| The Joy of Service |
Chapter 22 |
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There is something almost startling in the truth that God needs and depends upon our faithfulness in carrying on His work in this world, and in blessing, helping, and saving others. We say, “Surely God does not need me in doing anything He desires to have done. He is omnipotent, and can do whatsoever He pleases, and never need wait for me.” That is true in a sense; certainly nothing is impossible to God. Yet in His work among men in this world God chooses to use human instruments. The old violin maker said that God could not make man’s best work without best men to help Him – could not make Stradivari’s violins without Stradivari; and that if his hand should slack he would rob God, leaving a blank where there should have been good violins. God needed and depended on Abraham’s faithfulness in the training of his household, in order to send a blessing to the nations. Had Abraham failed, there would have been a blank instead of a blessing, and the responsibility would have been his.
But the responsibility did not end with Abraham. He should train his children to do justice and judgment, “to the end that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He had spoken of him.” That is, in order that the promised blessings might be realized, Abraham’s children and descendants must keep the way of the Lord. They were responsible for the final success of their father’s life. After all his faithfulness the good work of Abraham would come to nothing unless they kept the way of the Lord, living out His teachings. Each generation in turn would be responsible for guarding and passing on the heritage of promise and blessing received from its predecessors. The reach of Abraham’s covenant was to remotest ages. A break in fidelity anywhere along the centuries would be a marring of the covenant blessing. The Divine purpose could be fulfilled only by unbroken faithfulness through the generations. Abraham’s children were responsible for the final and complete carrying out of their father’s mission in the world.
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