Faith #4 (Abraham)

 December 7, 2022

Occasionally, there seems to be a gap between how we read the Old Testament and what the New Testament appears to be telling us. One such apparent discrepancy appears at the "beginning" of Abraham’s story.

 

Hebrews 11:8 reads, "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going." [CEB] Let’s break this verse down. First, it gives the impression that Abraham obeyed. This obedience is significant because it sets the tone for Abraham’s life. His attitude was "all in," demonstrated by unwavering obedience.

 

Second, we are told, "He was called to go to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance." Since Abraham did not receive the promise of land at the beginning, my impression is that this is a reference to a spiritual inheritance. In Genesis 12:2, Abraham is promised that he will become a great nation. Attached to this is "you will be a blessing." In other words, Abraham’s descendants were designed, destined, and dedicated for the purpose of blessing non-descendants. Blessing has nothing to do with words; it is action that brings about good and peace for others.

 

Finally, we are told that Abraham “went out without knowing where he was going.” Two pieces of information jump out about that statement. Abraham must have looked a bit crazy, at least to those who do not know or understand God, to have left his family to follow God’s direction. The older I get, the more I feel the pull of family. Since Abraham was older than me when he received this direction, I’m thinking this tore his heart out.

 

The second piece of information comes from Genesis 11:31: “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (son of Haran), and his son Abram’s wife, Sarai his daughter-in-law. They left Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan, and arriving at Haran, they settled there.” [CEB] Okay, if Abraham’s dad had set out for Canaan and fallen short, might it have been a vision (or passion) instilled in Abraham? This is where the Old and New seem to conflict. Notice, Abraham was pointed in the direction of Canaan without knowing if that was the final destination. Still, I wonder if it was Terah’s faith that at least set Abraham up for successful obedience. Abraham had learned to listen to (and recognize) God's voice above all the noise, perhaps from Terah.

 

The first lesson of Abraham’s faith is that faith trusts God even without understanding everything. The second lesson is that faith begets faith. Obedience was the first step that opened the door to an awesome adventure.

 

So, what is your awesome adventure that God has you on? The journey starts with a step of obedience.

 

Stick around… more to follow!