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Abraham – Let’s Get Acquainted
Abraham is a peculiar individual who figures prominently in both the Old and New Testaments. I have often wondered why God chose this man, from a foreign land of pagan idolatry, calling him to the land of promise. A second question I wondered about was: why was Abraham willing to leave everything he knew and head to a strange land at the word of a God he barely knew? Finally, as a Christian, I wanted to know why so much New Testament theology, especially Paul’s writings, relies heavily on this person. So, to summarize my curiosity in these three areas, I reduce it to: “Why Abraham?”
As a Gentile, I came to appreciate Abraham through the eyes of the Apostle Paul. Paul presents Abraham as a foundational pillar in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. The Gospels also cite him throughout. In fact, the New Testament references him more than any other Old Testament character. Surely something about his life is relevant for us today and worthy of deeper understanding… but what?
#1. Why Did God Choose Abraham to be ‘The Father of our Faith’?
Since Abraham is a foundational character in much of the Apostle Paul’s writing, let’s see whether this rabbinical scholar can deepen our understanding of this ancient nomad. Of all the available people on earth, why call this man? I have landed on two passages below that give me some understanding.
Scripture tells us,
Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith. Rom. 4:1-2
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”
Hebrews 11:8-10
Belief or faith coupled with obedience appears to be the key to Abraham’s life with God.
Abraham Responded (Belief Plus Obedience)
Abraham believed God, and his belief resulted in obedience. So we might say, by faith he went, and by faith he lived. The point is that faith demands a response, not just a mental belief. Faith acts in obedience as a response to the voice of God. In James 2:18, 21-23, it is stated like this:
“You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Was not Abraham justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’–and he was called a friend of God”. As we can see, a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
What About Abraham’s Behavior?
Most of us have heard the objections about God’s choice of Abraham. He lied about his wife, saying she’s my sister, to save his own skin not once, but twice (remember Pharaoh and Abimelech). Let’s not forget he slept with Hagar in an attempt to fulfill God’s promise on his own. Yet God was not moved by his character flaws! He focused on his faith, despite his moral failures.
God responded to Abraham and the patriarchs the same way he responds to us today. Don’t we all struggle with behavioral choices after we come to faith? It seems God’s grace is activated by faith, not earned through my good behavior. Grace through faith is not a New Testament invention; in fact, Abraham discovered faith long before the New Testament was written.
In Romans, Paul says Abraham’s faith, not his behavior, made him acceptable to God. Belief is not a generalized, “Oh yeah, I believe in God”; rather, it is an active response to hearing the voice of God speak to me. That is Bible faith – hearing, believing, and responding.
Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.” Rom 4:1-8 NLT
God chose Abraham as the “father of faith” because his faith was more valuable than the integrity and morality he lacked. God wants to show himself faithful to us, but He can’t demonstrate it if we don’t trust him. This does not excuse moral or character failure; we will address those as we walk with God in our new life of faith.
Now that we better understand why God chose Abraham, let’s address the second question.
#2. Why Did Abraham Trust this God?
This answer might seem a bit speculative, but let’s approach it with a little imagination.
Suppose a stranger approaches you on the street with these words: “I have a project that I think you would be perfect for. It’s on the other side of the country, so you’ll have to gather your family and belongings and get ready for a long road trip. Once you’re packed and headed out, I’ll be in touch with more instructions. Don’t worry, I’m going ahead of you to take care of everything. You will be blessed and will be a blessing to many others; in fact, your name and reputation will spread far and wide.” What do you think your response would be to the stranger and his odd request?
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have a healthy dose of skepticism. You might wonder who this stranger is and how he got your name. Did Abraham have similar questions? As it turns out, he wasn’t completely unfamiliar with this God. In those days, ancient stories were passed down through oral tradition, and lifespans were much longer than they are today. So it’s likely that he knew the ancient tales through generational storytelling-similar to the culture of Native Americans.
The memories of the Tower of Babel, the Flood of Noah, and even the Garden of Eden were etched in their minds through the old stories. Although Abraham did not know this God personally, he likely knew about Him. He would have known that He was merciful, kind, and loving to those who trusted and believed in Him and called on His name for help and favor. He also had heard that this God dealt appropriately with those who were given to evil, violence, and rebellion against Him.
Abraham knew of the ancient Mesopotamian gods: a pantheon that included Anu, Enlil, Enki, and Inanna (Ishtar), who expected humans to serve and care for them, sometimes with outrageous demands. But the God calling Abraham was not like the pantheon he’d left behind, contending for power and control while using humans for their personal benefit. No, this God was different. Look at what He said:
“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”. Genesis 12:2-3
Abraham realized that this God was totally different. He will protect me, provide for me, and honor me. These words matched the stories his ancestors had passed down. This God was different; He was not caught up in His own status or ego. He genuinely seemed to care for Abraham and his well-being. For this reason, Abraham could trust this God, leave behind everything he’d known, and walk by faith with a God he’d only just met.
#3. Why Does Abraham Show Up Again and Again in the New Testament?
Peter gives some insight in Acts 3, after healing the lame man at the Beautiful Gate. The people were in shock and awe at the man’s healing. When the crowd came together, Peter offered an explanation rooted in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These are the patriarchs of the Abrahamic covenant. Notice how he begins.
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus…
Acts 3:13 (ESV)
And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” Acts 3:24-26 (ESV)
In the passages above, Peter goes back before the law, before Moses, back to the time of Abraham. He connects the events in Acts to the promised offspring of Abraham. Peter continues by explaining that all the prophets spoke of these days, when the coming one (Messiah) would fulfill the covenant with the fathers, namely the Abrahamic Covenant.
In Galatians, Paul says essentially the same thing Peter did.
So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Gal 3:7, 14 (ESV)
For a deeper discussion of why Abraham, please check the blog (Jesus Christ – Son of Abraham).
Conclusion
Let’s put our questions together. Why did God choose Abraham, and why did Abraham choose God, and how is this relationship between God and Abraham the foundation of the New Testament?
We saw above that God valued Abraham’s faith and obedience. It allowed the Creator to demonstrate His love, faithfulness, and power to one who trusted and obeyed.
For Abraham, this meant he understood that God genuinely loved him and was working on his behalf for his good and the good of his posterity. He learned that the one true God was different from the gods of this world who use humanity for their own agenda. When the Most High called his name, the only sensible response was, “Yes, Lord!”
Abraham’s relationship with God was based on faith, belief, and trust in a God who loved and cared for him, which led to his obedience. This same kind of relationship is the cornerstone of New Testament Christianity. That is why the New Testament book of Galatians says that those who have faith share the same relationship with God as our Father Abraham did.
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. Gal 3:7 (ESV)
~~ Be blessed!
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