Bible Study
The faith of Abraham (b)
This is the second part of our study on ‘The Faith of Abraham’. I advice that in order to flow with this part, it is best to read up on the first part here as I’ll be making reference to some of the things we learnt last Friday.
The Law/Principle Of Faith
“For we conclude that; a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands.“
Romans 3:28 GNB
The law/principle of faith was in operation before the law and prophets, it was (and still remains) God’s preferred mode of operation. God tried to teach Moses and the Israelites the principle of faith, but somehow they never really caught it (Romans 4:13; Hebrews chapters 3 and 4). Romans 3:28 speaks of being made right (justified or righteous) by faith. We see the principle of faith in the life of Abraham; in receiving the blessing and being made righteous. Abraham believed the Word of God!
How Did Abraham Become The Father Of Faith?
First to simplify ‘Abraham the father of faith‘ we are saying Abraham got things done by faith (believing, speaking and acting) and though he was an old testament saint, anyone who can get things done by faith, can be identifiable with Abraham. Amen!
“Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” Galatians 3:7 NKJV
“So understand that it is the people who live by faith [with confidence in the power and goodness of God] who are [the true] sons of Abraham.” Galatians 3:7 AMP
There are three (3) instances where Abraham exhibited great faith that stand out to me…there could be more of these, but below I share 3 of them
1. Abraham Left His Home To An Unknown Destination At The Lord’s Command
“By faith Abraham, when he was called [by God], obeyed by going to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land, as in a strange land, living in tents [as nomads] with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise.”
Hebrews 11:8-9 AMP
Abraham believed the Word of the Lord; he acted in faith. He left his comfort zone to a strange land by faith.
That may seem like nothing, but can you imagine relocating from where you currently reside to an unknown destination because a voice told you so? Or can you try quitting your current job and embarking on a blind journey into the unknown because a voice or a conviction in your spirit told you so? Abraham exhibited great faith walking into the unknown simply at God’s command. And remember there is no record that Abraham had seen God or heard God before then, his believe and obedience was purely by faith.
If God says to go; go! The instruction may not make sense, the circumstances may not look right, still go! It may even seem like you are moving in circles like happened to Abraham (from Ur to Haran to Bethel (in Canaan), to Egypt, back to Canaan), still keep going! You may meet scarcity on the way just as happened to Abraham, yet keep going and take a look around, and you’ll realise that you’ve been fully provided for in the blessing. Halleluyah!
“Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.”
Psalms 34:10 NLT
Maybe you are thinking; ‘but God hasn’t asked me to go anywhere’, well, God always leads His children.
Proverbs 20:27 says …
“The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.”
Proverbs 20:27 NKJV
God is Spirit and He deals with us primarily through our spirit. He leads us primarily by His Spirit impressing on our spirit man.
God may not be saying for you to leave your current physical location, but He’s surely leading you towards His plan and purposes for your life. Halleluyah! Follow Him; your profiting lies therein. Go in the blessing.
Abraham left Ur with the promise of the blessing, he believed it and it didn’t just sustain him, it made him rich to the point he could take care of so many other people. The blessing always brings increase. Go in the blessing! Amen.
2. A Very Old Abraham Believed And Hoped For A Child Just Because God Promised To Make Him A Father Of Nations
By faith Abraham believed God would give him a son inspite of his old age (and that of Sarah).
“There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, “You will have many descendants.” Abraham was almost a hundred years old, so he was past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham was well aware of this, but his faith in God never became weak. He never doubted that God would do what he promised. He never stopped believing. In fact, he grew stronger in his faith and just praised God. Abraham felt sure that God was able to do what he promised. So that’s why “he was accepted as one who is right with God.”
Romans 4:18-22 ERV
Abraham confidently expected the promise of the son that would make him the father of many nations…
“For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has foundations, [an eternal, heavenly city] whose architect and builder is God.”
Hebrews 11:10 AMP
At almost 100years, Abraham had no logical reason at all to keep expecting to become a father. Abraham believed the Word of God. And even Sarah, what right did she have to expect to conceive at 90 years? ….
“By faith even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive [a child], even [when she was long] past the normal age for it, because she considered Him who had given her the promise to be reliable and true [to His word]. So from one man, though he was [physically] as good as dead, were born as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand on the seashore.”
Hebrews 11:8-12 AMP
I wept while reading about Abraham’s persistence and steadfastness. I said to myself; ‘Grace you need to believe God more’….. How does anyone keep believing for a child until 100years of age? This is really having hope against hope.
What are you believing God for? How long have you waited? How is your faith while you wait- weak or strong? How confident is your expectation?
God is faithful to His promise/word. Stay in the blessing.
