Adventure in Faith
|
Key Verses: “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.” Selected Scripture: |
ABRAM, OR ABRAHAM AS he was called after his name was changed, is known to students of the Bible as the “man of faith.” (Gal. 3:9, New International Version) There are many references in the New Testament to Abraham’s faith. For example, we read: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”—Heb. 11:8
In the Old Testament account (Gen. 11:31,32), it appears that the Lord was dealing with Terah, Abraham’s father, because it tells of Terah leading the entourage of Abram, Sarai, and Lot to the land of Canaan from Ur. They did not take the more difficult but direct desert route to Canaan, but rather, they took the easier way along the River Euphrates which led away from Canaan, coming to the city of Haran where they all lived awhile until Terah died. The Lord had not instructed Terah to do this, but as our lesson says, ‘the Lord had said unto Abram.’—Gen. 12:1
Since Terah wanted to go with them, he joined the group, and as senior member, led the way. After Terah’s death, Abraham took a direct route from Haran to Canaan, and “passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh” (vs. 6), in the mountains of Ephraim. There the Lord appeared to him again, and Abraham built an altar to the Lord. At this appearance the Lord confirmed the promise he had made to Abraham when he asked him to leave Ur of the Chaldees and his father’s house, saying, “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” (Gen. 12:7) Abraham demonstrated his faith by building another altar to the Lord. Later, when he left this area to travel southward in the mountains of Ephraim, Abraham built a third altar east of Bethel, where he settled for awhile.
The Apostle Paul says: “By faith Abraham … obeyed.” (Heb. 11:8) The combination of faith and obedience are characteristic of the Christian footstep followers of Jesus. Of those who are called to follow Jesus, only a few are willing to give up everything they have in their father’s (Adam’s) house, to follow in the footsteps of Jesus by consecration of their all to God, thus becoming the “chosen.” (Matt. 22:14) As Abraham was a man of faith, so also are those ‘called and chosen’ in this Gospel Age. The Apostle Paul says of these, “Those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”—Gal. 3:9, NIV
The Christian’s experience today is like that of Abraham’s as ‘a man of faith.’ Those invited to leave their present life to go to an unknown land are called to be joint-heirs with Christ. They have a “heavenly calling.” (Heb. 3:1) They have faith in God to obey the call, trusting him completely. In this Christian journey, they bring along their flesh, “the old man” (Eph. 4:22), which must die before they enter the promised land. (Gal. 5:24) Their obedience and faith shall gain them an entrance into the heavenly realms of God.