Expert: Thurman C. Petty, Jr. - 7/16/2009

Question
how does Abraham's experiences relate to his life of faith and to the nation of Israel.

Answer
Dear Shehan,

Thank you for your question about Abraham.

The saying goes: “Abraham was a man of faith.” We see Abraham’s faith first appear when God called him out of Haran in Mesopotamia to go to Canaan (Gen. 12:1). He didn’t know where God was leading him, but he believed that God had a plan and that he should follow it.

Abraham was 75 years old at this time and even the fact that God’s people lived for 200 years or more (his father lived to be 205, Gen. 11:32), Abraham still wasn’t  a young person (he lived to be 175). And to accept such a call showed great faith.

God told Abraham, after he came into Canaan, that he would be the father of a great nation. But he was childless. And even though he tried to work it out for himself, twice, God told him that Sarah would be the mother of the child who would bear the promised blessing to all the world.

Gen 17:17  Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Gen 17:18  And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Gen 17:19  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

 Abraham made mistakes like any of us. For example: He lied about his relationship with his wife, calling her his sister on 2 different occasions. But the Bible says that Abraham “. . . believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Gen 15:6 (see also Gal. 3:6)

God gave to Abraham the ritual of circumcision as a sign of His covenant with him. This ritual carried on down through the ages and colored almost everything that was done in Israel’s history. And to those who knew its origin, and believed the promise made to Abraham, it was a sign of their own faith in God and the covenant that the Messiah would come (the Seed that God said would bless all the world).

Thank you again for your question. May God give you the faith of Abraham, and bless you through his Seed—the Messiah: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
Pettypress@gmail.com

Check out my website www.PettyPress.com where I’ve posted 18 of my books, 40 Bible study guides, and much more.