Last week, we got an overview of Abraham’s life. If you haven’t read that, then you can check that out here.
This week, we will be understanding the purpose of Abraham. Why Abraham? What was the Lord’s significance in choosing him?
Founding Father
We are familiar with Jacob, who God renamed to Israel. Whom was the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Also, Moses, who God used to give us His commandments. But, their existence was dependent on Abraham.
The Lord chose Abraham to be the father of the Jewish nation.
“Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation.”
Romans 4:1 NLT
In Genesis 11, we are first introduced to Abraham, but also it gives an account of the line of Shem to Abraham. God could’ve used any of Abraham’s ancestors. But God chose to use Abraham as the founding father of the Jewish nation.
Through the covenant of circumcision that God made with Abraham in Genesis 17, the Lord specifically set apart a group of people to be His. He called Abraham and his descendants to serve Him.
“You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you,”
Genesis 17:11 NIV
“My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
Genesis 17:13-14 NIV
And this covenant was a precursor to what God would do later through His son, Jesus, in creating the new and everlasting covenant (Hebrews 9).
Through Abraham and his son Isaac, God redeemed a people of His own. The Lord sought out to call a group of people to Him.
“For the Scriptures say, ‘Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,’ though Abraham had other children, too. This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children.”
Romans 9:7-9 NLT
As Abraham traveled around in the land of Cannan, the bible accounts the different people that Abraham encountered. Abimelech was a Philistine that Abraham made a treaty with. Abraham also bought a field from Ephron the Hittite. The Philistines and Hittites had their own practices of worship and gods that they served. For all people hailed from one of Noah’s descendants. So, although they were all descendants of Noah, they did not all reserve the God of Noah. God used Abraham to set apart a remnant of people for Himself.
Forerunner of Faith
Abraham is not only the father of the Jewish nation but in Romans, it also refers to him as the father of faith.
Romans 4:16 said, “For Abraham is father of us all. He is not our racial father—that’s reading the story backward. He is our faith father” (MSG). Another version said, “For Abraham is the father of all who believe” (NLT).
Abraham was a living demonstration of how we should have faith in God. His faith made him righteous.
“And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith,”
Genesis 15:6 NLT
Abraham did not become righteous by only his obedience, but because he believed God. His belief in God, his faith, is what made him righteous. For we cannot expect to receive anything from God without faith.
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord”
James 1:6-7 NKJV
Furthermore, we know that our faith is not measured by what we see and know, but our faith is; the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
Our faith is determined by how much we believe in God. Abraham believed God even though the promise took well over twenty years to come to pass. Even when Abraham and Sarah were past the childbearing age. Abraham believed God when the Lord said, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord” (Genesis 18:14).
So, today I encourage you all to stand on what God said to you. Believe, like Abraham, that nothing is too hard for the Lord. He chose Abraham out of all those before him to be the father of His chosen people. God has set you apart and chosen you too for something special. For we all were created for a purpose. And as long as you have breath in your body, then God still is not finished with you yet.
Y’all have a great week and don’t forget to uplift, inspire, enlighten , and, more importantly, encourage somebody. Share this post with someone and if you have any prayer request or just want to chat, then you can submit them here.
