious, as we sometimes sing,
“Through weakness and defeat
He won the meed and crown;
Trod all our foes beneath His feet,
In being trodden down”. (24:2)
That expresses the truth of these seven ewe lambs. They were set apart. Abimelech said, What about these? They were not according to Abimelech’s mind or that of his captain. The latter represented power according to flesh — an army or a navy. In the mind of man these are power, but not so in the mind of faith. Seven ewe lambs, unaggressive, unpretentious, meek, subject, convey the latter. Abimelech says, What are these? Abraham says, These are for you. Now look, christians, Are you able to show that spirit to a neighbour? Not the spirit of aggressiveness, not contention. These are for you, says Abraham. What a witness! He says, “That they may be a witness to me that I have dug this well”. Genesis 21:30 In other words, I have got the Holy Spirit on these lines, not on the lines of human aggressiveness. I am not pretentious. These are the witnesses that I dug this well. A well is essential to a man of faith. It refers to the Spirit; All this took place at Beersheba. It is in that connection that the well appears, ‘The well of the oath’; for there was a covenant and in [p. 32] that covenant Abraham had asserted a great principle, and that was, that victory for faith is on the principle of seven ewe lambs and not on the principle of human power — an army and navy, or money or family. It is simply the spirit of Christ — subjection, acceptance of suffering: being led as a lamb to the slaughter He opened not His mouth. And withal fruitfulness, for here ewe lambs denote subjectively the power for fruitfulness for God. And it is thus beloved, that there is increase, for as Saul was silenced we are told that the assemblies had rest and, walking in the fear of the Lord, were edified, and through the comfort of the Holy Spirit they were increased. Acts 9:31 Saul had “killed the just”, James 5:6 and he did not resist him; however much he would wipe out the name of Christ that name increased on the principle of the seven ewe lambs.
Now I come to Isaac just in closing. In his case there is a similar situation because as the testimony goes on we replace our forefathers. We come into the position of those who have gone before. The testimony is one thing. If it be lengthened out it means our children come into our position and their children into theirs. But it is never mere repetition. Isaac had been digging wells. He had been asserting his rights to Abraham’s wells: and the Philistines contested every well that he dug. Finally he digs one well, and they do not contend for it. He calls it Rehoboth (room) and he goes to Beersheba. That is to say, in the face of opposition you prove the faithfulness of God (a great feature of the testimony); God made room for Isaac. What God has been to our forefathers, through whom the truth has come to us, He will be to us; He is “the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”, Hebrews 13:8.
Isaac goes to Beersheba, having dug the well, and he builds an altar there and calls upon the name of Jehovah. There Abraham had called on the name of Jehovah, “the eternal God”. Genesis 21:33. What a word that is, dear brethren! It is as if Abraham said, ‘God is going to continue. What He has been He will be. He is not going to finish His testimony with me’. “From eternity to eternity thou art God”, Psalm 90:2. Moses, who wrote this psalm, knew Abraham’s God. The eternal God is proceeding with His testimony and it is taken up by Isaac. What He has been in the past He is today. He has taken us up sovereignly and He has privileged us to be in the testimony. How are we to be in it? We should take advantage of the light given to our predecessors. But God is dealing in a fresh way and so you find with Isaac God takes particular care that he does not go to Egypt, like Abraham. He says, “Go not down into Egypt ... sojourn in this land”. Genesis 26:2,3 Isaac stays there and he becomes wonderfully powerful, even more so than Abraham. Is not that encouraging? The Philistine king comes to him with his military leader and one of his friends as well. That was as if he said to Isaac, ‘I recognise you are great, you are a mighty prince amongst us, but I am great too. I have got an army and navy, and I have got friends’. Such is the world. Let them have their friends. The world will love its own, you may be sure of that. There are associations around, religious and social. Abimelech brings his friend and military captain to make as good a show as he can with Isaac. Isaac says, “Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me ... ?” Genesis 26:27 With such people, in the profession of friendship there is hatred. The Lord says, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you”, John 15:18. That is the situation, beloved brethren. The world hates us as being loyal to Christ.
But Isaac is superior to the Philistines. He builds an altar at Beer-sheba and he calls on the name of Jehovah. At Beer-sheba he is in the full light of the faithfulness of God. He built his altar calling upon [p. 34] the name of Jehovah, and it says that under these circumstances his servants came to him and said, “We have found water”. Genesis 26:32. There is a new spring in that position. You see how we are to be supported now. God has wonderfully enlightened us in our days, but we must be supported or the light will grow dim. How is it supported? Isaac has his altar and is calling on the name of the Lord. But the servants find water. The water is to support him in freshness and vigour in this new position.
Need we fear that God will supply the water? It means the acquisition of spiritual power. As we humbly judge ourselves in the presence of such light we shall have the continual service of the Spirit.
We find in chapter 21 that Beer-sheba is a place; in chapter 26 it is a city. That is to say, it is a greater idea. We have with Isaac therefore an advance on Abraham, and so there should be an advance with us on those who have gone before us.
May God grant it to us that we may be found in our environments, however humble, or however conspicuous, superior to them, as calling on the name of the Lord and as realising the power of the Holy Spirit!