在亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各、以及新约信徒身上，我们能看见神新的起头，族类的转换，和生命的转换。亚伯拉罕身上所描绘的图画非常清楚。他有新的起头、族类的转换、和生命的转换。
首先倚靠以利以谢—当神呼召亚伯拉罕离开败坏之地的时候，亚伯拉罕没有儿子，没有继承人。神是主宰一切的。神在亚伯拉罕经历族类转换以前，并未让他有儿子。亚伯拉罕因为没有儿子，就倚靠他家里的仆人以利以谢为他家业的主人。他向神说，“主耶和华阿，我既无子，你还赐我甚么呢?并且要承受我家业的，是大马色人以利以谢……”（创十五2-3）。亚伯拉罕是个非常天然的人，就像我们今天的光景一样。虽然他领受了应许，却很天然的领会这应许。但神不要以利以谢，祂对亚伯拉罕说，“这人必不成为你的后嗣，你本身所生的，才成为你的后嗣”（创十五4）。出于亚伯拉罕的后裔，由撒拉所生的，才是他的后嗣。
用肉体的力量生以实玛利—神拒绝以利以谢作后嗣之后，亚伯拉罕听从撒拉的建议，要从夏甲生一个儿子，要用他肉体的力量成就神的应许。他生了以实玛利。他的妻子是题议这事的人，至终，因这题议的结果受苦的也是她。撒拉这样受苦，有神主宰的意思。一面说，撒拉题议亚伯拉罕从夏甲生子，是出于肉体。另一面说，她吩咐把以实玛利赶出去，乃是照着神的主宰。她告诉亚伯拉罕，要把以实玛利，就是那使女所生的，赶出去（创二一9-10）。这吩咐使亚伯拉罕非常忧愁；他对这事非常为难。后来神出来干豫，对亚伯拉罕说，“……凡撒拉对你说的话，你都该听从，因为从以撒生的，才要称为你的后裔”（创二一12）。这意思是，神告诉亚伯拉罕，以实玛利不是承继神赐亚伯拉罕之应许的人。以撒才是他的后嗣。我们都必须知道，在神的呼召中，我们天然的生命是无用的。只有族类的转换还不彀，我们需要生命完全的转换。
改名并割除肉体—亚伯拉罕想用自己肉体的力量成就神的应许，生了以实玛利。结果神来了，说，“你当在我面前作完全人”（创十七1）。神似乎对亚伯拉罕说，“你生以实玛利这件事，在我面前是不完全的。现在我必须变化你。你的名字不再称为亚伯兰（意：尊高的父），你要改名为亚伯拉罕（意：万众之父）（创十七5）。为此你必须受割礼（创十七10-14），使你肉体的力量除去，使我可以成就我的应许，并且使你的后裔极其繁多”。神在这里应许，亚伯拉罕要成为伟大的父，万众的父。这指明亚伯拉罕不仅要作他肉身子孙的父，也要作因信而为新约信徒者的父（罗四16-17）。我们基督徒藉着信基督，都成了亚伯拉罕的后裔。我们虽然生为亚当的族类，却已重生为亚伯拉罕的族类。
每日一问：亚伯拉罕生了以实玛利，为什么神不喜悦？神如何带领亚伯拉罕经历？
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The Experience of the Call One – Abraham (1) – Gen. 21:12
In the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and New Testament believers, we can see God’s new beginning, the change of race, and the change of life. The picture portrayed in Abraham is very clear.
First, Relying on Eliezer—When God called Abraham to leave the land of corruption, Abraham had no son and no heir. God is sovereign. Before God brought Abraham through the change of race, He did not let him have a son. Because Abraham had no son, he relied on his servant, Eliezer, as the master of his household. He said to God, “O Lord God…since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus…” (Gen. 15:2-3). Abraham was a very natural man, just like our condition today. Although he received the promise, he understood it in a very natural way. But God did not want Eliezer; He said to Abraham, “This one will not be your heir, but one who will come forth from your own body, he should be your heir” (Gen. 15:4). The descendant who comes from Abraham, born of Sarah, is his heir.
Using the Strength of the Flesh to Bear Ishmael—After God rejected Eliezer as the heir, Abraham listened to Sarah’s suggestion to bear a son through Hagar, trying to use the strength of his flesh to fulfill God’s promise. He begot Ishmael. His wife was the one who proposed this, and in the end, it was she who suffered as a result. That Sarah suffered this way has the significance of God’s sovereignty. On one hand, Sarah’s suggestion that Abraham bear a son through Hagar was out of the flesh. On the other hand, her instruction to cast out Ishmael was according to God’s sovereignty. She told Abraham to cast out Ishmael, the son of the maid (Gen. 21:9-10). This instruction made Abraham distressed, he found this matter very difficult. Later, God intervened and said to Abraham, “…whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named” (Gen. 21:12). This means that God was telling Abraham that Ishmael was not the one to inherit the promise God gave to Abraham. Isaac was his heir. We must all know that in God’s calling, our natural life is useless. A change of race is not enough; we need a complete change of life.
Changing Name and Cutting off the Flesh—Abraham tried to use the strength of his own flesh to fulfill God’s promise and begot Ishmael. As a result, God came and said, “Walk before Me and be blameless” (Gen. 17:1). God seemed to say to Abraham, “What you did in begetting Ishmael is not perfect before Me. Now I must transform you. Your name shall no longer be called Abram (meaning: exalted father), you shall be called Abraham (meaning: father of a multitude).” (Gen. 17:5). For this, you must be circumcised (Gen. 17:10-14), so that the strength of your flesh may be removed, so that I can fulfill My promise and make your descendants exceedingly multiplied.” Here God promised that Abraham would become a great father, a father of a multitude. This indicates that Abraham would not only be the father of his physical descendants but also the father of all who, through faith, are New Testament believers (Rom. 4:16-17). We Christians, through faith in Christ, have become the descendants of Abraham. Although we were born as the race of Adam, we have been regenerated as the race of Abraham.
Daily Question: In the experience of the called one—Abraham, what was relied upon first?