Abraham Believed!

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going. By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. So in fact children were fathered by one man—and this one as good as dead—like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore. These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son. God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,” and he reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense he received him back from there.” Hebrews 11:8-19 NET

Today's passage is extensive because I sought to illustrate the powerful narrative of Abraham and his remarkable journey of faith. Unlike us, Abraham did not have the benefit of written scriptures like the Torah to guide his understanding of God. Instead, he placed his unwavering trust in a God who communicated with him directly through his thoughts. This was no small burden; Abraham was the first individual to embrace faith in God since the early revelations to Adam, Enoch, and Methuselah. He was chosen to establish an entire race or nation, set apart as God's own people through his progeny.

Abraham was called out from the city of Ur in Mesopotamia, which now lies in the present-day Tell el-Muqayyar, located in the Dhi Qar Governorate of southern Iraq. God communicated with Abraham through his thoughts. In contemporary terms, we might describe a man who hears such voices in his head as delusional or suffering from schizophrenia, interpreting it through psychiatric perspectives as merely a chemical or hormonal imbalance in the brain. It is fascinating to note that the entire Jewish and Islamic belief systems are based on the experiences of a man who heard voices.

Incredibly, significant events unfolded when Abraham was one hundred years old and his wife Sarah was ninety, as they welcomed their son, Isaac. In antiquity, it was not uncommon for a man to father a child at such an advanced age. Historical accounts tell us that Abraham lived to be one hundred seventy-five years old, while Sarah reached one hundred twenty-seven before her death. Thus, the idea that they were past their childbearing years becomes a matter of relative perspective when viewed in the context of their time, and their age.

I am not trying to deconstruct Abraham's faith; rather, I want to explore him as a flawed man, much like ourselves. His journey, though unique, is remarkably relatable. Abraham believed in what he envisioned in his thoughts, and while his story is anecdotal, it is often regarded as an accurate accounting of his experiences. Many of us who read the word of God embark on a similar journey, hoping to have those written words resonate in our minds and hearts, just as they did for Abraham. These words begin to shape us, making us more aware of moral and spiritual principles in our lives. They help us forge a relationship with God that is built on faith and trust in what we cannot see but more on what we hope for

Abraham was a wanderer, who envisioned a future city promised by God—a magnificent, heavenly city not built by human hands. This city embodied a profound sense of rest and the ultimate fulfillment of his journey. What Abraham could not have foreseen was that this vision was more than just a city; it was a divine masterpiece unfolding within him, as he became an integral part of God’s kingdom. It was Christ, the cornerstone of faith, who dwelled within him and his descendants, laying a powerful foundation for the incredible future that awaited them.

Even Sarah held firm in her belief that her son would fulfill God's promise to both her and Abraham. She endured the profound emotional pain of barrenness for many years, watching her hopes for children diminish with each passing day. Although Abraham had the ability to father children, it was through Hagar, Sarah’s slave woman, that he had a son named Ishmael. This underscores the text's powerful affirmation that Sarah was truly barren, amplifying the weight of their struggle and the depth of their faith.

In Sarah's case, the complete reversal of infertility at an advanced age is virtually impossible, given the natural decline in both the quality and quantity of ovum production that comes with aging. However, God's intervention, as He proclaimed that she would conceive and bear a son, underscores the miraculous nature of this event. This extraordinary occurrence, where divine power defied the laws of nature, powerfully illustrates God's sovereignty. While the promise was primarily regarding Abraham’s descendants, it is Sarah who bore this promise by bringing forth the child. This profoundly emphasizes the unity of Abraham and Sarah as one in marriage in the eyes of God.

Through the unwavering trust that resided in Abraham's heart, a miraculous lineage emerged from the seemingly barren lives of a childless couple—a precious gift, a son named Isaac. When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham embraced a profound truth: even the most drastic act would not negate the promise he had received. He believed with certainty that God could resurrect Isaac, for the Almighty had declared, “Through Isaac, your descendants will carry on your name.” The Scriptures affirm that Abraham received these promises because God had demonstrated His unchanging faithfulness.

In the same way, when we receive the promises of God through Jesus, we are transformed from death to life. We become heirs of Abraham’s legacy, trusting wholeheartedly that God will fulfill His divine purpose for each of us, guiding us toward a heavenly city not constructed by human hands. In this journey, we embody that city, with Christ as our steadfast foundation. His righteousness and unwavering commitment to His promises shape our reality, making Jesus our ultimate son of promise.

Stephen Barnett