THE LIFE OF THE PATRIARCHS #2 | ABRAHAM: THE FATHER OF FAITH #1
Lesson 3683
THE LIFE OF THE PATRIARCHS #2
ABRAHAM: THE FATHER OF FAITH #1
Aside from Moses, no Old Testament character is mentioned more in the New Testament than Abraham.
James refers to Abraham as “God’s friend” (James 2:23), a title used of no one else in Scripture.
Believers in all generations are called the “children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7).
Abraham’s importance and impact in redemptive history are clearly seen in Scripture.
The life of Abraham takes up a good portion of the Genesis narrative from his first mention in Genesis 11:26 all the way to his death in Genesis 25:8. Although we know much about Abraham’s life, we know little about his birth and early life.
When we first meet Abraham, he is already 75 years old. Genesis 11:28 records that Abraham’s father, Terah, lived in Ur, an influential city in southern Mesopotamia situated on the Euphrates River about halfway between the head of the Persian Gulf and the modern-day city of Baghdad. We also learn that Terah took his family and set off for the land of Canaan but instead settled in the city of Haran in northern Mesopotamia (on the trade route from ancient Babylonia about halfway between Nineveh and Damascus).
Abraham’s story really turns interesting at the start of Genesis 12. In the first three verses, we see the call of Abraham by God:
“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’" (Genesis 12:1-3).
God calls Abraham out from his home in Haran and tells him to go to a land that He will show to him. God also makes three promises to Abraham: 1) The promise of a land of his own; 2) the promise to be made into a great nation; and 3) the promise of blessing.
These promises form the basis for what will later be called the Abrahamic Covenant (established in Genesis 15 and ratified in Genesis 17).
What really makes Abraham special is that he obeyed God. Genesis 12:4 records that, after God called Abraham, he went “as the LORD had told him.”
The author of Hebrews uses Abraham as an example of faith several times, and refers specifically to this impressive act: “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).
One obvious lesson to draw from Abraham’s life is that we are to live a life of faith.
Abraham could take his son Isaac up to Mount Moriah because he knew God was faithful to keep His promises.
Abraham’s faith wasn’t blind faith; his faith was a settled assurance and trust in the One who had proved Himself faithful and true.
If we were to look back on our own lives, we would see the hand of God’s providence all over it. God doesn’t have to visit us accompanied by angels or speak from burning bushes or part the sea waters to be active in our lives.
God is superintending and orchestrating the events of our lives.
Sometimes it may not seem that way, but Abraham’s life is evidence that God’s presence in our lives is real.
Even Abraham’s failures demonstrate that God, while not protecting us from the consequences of our sin, graciously works His will in us and through us; nothing we do will thwart His plan.
Abraham’s life also shows us the blessing of simple obedience. When asked to leave his family, Abraham left. When asked to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham “rose up early the next morning” to do so. From what we can discern from the biblical narrative, there was no hesitation in Abraham’s obedience. Abraham, like most of us, may have agonized over these decisions, but, when it was time to act, he acted. When we discern a true call from God or we read His instructions in His Word, we must act. Obedience is not optional when God commands something.
We also see from Abraham what it looks like to have an active relationship with God. While Abraham was quick to obey, he did not shy away from asking God questions. Abraham believed that God would give him and Sarah a son, but did wonder at how it could be (Genesis 17:17–23). In Genesis 18 we read the account of Abraham interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham affirmed that God was holy and just and could not fathom Him destroying the righteous with sinners. He asked God to spare the sinful cities for the sake of fifty righteous and continued to work the number down until ten. Ultimately there were not ten righteous men in Sodom, but God did spare Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family (Genesis 19). It is interesting that God revealed His plans to Abraham before destroying the cities and that He was not taken aback by Abraham’s questions.
Abraham’s example here shows us what it looks like to interact with God regarding His plans, intercede for others, trust God’s justice, and submit to His will.
Indeed he is rightly called the Father of Faith.
