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How Abraham Became Obedient and Faithful: Warts and All

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How Abraham Became Obedient and Faithful

Warts and All

by Greg Thomas 15 comments
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How Abraham Became Obedient and Faithful: Warts and All

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On the 1st Day of Unleavened Bread this year I have a question for you. How can you (or I) leave a positive legacy of greatness for future generations? How can we become renowned with accolades like a “Friend of God or “father of the faithful?” What was Abraham's qualities… or strengths that gave him this distinction? Today, I would like to answer these questions, but perhaps in a way you don’t expect…

Comments

  • Linda Finley Martens
    Linda Martens
    P.S. I am Linda Martens of Arkansas. I do not want to embarrass the other UCG Linda Martens of Ohio with my outspokenness. She is much more discrete.
  • Laramie
    Laramie R
    My final thought on this..... If I understand correctly back in their day having son(s) not only secured the position of the wife or wives but having a son was also the assurance for a women that if something happened to her husband she would still be provided with substance and security. I have to imagine when Sarah finally had her long awaited promised and miracle son that this was a major beginning milestone in her struggle between understanding the God of her husband and her natural drive to protect herself as a vulnerable woman in a male dominated society. This moment most likely deepened her relationship with her husband and finally God. When God tested Abraham and said take your only son (with Sarah) whom you love and go sacrifice him, Abraham most likely told Sarah of this calling from the Lord. Knowing a little bit of the culture and Sarah's drive to have physical security in having this son, this moment must have been the pinnacle & capstone moment in her struggle with "am I going to trust and love you Lord no matter what you call us to do or go through". In that society this very calling was going to force her back into the position of a son-less unsecured wife. Faith!
  • Laramie
    Laramie R
    I also find it interesting that in 1Chron 1:32 mentions Keturah as a concubine and lists the sons she bore Abraham. Then in Gen 25:1 it says Abraham took her as wife. I wonder if she just had the concubine status when she was child bearing and that when Sarah died if Abraham "promoted" her to wife. If I recall I was told if a first wife did not produce an heir her husband could divorce her. If Sarah saw concubine Katurah being with child and she felt insecure in her position (Remember when her husband feared for his life he asked her to say she was his sister. To me Abraham wasn't willing to lay his life down for her). I wonder if those two situations caused her to feel insecure in her position and drove her to give her handmaiden Hagar to Abraham. We can wonder and make assumptions all day. I think the point is God can take their messed up lives and thinking and ours and turn it into his will and something very beautiful. If we didn't have Abraham, Lot and Sarah we would be missing so many good examples ( including the account of Melchizedek) of Gods love and grace towards us all. I thank God that those three had the faith to leave Haran and let God work their lives into something
  • Linda Finley Martens
    Linda Martens
    Of course we are all human and no one is perfect, but Abraham certainly came close to it as the scripture was written.
  • Linda Finley Martens
    Linda Martens
    I am also nonplussed when people talk about Abraham’s lack of faith because when he was 100 and his wife long past child-bearing age, they decided to follow the custom of the time (odd to us now but common during that time) and have a servant produce a child. God had promised Abraham descendants – one can only imagine that it might be time to step up to the plate and have one. No, we all know in hind sight that that was not a good idea. But how many would have held out until age 100 (and the wife age 90)? Instead of flippantly saying they are a couple of faithless folks, maybe we can half admire that they waited so long. Not just here – but I see on the Internet a constant attempt to denigrate Abraham, calling him a liar. It seems that if the Father of the Faithful has many faults, then we all can feel justified in our own shortcomings. But God does have some words to say about bringing false accusations against others (in this case Abraham). And I do not have personally to impugn Abraham in order to feel better about myself or other sinners. As I consider the life of Abraham, I just do not see faults.
  • Linda Finley Martens
    Linda Martens
    Genesis 14:18-20 “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God MostHigh. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he [Abraham] gave him a tithe of all. I am also nonplussed when people talk about Abraham’s lack of faith because when he was 100 and his wife long past child-bearing age, they decided to follow the custom of the time (odd to us now but common during that time) and have a servant produce a child. God had promised Abraham descendants – one can only imagine that it might be time to step up to the plate and have one. No, we all know in hind sight that that was not a good idea. But how many would have held out until age 100 (and the wife age 90)? Instead of flippantly saying they are a couple of faithless folks, maybe we can half admire that they waited so long. Not just here – but I see on the Internet a constant attempt to denigrate Abraham, calling him a liar. It seems that if the Father of the Faithful has many faults, then we all can feel justified in our own shortcomings.
  • Linda Finley Martens
    Linda Martens
    I usually admire the sermons of Mr. Thomas – but this one is so wrong. It is over-the-top to say that when God says to leave family and go to a new location, that he means for a person to leave behind his apparent dependents. A godly person is merciful and takes care of responsibilities. I have lost my sister, and I love her child as one of my own. Does God allow us to add to scripture by making assumptions? Nowhere does God give any indication that he did not want Abraham to take along his dead brother’s child. As R. mentioned, Lot was called “righteous” and was blessed in many ways. In an apparent attempt to show that Lot should not have accompanied Abraham, Mr. Thomas mentioned that Abraham had to go rescue Lot. But he fails to mention that after that rescue, Melchizadek himself (said to be Jesus Christ) appeared in person to Abraham and blessed him – That is a huge and amazing event that none of us have ever experienced, and it showed acceptance and favor for Abraham. God would not give a special reward and blessing for wrong-doing.
