BIBLE CHARACTER # 04

ABRAHAM –FATHER OF FAITH

“Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Therefore, know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the
Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the
gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”
(Galatians 3:6-8)

The Call Of Abraham

Genesis 12:1-3 Genesis 12:1-3. In Gen. 11:26-32 Abraham (ref. 17:5) is
introduce to us for the first time as Abram, meaning ‘father of elevation’ or
‘exalted father,’ pointing to his honored position as an ancestor of Shem. Shem
was a part of that unbroken line of faithful men, starting with Adam and his son
Seth, who served God.
Abraham grew up in Ur of the Chaldeans (Iraq, NE of the Persian Gulf),
which was a hotbed of superstition and paganism . Sadly Abraham’s own family
had succumbed to the surrounding culture by serving other gods (Josh. 24:2). To
preserve the truth about Himself God called Abraham, along with his household,
out of Mesopotamia (see Gen. 15:7; Neh. 9:7; Acts 7:2, 3), then again out of
Haran, 500+ miles NE or Ur (Gen. 12:4). Sadly Abraham’s father, Terah, died not
having made it to the Promised Land. Even more serious was the fact that
Abraham’s brother, Nahor, and his family decided not to continue the journey.
Under these conditions Abraham obeyed the call of God.
Hebrews 11:8-10: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out
to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not
knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a
foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the
same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and
maker is God.”
What was so remarkable about Abraham’s decision to obey God’s call?
1. He left the burial place of his father behind
2. He left his brother and family behind
 3. He left all that was familiar behind
4. He was called to sever ties with his past
5. He was called to an itinerant life
6. He was called to accept God’s impossible plan for him

The word of God came to Abraham as a command, then continued as a

promise, then concluded with a blessing. These three aspects characterize every
manifestation of God to man. The promises of God are fulfilled and His blessings
received only as His commands are obeyed.

5 Lessons We Can Learn from Abraham

The story of God testing Abraham’s faith is ripe with lessons we can apply
to our lives. Those lessons are easy to miss because the premise of the story is so
compelling. Let’s hit rewind and see what God can teach us. We pick up the story
in Genesis 22:2:

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love— Isaac—
and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a
mountain I will show you.’”

God knew just how precious Isaac was to Abraham, having had to wait until
he was 100 years old to have him. It would be far less of a test of Abraham’s faith
if the sacrifice didn’t mean much.

LESSON #1: The greater the cost, the greater the sacrifice.
The story continues in verse 3.
“Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took
with him two of his servants and his son Isaac.”
Two things strike me about this. The first is that Abraham had all night and
morning to be terrified about the coming events… and to talk himself out of it.
Ever had a deadline that you dreaded? Root canal. Sending your child off to
college. A firing.
At least with those events, you knew the reason behind them. Abraham was given
no explanation. He was just told to do it, plain and simple.
LESSON #2: Sacrifice doesn’t always come with answers.
Secondly, notice also that verse 3 says, “Early the next morning…” There was no
delay. procrastination. Pure… unwavering… obedience.

LESSON #3: Godly obedience should be swift.

Next, we read in verse 5 that Abraham tells his servants:
“Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will
worship and then we will come back to you.”
Notice that Abraham says “we” will come back to you after worshipping, meaning
he and Isaac. Abraham believed the Lord would salvage the situation.
We see this faith displayed again when Isaac asks his dad where the lamb was:
“Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt
offering, my son.’”—Genesis 22:8

LESSON #4: Obedience both relies on God for strength and expects God to

deliver.
The altar got built but still no lamb. Now if I’m Abraham, I’m facing a crisis of
belief. Where’s the help? Where’s the provision? Where’s the relief?
Not Abraham. He continues in obedience:
“He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then
he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.”—Genesis 22:9–
10
Imagine the anguish and horror in that moment. Envision reconciling the internal
conflict of sacrificing someone you love for someone you love more. Your knife is
raised high and ready to cut short the life of someone so important to you.
Of course, we know the story doesn’t end there. God interrupts:
“‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you
have not withheld from me your son, your only son.’ Abraham looked up
and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and
took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So
Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide.”—Genesis 22:12–14
(NIV)
God came through, just as Abraham had expected. Not only did God provide, He
then rewarded Abraham’s obedience. Abraham would have “descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.”

LESSON #5: What God requires, He provides.

Fitness trainers see people reluctant to make sacrifices necessary to reach their
goals: junk food, too much exercise, not enough exercise, free time, TV, alcohol,
comfort zones, caffeine, accountability, and so on.
Until they give up what they want for something they want more, they’ll always
come up short.
Is there anything in your life that is a little too precious? Could you be making an
idol out of something that God merely intended to be a gift in your life? Only you
really know.
But understand, God is always at work, molding and shaping us for His purposes.
This sometimes comes by sacrifice…by testing and by trusting.
When that happens, let Abraham’s example be a blueprint for your obedience.
And let the Lord’s faithful sovereignty encourage you unto completion.

Has God asked you to take a knife to something? Has He asked you to put
something on the altar and trust Him with it? How have you responded?