Paul relays that Abrahams’ authenticity was deemed to him as rectitude (Rom 4:3-22). The starting point for him being reckoned as righteous was due to his believed in God even before he was circumcised. Initiation was a symbol of God’s covenant to him, because his uprightness was relayed through his authenticity a while before there was edict though still uncircumcised.
Abraham is deemed as the father of scores of nations. Paul puts down concerning the candidness of Abraham (Rom 4:1-16). His faithfulness towards God made him to become the first righteous person. Abraham existed long prior to Moses, whom God gave the commandments as the Jews believe. Abraham truthfulness was a paradigm of law coming after the gospel. This was confirming that God would transform the Gentiles into righteous people on the base of their faithfulness to the maker (Gal 3:8).
The circumcision of Abraham is a mark of covenant between him and God. Moreover, Abram named was changed to Abraham since he would be the father to countless nations. Abraham’s wife name was changed from Sarai to Sarah. God changed her destiny through changing her name from being a barren lady to the mother of Israel (Gen 17:16). The name Sarah means princess which conveys God’s reassurance that she will become a regal ancestor.
Abraham and his wife Sarah were struggling to comprehend God’s promise of blessing them with numerous descendants, blessings and land. Despite the conviction of God’s promises to Abraham, the accomplishment of divine pledges, particularly the conceiving of a son to become heir to the promises, were met with frustrations and complications. Abraham and Sarah were old and they did not expect to bare children. Abraham’s only hope for a descendant is in Ishmael, his son with Hagar. However, God affirms that the promise is not made to Abraham alone but his couple with Sarah.
The tale of Abraham in the bible has been a story of disillusionment. Faith always anticipates the evidence, but it gets to a point where it withers away in the face of inexorable situations while waiting for God’s action. In the face of human eyes, Sarah and Abraham old age makes it impossible for the assurance of an heir to be accomplished. Abraham response of the extraordinary promise; that his 90 year old companion will bear a child, relays his character of being faithful.
Paul relays that descendants of Abraham would be the people who perform the works of Abraham (Rom 4:13-17). Jesus also reaffirms this statement by saying that the descendants of Abraham will depend ‘on character. Paul maintains that Abraham was warranted by the maker apart from his legal obedience but rather on believing in the promises that God made to him (Gal 3:8).
At the age of seventy five years, while residing in Haran, Abraham was directed by God to move to an unknown land that He would direct him to. Without any hint of disbelieve or doubt, Abraham took his nephew lot, and his wife Sarah and set to the land which God would show him.
He moved south following the trade paths from Haran, through Bethel and Shechem to the area of Canaan. At that time, Canaan was a highly populated area inhabited by the belligerent Canaanites. Abraham’s confidence that God would bestow to him and his generations was a step of faith. The situation appeared difficult, however Abraham’s faith in the Lord allowed him to belief in God.
Abraham shifted to Egypt after Canaan was hit by famine. Abraham was a peaceful man which prompted him to introduce his wife Sarah as his sister to the Egyptians in order to avoid trouble. The Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh, took Sarah as hi companion. God’s fought for Abraham through plaguing Pharaoh’s house until she was returned to Abraham (Gen 12:10-20).
Abraham and Lot squabbled over pastureland and departed into separate ways. Abraham settled in Canaan while Lot moved in the valley of river Jordan. Abraham continued to be under God’s protection and guidance due to his obedience and devotion to Him. God’s favor enabled him to form a very formidable military that rescued Lot from rulers who had detained him while raiding the towns of Gomorrah and Sodom (Gen 14:16).
The Lord reiterated His pledge to Abraham. The rapport between Abraham and God is depicted as a convectional relationship. This is one of the most solemn types of agreement among individuals in the antique times. According to such conformity certain conditions which would govern the relationship were set and the abiding individuals were supposed to abide unto the agreement. In the situation of Abraham, he agreed to move to a land that the Lord would show him, and God established to make him a great nation.
In the ancient world, custom demanded that a woman who had passed a certain age without bearing a child (preferably a male child) was obligated to provide his husband with a substitute. This aim of this custom was to ensure that leadership in the clan was continuous. In respect to this custom, Hagar the maidservant from Egypt had a son by the name Ishmael with Abraham. Ishmael was not the son to carry the linage pledge to Abraham (Gen 17:20).
Abraham was one hundred years, and Sarah was ninety one years when Isaac was born. After the birth of Isaac, Sarah was despondent with the presence of Ishmael and Hagar. She requested Abraham to chase them away. He was hesitant to cast them away but he later agreed when God assured him that they would be safe under His protection. Ishmael does not take a significant role in Abraham’s life, but he does appear when accompanying Isaac at their father’s passing away.
