Abraham's Faith

"And God brought Abraham forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.  And Abraham believed in the LORD; and God counted it to him for righteousness."  (Genesis 15:5-6)

Abraham's righteousness was through faith in God.  Through this faith, God was able to use Abraham and do a mighty work in his life.

What God did in Abraham's life did not depend on:

*him being perfect.

*him knowing how everything was going to happen.

*his circumstances.

*his understanding.

Let's take a closer look at these points...

Before God spoke to Abraham and even after the times he spent with God, we read about times when Abraham made mistakes.  There were times when he lied (see Genesis 20).  At one time, Abraham and Sarah's doubt caused them to take matters into their own hands so they could have a son.  Abraham had a son with Hagar, and jealously and strife was the effect of this action.  (For more details, see Genesis 16.)  Abraham was not perfect...He was very human.  And God still wanted to use him and fulfill His promises for Abraham!

Abraham and Sarah were both approaching 100-years-old when God told them that they would have a child for the first time in their lives.  How could this be?  They didn't understand how everything was going to happen.  They didn't know what the next step was going to be.  But they didn't have to know everything.  All they had to do was trust God.  The promise becoming a reality didn't depend on circumstances at all.  Faith was what it depended on.

And one happy day, God's promise of a son came to pass..."And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.  And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him."  (Genesis 21:1-5)

But a test of faith versus understanding was about to come Abraham's way.  "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."  (Genesis 22:1-2)  What was going on?  What was the Lord doing?  How was His promise of so many descendants go to come true?  Wasn't this wrong to do to Isaac?  What about this family's love and their feelings?  But Abraham was faithful and brave.  He believed God beyond what he could see or understand.

“So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.  Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.  And Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.'  So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.  But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, 'My father!'  And he said, 'Here I am, my son.'  Then he said, 'Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?'  And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.' So the two of them went together.  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, ‘YHWH Yireh;’ as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’”  (Genesis 22:3-14)

God knew what He was doing and He fulfilled His promise.  Abraham's people have always been large and in existence, and they always will be because of that promise made long ago.  That covenant rested on faith.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen...Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him...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.”  (Hebrews 11:1, 6, 8-10)

God spoke to Abraham, Abraham believed Him and had faith in Him, and it was counted to Abraham for righteousness.  I believe God still speaks to us today, wanting to do great things in our lives.  All God needs us to do is to believe Him...Have enough faith in Him to surrender our lives and everything we have to His guidance, His plans, and His will.  When we stand before God with this kind of faith, we are righteous!

-Eryn Eubanks (June 2006)