Sometimes, while waiting we can fall into the temptation of trying to fix things for God, to help God bring His promise to pass. Sarah and Abraham tried it, and they ended up with Ishmael. Not that anything is wrong with Ishmael, but he just wasn’t the child of promise. God’s plan was Isaac, Israel, Jesus! Ishmael meant something different.
I pray we don’t lose hope while we wait. Faith without hope will fail.
At some point God gave Abraham hope to continue believing; He entered into a covenant of blood with Abraham. The covenant was God’s bond. For us as Christians, our hope is in the finished work of Christ; because Christ’s precious blood was poured, a covenant was instituted, and so we have hope of victory. God kept His covenant with Abraham, He keeps His covenant with us because of Jesus! Halleluyah!!
Hope in God; His goodness never ceases.
“The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word].”
Lamentations 3:25 AMPC
3. Abraham Believed God Would Provide A Lamb For Sacrifice So He Had No Struggles Bundling His Only Son Isaac for sacrifice As Commanded By God.
“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Genesis 22:1-2 NKJV
You know there are times when things just come at you and they seem to destabilize and unsettle you, yet you remain confident that they can’t break you, neither can they kill you, ….they will surely pass, all because you know that God has bigger plans for you.
I personally think that Abraham must have thought to himself that it was impossible for Isaac to die; because if God already promised to make him a father of many nations through his own son borne to him by Sarah (Genesis 21), Isaac needed to be alive…. And I love Abraham’s response to Isaac when the lad inquired about the lamb for response……Abraham answered that God would provide for Himself a lamb for sacrifice (Genesis 22:3, 6-8 ). Justvas an aside, some scholars interpret this as saying that God provided HIMSELF a lamb for sacrifice. What’s important for me is; God made provision for a lamb other than Isaac.
If you are ever going to accomplish anything BIG in God, God will test you, the devil will tempt you with evil. Pray to pass your test and to not fall into the devil’s temptations. Amen!
This test of Abraham’s faith, trust, loyalty, reverence wasn’t a small one, it was major!
How could God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his long awaited and only son? Yes, now we understand it as a foreshadowing of God sacrificing Jesus to redeem mankind, yet, it was a big test of faith.
I am so glad Abraham passed his test, am sure God was glad too….
And truly, it was just a test, because God already made plan for a lamb for sacrifice….
“Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The- Lord -Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
Genesis 22:9-14 NKJV
Praise God!
In all 3 instances, Abraham acted in faith; he Believed God; He received the Word of God, Spoke about it, and he Acted on the Word of God. So Abraham gained his title as the father of faith by believe not by works. He also became righteous by believe (faith) not by works.
So, contrary to hope, Abraham believed in hope; that is to say that, when there was nothing to hope for, Abraham had hope that God’s promise would come through. Abraham had absolutely no reason to hope; he was old, his body was weak, his sexuality and sexual drive was as good as gone. Sarah was also weak, have you imagined how the womb of an 89year old woman could hold a baby?
Today, as we claim to be sons and daughters of Abraham, claiming his blessings, may we also be reminded that our belief is all by faith, we were crafted into God’s holy people (Israel) by grace through faith and thanks to Abraham he exemplified that it was possible to believe God, to walk with God, to be made right with God, and to be blessed by God, …..All by faith.
Abraham and Sarah were physically weak, but thank God they were not weak in faith. Abraham was strengthened in faith, he did not waiver at God’s promise, he did not accommodate unbelief, instead he glorified God continually. Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised, He would do. Hence God imputed righteousness on Abraham; Abraham’s faith gained him right standing with God (righteousness) and gained him many victories.
The only way for the righteous to live, thrive and be victorious, is by faith (sustained with hope in Christ). Abraham enjoyed a wonderful relationship with God by faith, he experienced God’s power by faith, and he manifested God’s glory by faith.
Halleluyah!! Thank You Jesus!
Well, thanks for joining me again. I trust that your faith has been built up and your hope further strengthened.
Next time, we will look at another interesting part; ‘The Blessing of Abraham‘. Don’t miss it.
Remember that you can access previous parts of this study as follows; Part 1: Study Background. Part 2: The Scope of the Christian Victory. Part 3: How Christians Gained Victory. Part 4: How Faith, Love and Hope Mix Together for Victorious Christian Living. Part 5: The Nature of God’s Love. Part 6: Characteristics of God Kind of Love. Parts 7 and 8: Winning Through Love. Part 9: How to develop our love nature. Part 10: Giving Is Not (always) Love. Part 11:Victory Through Faith: Understanding Faith. Part 12: Victory Through Faith: The Righteousness of God. Part 13: The Stimulus for Faith. Part 14: The Faith of Abraham (a).
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