For a long time growing up, I had very little connection to the Bible. Since the only real Bible we had was a King James version, as a child my reading plan always fell apart by the time I got to the Tower of Babel. And a children’s picture book of Old Testament stories could only take me so far. My knowledge was…vague at best. I could maybe recite a few key points regarding events of the Old Testament– often confusing Jonah with Noah. Regarding Abraham, I knew he had a son named Isaac…or was it Jacob? Or was he the one with twelve sons?
What about you? When you think of Abraham, what comes to mind? Maybe some of these things: Father of many nations. Righteous due to his great faith. God tested that faith by commanding him to sacrifice his son. Abraham passing that test. Many of us know little bits about Abraham or other figures in the Bible, but we often struggle with going beyond that or connecting them together. If you’re looking for a bit more context, you’re in the right place.
Who was Abraham?
Abraham (formerly Abram) lived approximately 4,000 years ago in the present-day Middle East. His obedience to God would take him from the land of Ur to Haran, Canaan, and even to Egypt. He lived with his wife, Sarah (formerly Sarai), and occasionally with his nephew, Lot, and had accumulated a large household and flock.
Abraham’s Obedience
When Abraham was 75 years old, God commanded him to move to an unknown land. Everything he had, everything he knew, God was asking him to leave all that behind.
I don’t know about you, but if I’m going on a trip I plan it. Every. Single. Detail. But Abraham didn’t even know where he was going…or why…or what was there. I can’t imagine he could do much planning. This was an old man of 75 years. Can you imagine your grandparents picking up their lives and doing what he did? Furthermore, would you do that? Maybe you could handle taking a spontaneous trip with little-to-no planning, but could you leave everything behind for good?
Regardless, Abraham did. And God said this of him:
I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
Genesis 12:2
Abraham’s Faith
How do you think Abraham was able to go to an unknown land? Did he have nothing better to do? Or was it because he was terrified by the voice from above?
The Bible teaches that it was Abraham’s great faith (Hebrews 11:8) that led to his obedience to God. Despite not knowing where he was going, he trusted the One who led him there. For his obedience, God promised that the land Abraham was settling in would be given to his descendants to live in for generations. The funny thing is–Abraham didn’t have any children. No children, so…no descendants.
Even at this time of Biblical history, a person of 75 years was quite old. Abraham and Sarah would have probably already given up on the thought of having children at this point, but in Genesis 12, God promised him a child. God continued to remind him of it over time.
“Look up at the heavens and count the stars–if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be.”
Genesis 15:5
How do you think Abraham felt while hearing this? I would have been skeptical. But against all hope, when the situation seemed bleak and impossible, Abraham believed in God’s promise. Because of that belief in the face of an impossible situation, God called him righteous (Romans 4:18, Genesis 15:6).
After 25 years of waiting, at age 100, Abraham finally had his son, Isaac. Many people think the story ends there. But this is not just about a benevolent God giving a childless man a son. God’s promise was actually a detailed covenant. And a son was just the start of it.
A Breakdown of God’s Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:13-18)
Father of many nations
Descendants enslaved in a foreign nation for 400 years
God will punish that nation and bring his people out with great possessions
God will lead the people to the land He PROMISED to Abraham to give them- the land of Canaan.
From looking at the content of the covenant, you may already have an idea of how and when it was fulfilled. That’s because we have hindsight. We have the first five books of the Bible recorded by Moses, which document how this covenant was fulfilled. So today, we can put the pieces together pretty easily.
But try to imagine being there, in that moment, when God was promising these things. Do you think Abraham understood how these things would be fulfilled? Remember, at this point he still didn’t have his son, Isaac. So, Abraham wasn’t able to have the full picture, and surely, he had many questions. Many of these questions went unanswered during his lifetime. However, his faith did not waver.
What’s the Big Picture?
We’re starting to see that Abraham is not meant to be seen as an isolated figure, or merely someone to learn obedience and faith from. He’s part of God’s grand plan that is threaded through the entirety of the Bible.
The same goes for other figures who come after him. They weren’t people who lived their lives just doing what they wanted to and somehow worked themselves into God’s grand plan by chance. God was working through each person in order to fulfill that covenant with Abraham.
Abraham’s son of promise, Isaac, fathered Jacob. Jacob fought with an angel and overcame him. Because of that, he received the new name, Israel, which means overcomer. His 12 sons, therefore, become the 12 tribes of Israel, who moved to Egypt due to a famine and multiplied, eventually leading to their enslavement for 400 years, just as God had promised.
In their suffering, they cried out and God heard them, sending Moses to do the work of leading them out into the promised land, Canaan. About 500 years after the original promise made to Abraham, it was finally, completely fulfilled.
How Abraham Connects to Us Today
Just like there’s a thread that connects Abraham all the way to the 12 tribes of Israel (and beyond), there is a thread throughout the whole Bible–the Old and New Testament–and it should connect to us. The question is…does it?
Do we think of ourselves as an isolated person who picked up a Bible and decided to follow God, or do we know that we are somewhere deeper within the Bible? How would you go about finding the answers to these questions?
We can find one clue within the story of Abraham. What is it that God created with Abraham and his descendants? A covenant. A promise that intertwines people and God together throughout generations and works as that thread to connect all the Bible together.
Are Christians today part of a covenant with God? As God’s people, there is surely a promise God is working to fulfill. We should be somewhere within that covenant–but do you know what that covenant is? It’s time to find out.
Written by Samantha
Read More
What is the Covenant and Are You Keeping It?
What Are You Sacrificing for Your Life of Faith?
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