One of the most life threatening and controversial situations is when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. Apparently Abraham does not ask any questions even though he some years ago he argued with God about Sodom. He proposes no alternative to God even though He had a history of providing alternative options. The irrationality of such a request surpasses the absurdity of the initial promise, yet there is no intimation of disinclination on Abraham’s side.
He made no talks with Sarah nor did he relay any kind of anxiety. He sets off very early the next morning, probably to avoid any conversations about it. It was a trip of three days to the hill of Moriah. In many ways it one of the longest expeditions of his life since his faith was at test and it was a contrast to all that he had been promised by God.
It was ordinary by non believers to offer sacrifices to their gods. The purpose of such a brutal command is to see if Abraham was committed and it also a challenge to his devotion. The test was also aimed at helping Abraham to focus on the Giver rather than the gift (Gen 15:1).
When Abraham get near the selected spot he leaves his servant and lies to him that they will return after making their worship to God. This was done in an effort to cover his secret. The son and father get to the hill, the position where Jerusalem. They prepare the altar together, though Isaac is ignorant of his father’s will. He soon comprehends his father’s intentions and complies with his demands. Writings of Paul and the book of Genesis does not relay an instance when Isaac resists the action of him being sacrificed. This act paints a representation of willing submission.
An angel from heaven halts the sacrifice and offers the option of a ram. The covenant term with Abraham is once again reiterated by God. This time the maker is more emphatic than before. Abraham character of obedience to God is relayed through his actions.
Paul wrote that Abraham is our father in faith. He relays that not even Abraham can give us faith. Through Jesus Christ we acquire faith. The faith in Jesus is the faith that connects us to Abraham. Paul believes that Abraham is the first Christian since he is the first person to believe in God (Rom 14:1-25). Paul generally constructs Abraham as a prime paradigm of firm faith. He uses two terminologies to express Abraham’s faith: it is neither wavered nor weakened (Rom 4:19).
The compassion in Abraham is revealed when he had a long conversation with Gods pleading with Him not to obliterate Gomorrah and Sodom. Abraham wanted God to spare righteous people who lived those two cities. Even though people in those cities were wicked, Abraham did not wish to see them perish. God agreed to save lot and his two daughters from the destruction on condition that they would leave and never look back. However, Lot broke the covenant a looked back and He was turned into a pillar of salt (Gen 18).
Abraham died at the age of 175 years living 38 years after Sarah had died. Abraham had made sure that his son Isaac had married from his own people. After the death of Sarah, Abraham went ahead to marry Keturah. They had 6 sons with Keturah. Isaac and Ishmael buried their father in the cave of Machpelah besides his wife Sarah.
Conclusion
Abraham is a prime example of a righteous individual and a father to the Hebrews. Despite the impossible odds, he had faith in the promises made to him by God. He is therefore a good model in which human behavior. He was God fearing, hospitable to strangers and a man obedient to the Lord’s laws. In other biblical references God of Abraham is identified as God of Israel (Gen 26:24).
Abraham was an imperative figure in the account of God’s servants. Israel requested to God to remember his covenant with Abraham (Deut 9:27). The New Testament moulds Abraham as the ultimate model of significant faith. He is also depicted as the principal exemplar of the faith required for Christian believers.
Abraham is depicted as the heir of the universe (Rom. 4:13). He is a friend to God (Jas 2:23). The Lord made a pledge to him that when Jesus returns, he will be raised from the dead to inherit the Promised Land. Christians who display obedience and faith in a similar way to Abraham did will become heir to him as Jesus relayed.
A promise was made to Abraham that through his seed, all nations in the universe will be blessed. Jesus is the decedents that make all these to become a reality. Through believing in Jesus Christ, the gentiles were given salvation. Hence, they can inherit the promises made to father Abraham. The pledge of the Spirit is that by baptism and faith Christians share the promises of God to Abraham through Jesus Christ (Gal 4: 13, 14).
The promise of Abraham becoming a father of many nations is accomplished through the coming of the Messiah. The bible identifies Jesus as the son of David who is a heir in the lineage of Abraham (Mat. 1:1). Paul teaches Christians through the life account of Abraham life story and how he believed in God and obeyed his words. In a similar way, faith, obedience and abiding to the Covenant with God will always give believers with a platform for God to perform acts in Christian’s lives that look impossible in the face of human eyes. Christians and other believers of God’s teachings in the bible should have faith and obedience to the provider who is God of Abraham rather that the actual material items given to them by the maker.
Works cited
Marks, Herbert. The English Bible: King James Version. New York: Norton, 2012. Print.
