Abraham is one of the most revered men in history, and Christianity certainly holds this Old Testament figure in great regard. Why is Abraham so revered? He didn’t lead a nation out of captivity, such as Moses did. He didn’t command armies, like Joshua or David. Nor was he one of the great prophets. As we look into our Scripture for today, we will see why God’s Word holds Abraham up as a figure honored by God, and to be modeled in our own lives.
When we are first introduced to Abraham in the Bible, (called Abram at this time), he was living in the city of Ur, the great city of the ancient Sumerians, along with his wife, father, and siblings, when they left there to move north and west, to the city of Haran (Genesis 11:26-32). When he was 75 years old, God called him to take his wife and nephew Lot, and leave Haran, promising to make a great nation from him (Genesis 12:1-5). What makes God’s promise special is that at his age, Abram and his wife Sarah have no children. She was about ten years younger than Abram, and having been married now for many years, was obviously barren. Now, several chapters later in the Bible, where our Scripture today begins, several years have passed, and Abram still has no children. Right then, the heir to his fortune would be his chief and most trusted servant, Eliezer of Damascus (vs. 2-3).
God, though, has greater plans for Abram than that. God renews His promise to him, telling him that his servant Eliezer will not be his heir, but that He will give him a child, and that eventually his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (vs. 4-5). That would seem to be an impossibility. Abram at this time was in his mid-eighties, and Sarah in her mid-seventies. Not too many men at that age have children, and women at that age can’t bear children. Yet, what was Abram’s response to this renewal of God’s promise to him? He did not scoff. He did not doubt in his heart. Our key verse here says that Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness (vs. 6).
Abram believed God, and because of that belief, he was saved. Because of that belief, God counted it to him for righteousness, not because of any great works that he did. It was faith that saved Abram, not works. Abram’s belief in God is an illustration of faith over and against works. Abram was justified by faith. He believed God’s Word and promise. This is one of the Bible’s great examples of justification by faith. Abram was saved by grace through faith, not by any works he did, or by who he was. There is no other way of salvation given anywhere in the Bible.
Although Abram had been demonstrating his faith through his actions, such as leaving his extended family home and livelihood in Haran, and following where God would lead him, not knowing ahead of time where he was going (Hebrews 11:8), it was not his actions that saved him. It was his belief in the Lord, not his actions, that made Abram right with God. Outward actions will not, by themselves, make us right with God. Abram’s saving relationship with God is based on faith. Right actions will follow naturally as by-products.
What makes Abram’s faith even more special is that he did not have the Bible, nor any Scriptures that he could turn to in order to help boost his faith. None of the Bible had been written down yet, nor would it be for several hundred more years. He could not turn to anyone in his extended family, such as a parent or sibling to encourage his faith, either, as they were not believers. The city where he was born, Ur, was renowned for the worship of the moon god Nanna, of the ancient Sumerians. Other than his wife, Sarah, and nephew Lot, he was alone in his belief of the one true God, Yahweh.
Yahweh was Abram’s Divine Protector, his Shield, and Great Reward (vs. 1). Even when he did not see how God could fulfill His promise to him regarding an heir, he trusted the Lord anyway. He looked beyond what he could see to what God could see. Abram did not need to be afraid. God promised to defend him as his Shield, and be his reward or blessing.
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