by William Barclay
創世記 12 章 1 節以極其簡單的方式講述了亞伯拉罕的呼召。猶太和東方的傳說主要集中在亞伯拉罕的名字上，其中一些傳說一定是希伯來人的作者所知道的。傳說講述亞伯拉罕是Nimrod 寧錄軍隊指揮官Terah 他拉的兒子。當亞伯拉罕出生時，天空中出現了一顆非常生動的星星，似乎抹去了其他星星。寧錄試圖謀殺這個嬰兒，但亞伯拉罕被藏在一個山洞裡，他的命得救了。正是在那個山洞裡，他第一次看到了神的異象。
當他還是個年輕人的時候，他從山洞裡走出來，站在那裡眺望沙漠的另一面。太陽在它的光輝中升起，亞伯拉罕說：“太陽確實是上帝，是創造者！”於是他跪下拜太陽。但到了晚上，太陽西沉了，亞伯拉罕說：“不！創造者不能落下！”月亮從東方升起，星星也出來了。然後亞伯拉罕說：“月亮一定是上帝，星星一定是他的跟班！”於是他跪下拜月。但一夜過去後，月亮落下，太陽又升起，亞伯拉罕說：“這些天體確實不是神，因為它們遵守律法；我要敬拜那把律法強加給它們的神。”
阿拉伯人有不同的傳說。他們講述了亞伯拉罕如何看到許多羊群和牛群，並對他的母親說：“誰是這些羊群的主人？”她回答說：“你的父親，他拉。”“他拉的主人是誰？”小伙子亞伯拉罕問。「寧錄，」他的母親說。“寧錄的領主是誰？”亞伯拉罕問。他的母親囑咐他保持安靜，不要把問題問得太過分。但亞伯拉罕的思想已經轉向了萬有之神。
傳說繼續講述，他拉不僅崇拜十二個偶像，每個月一個，而且還是偶像的製造者。有一天，亞伯拉罕被留下來負責這家商店。人們進來購買偶像。亞伯拉罕會問他們多大年紀，他們會回答也許五十歲或六十歲。亞伯拉罕說：“這個年紀的人有禍了，他喜愛一天就做成的偶像！”一名七十多歲的壯漢走了進來。亞伯拉罕問他的年齡，然後說：“你這個傻瓜，居然崇拜比你年輕的神！”一個女人端著一盤獻給眾神的肉進來了。亞伯拉罕拿起一根棍子，打碎了所有的偶像，只留下一個，他把用過的棍子放在這偶像的手裡。他拉回來後很生氣。亞伯拉罕說：“我的父親，有一個女人給你們的神帶來了這盤肉；他們都想吃它，最強壯的人把其他人的頭敲下來，免得他們把牠吃光。”他拉說：“那是不可能的，因為它們是用木頭和石頭製成的。”亞伯拉罕回答說：“你親口所說的話，請親耳聽聽！”
這些傳說為我們生動地描繪了亞伯拉罕尋求上帝、不滿百姓拜偶像的情景。所以當上帝的呼召臨到祂時，祂準備好去未知的地方尋找祂！亞伯拉罕是信心的最高典範。
The call of Abraham is told with dramatic simplicity in Gen.12:1. Jewish and eastern legends gathered largely round Abraham's name and some of them must have been known to the writer to the Hebrews. The legends tell how Abraham was the son of Terah, commander of the armies of Nimrod. When Abraham was born a very vivid star appeared in the sky and seemed to obliterate the others. Nimrod sought to murder the infant but Abraham was concealed in a cave and his life saved. It was in that cave the first vision of God came to him.
When he was a youth he came out of the cave and stood looking across the face of the desert. The sun rose in all its glory and Abraham said: "Surely the sun is God, the Creator!" So he knelt down and worshipped the sun. But when evening came, the sun sank in the west and Abraham said: "No! the author of creation cannot set!" The moon arose in the east and the stars came out. Then Abraham said: "The moon must be God and the stars his host!" So he knelt down and adored the moon. But after the night was passed, the moon sank and the sun rose again and Abraham said: "Truly these heavenly bodies are no gods, for they obey law; I will worship him who imposed the law upon them."
The Arabs have a different legend. They tell how Abraham saw many flocks and herds and said to his mother: "Who is the lord of these?" She answered: "Your father, Terah." "And who is the lord of Terah?" the lad Abraham asked. "Nimrod," said his mother. "And who is the lord of Nimrod?" asked Abraham. His mother bade him be quiet and not push questions too far; but already Abraham's thoughts were reaching out to him who is the God of all.
The legends go on to tell that Terah not only worshiped twelve idols, one for each of the months, but was also a manufacturer of idols. One day Abraham was left in charge of the shop. People came in to buy idols. Abraham would ask them how old they were and they would answer perhaps fifty or sixty years of age. "Woe to a man of such an age," said Abraham, "who adores the work of one day!" A strong and hale man of seventy came in. Abraham asked him his age and then said: "You fool to adore a god who is younger than yourself!" A woman came in with a dish of meat for the gods. Abraham took a stick and smashed all the idols but one, in whose hands he set the stick he had used. Terah returned and was angry. Abraham said: "My father, a woman brought this dish of meat for your gods; they all wanted to have it and the strongest knocked the heads off the rest, lest they should eat it all." Terah said: "That is impossible for they are made of wood and stone." And Abraham answered: "Let thine own ear hear what thine own mouth has spoken!"
All these legends give us a vivid picture of Abraham searching after God and dissatisfied with the idolatry of his people. So when God's call came to him he was ready to go out into the unknown to find him! Abraham is the supreme example of faith.
