ABRAHAM

The Life of Abraham

 

God gave Abraham a seven-fold promise of blessing (Genesis 12:1-3). The promise culminates in Abraham’s seed, through whom all the nations upon earth would be blessed. Abraham’s seed is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the same conquering Seed that was promised to Eve in the garden of Eden. Abraham believed this promise even though at that time his wife Sarah was barren and they were childless. Scripture teaches that Abraham’s faith was accounted to him for righteousness. In the same way the New Testament makes it clear that all who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ are similarly justified (declared righteous) by faith (Romans 4:23-24) and Abraham is the father of all these also. Truly as his name translates he is the ’father of a multitude’.

 

Abraham is one of the key figures in the Old Testament. The Jews (through Isaac) and the Muslim Arabs (through Ishmael) are both descended from him. God appeared to him as he lived in his native city: Ur of the Chaldees. God told him to leave his home, kindred and way of life to go to the land that He would show him. The amazing thing is that Abraham believed God and went, even though he did not know where he was going. From that time forward Abraham’s life was characterised by three things: a tent, an altar and God’s promise. His simple trust in God and obedience gives us an example of what faith is: believing God’s Word and acting upon it. As the children’s song says:

Faith is just believing what God says he will do

He will never fail you, His promises are true

Those who come believing, find Him wholly true

Faith is just believing what God says He will do