谁发起这呼召？虽然亚伯拉罕是蒙召族类的父，但这呼召并不是他起始的。当他和他的亲族在迦勒底敬拜别神的时候（书二四2），神突然向他显现了。神是这呼召的发起者。
一、神的显现
虽然神的呼召是在时间里完成的，但在呼召之前，已过的永远里，神的拣选已经作成了。神在已过的永远里拣选了亚伯拉罕。之后，还是在已过的永远里，神又豫定，豫先标出亚伯拉罕。在亚伯拉罕还未出生，甚至在创世之前，只有神自己存在的时候，祂就拣选了亚伯拉罕，并且豫定了他。在时间里，有一天，亚伯拉罕还在拜别神，未曾豫料神会呼召他的时候，神却眷临他，这位荣耀的神就这样来了。亚伯拉罕大为吃惊。荣耀的神不仅临到亚伯拉罕，并且向他显现。
神向亚伯拉罕显现过两次。第一次是在迦勒底的吾珥（徒七2，创十一31）。我们看见在迦勒底的吾珥，神并未向亚伯拉罕的父亲显现，乃是向亚伯拉罕显现。然而，亚伯拉罕并未立刻答应那呼召，神主宰的权柄就使他的父亲他拉带着全家离开吾珥到哈兰。他们停在那里，直等到他拉去世。亚伯拉罕迟迟不答应神的呼召，致使他父亲死亡。神取去他的父亲。然后在哈兰，神第二次向亚伯拉罕显现（创十二1）。因为亚伯拉罕迟疑不跟随神，神只得第二次向他显现。
二、神的呼召
神不仅两次向亚伯拉罕显现，也两次呼召他。第一次呼召是亚伯拉罕在吾珥的时候（徒七2-4）。根据行传第七章，神呼召亚伯拉罕离开本地和本族。但在哈兰，神第二次呼召他，要他离开本地、本族，还要他离开父家（创十二1）。所以神向亚伯拉罕显现过两次，也呼召过两次。第一次呼召他离开本地、本族，没有题到父家，所以父家也从吾珥出来了。然而，第二次呼召时，神告诉他不但要离开本地和本族，还要离开父家。亚伯拉罕得着神两次的显现，和两次的呼召。
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The Origin of God’s Calling — Act 7:2
Who initiated this calling? Although Abraham is the father of the called race, this calling did not originate with him. While he and his kinsmen were serving other gods in Chaldea (Josh. 24:2), God suddenly appeared to him. God is the initiator of this calling.
I. God’s Appearing
Although God’s calling was carried out in time, God’s selection was made in eternity past, before the calling. God selected Abraham in eternity past. Afterward, still in eternity past, God predestinated, marking out Abraham beforehand. Before Abraham was born, even before the foundation of the world, when only God existed, He selected Abraham and predestinated him. In time, one day, while Abraham was still worshipping other gods and did not expect God to call him, God visited him, and the God of glory came in this way. Abraham was greatly surprised. The God of glory not only came to Abraham but also appeared to him.
God appeared to Abraham twice. The first time was in Ur of the Chaldeans (Acts 7:2; Gen. 11:31). We see that in Ur of the Chaldeans, God did not appear to Abraham’s father, but to Abraham. However, Abraham did not immediately answer that calling, and God’s sovereign authority caused his father Terah to take the whole family from Ur to Haran. They stopped there until Terah died. Abraham delayed in answering God’s calling, which resulted in his father’s death. God took away his father. Then in Haran, God appeared to Abraham a second time (Gen. 12:1). Because Abraham hesitated to follow God, God had to appear to him a second time.
II. God’s Calling
God not only appeared to Abraham twice, but He also called him twice. The first calling was when Abraham was in Ur (Acts 7:2-4). According to Acts chapter seven, God called Abraham to leave his land and his kindred. But in Haran, God called him a second time, asking him to leave his land, his kindred, and also his father’s house (Gen. 12:1). Therefore, God appeared to Abraham twice and called him twice. The first calling was to leave his land and kindred, with no mention of his father’s house, so his father’s house also came out from Ur. However, in the second calling, God told him not only to leave his land and kindred but also to leave his father’s house. Abraham received God’s appearing twice and His calling twice.