  • Greg Thomas
    Greg Thomas Author
    Thank you for your comments. Feedback is always important. I am sorry to hear that you were nonplussed by the Sermon. As Groucho Marx once said, “They can’t all be gems! You correctly mention the relationship between Melchizedek and Abraham. Yes, the one who later because Jesus Christ Himself loved and worked with Abraham, just like he does with all of His children. Sometimes with His physical presence, yet more often with His Spiritual presence. This meeting does not imply that Abraham was super-righteous or near-sinless. Abraham was a flawed human being loved by God, a part of His plan, saved by His Grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) , not by Abraham's conduct. The purpose of the Sermon was to demonstrate Abraham's “growth” in faith and obedience, just like we should demonstrate. As to God not giving a special reward to "wrong-doing... "Christ died for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8).
  • Linda Finley Martens
    Linda Martens
    "They can't all be gems." LOL Thank you for all you do.
  • Laramie
    Laramie R
    Your right God desires "mercy and not sacrifice" and he has come to call to "not call the righteous but the sinner to repentance" Matt 9:13 and so many other places. When we meet Abraham in the Kingdom and if we asked him if he regretted taking Lot with him his jaw would probably drop and he would be speechless. I feel the actions of Abraham attest the depth of his ability to love. Also the fact he "argued" with God over not destroying the righteous with the wicked in wicked Sodom. Abraham loved 1Cor 13:13. God bless you for the love and mercy you have towards your family and I am sure that capacity extends towards others. I will have to listen to other of his sermons. Maybe it was an "off" day. We all have that from time to time.
  • Linda Finley Martens
    Linda Martens
    Nehemiah 9:7,8 “You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram, And BROUGHT HIM OUT OF UR OF THE CHALDEANS, And gave him the name Abraham; You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him.” We saw how Abraham had so much influence over his household that in the self-same day they were told to be circumcised, that they ALL complied. Abraham circumcised himself and his son Ishmael and the rest. (Ask the few males in your home to get circumcised today and see how much compliance you get.) Abraham risked his own life to go after his nephew Lot and was heavily blessed for that. Abraham raised a knife to kill his beloved son. I think we wonderful modern-day Christians are a bunch of wimps compared to Abraham. But mainly, there are just no words of criticism from God for Abraham but just praise – so I won’t go beyond what God does and create my own denunciation. God said of Abraham, Genesis 18;19, For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment..”
  • Linda Finley Martens
    Linda Martens
    Well, it appears that Abraham not only took along Lot but that his father was with him, too. Acts 7:2-4 "And he said, 'Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia (in Ur), before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you. Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.” Yes, Abraham left the land of his nativity (Gen 11:28) with Sarai, Lot, and his father Terah. Genesis 11:31, 32 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan (ultimate destiny); and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. Canaan was the ultimate destiny not only for Abraham, Sarai, and Lot but also for father Terah. (600 miles between Ur and Haran. 500 miles between Haran and Canaan).
  • Laramie
    Laramie R
    What????? If it was wrong for Abram to take Lot then it would have been wrong for him to take Sarai because she was 'family' as well. And if God was so 'against' Lot he wouldn't have sent angels to lead him out of Sodom. And Lot would not have gone on to have two nations come from the Union of him and his daughters. And 2Peter 2:7 describes him as righteous Lot. It also doesn't say when Abraham took Keturah as a wife and had children with her Gen 25:1. Knowing his statement and concern about having more kids at the age of 100 Gen 21:7. And Gen 25:6 says he had concubineS. We make and read in a lot of assumptions here. But most likely that was going on before the passing of Sarah. Someday we will know more of the story. But for now I don't judge or condemn Abraham like that. I am glad he took Lot out of Ur and I think the situation with Hagar was sad. But I think God showed a lot of love and mercy towards Hagar. Most likely she was a young girl just obeying her mistress who grew resentful. Who wouldn't...
  • Greg Thomas
    Greg Thomas Author
    There is a word limit on posts so I would like to post another regarding Lot. Again, thanks for your comments. Yes, in 2 Peter 2:7 Lot is called "righteous" or "just. I agree wholeheartedly! Like all humans who have been saved, Lot is righteous because someone else (Christ) paid for his sins, not because of his conduct. Lot is just because he is forgiven, not because of what he did or didn't do. Certainly qualities like suggested rape of innocent daughters, drunkenness and incest are not Godly qualities or conduct. Like all of us he is "saved by grace through faith" and that is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8)... not a result of our own conduct. It is important to appreciate that there is a vast difference between what God's Will is, and what he allows. God allows his servants to make mistakes and those mistakes may result in nations being formed, or even some good things to happen. It still wasn't according to God's Will. But he works with those whom He calls, and their "mistakes" to achieve His plans and goals anyway. He does the same with us. The story of Abraham and Lot is one of change and growth toward obedience and faith. That was the message of the sermon.
  • Greg Thomas
    Greg Thomas Author
    Thank you very much for your comments. They are appreciated and all are welcome. I can't agree with your statement that in prohibiting family "Sarai" would have been included in the command for Abram to leave his "family." In the original command to leave Haran in Genesis 12, Abram is told "I will make of you a great nation" and "in you all the nations of the earth will be blessed." This was intended to be through his wife Sarai, the progenitor of these descendants as clearly indicated later in the story. She was his wife by a marriage covenant, while Lot was from Abram's "Fathers house." Genesis is primarily written in chronological order. Since Sarah died in Chapter 23 and Abraham marries Keturah later in Chapter 25, there is a high probability that Keturah and their children were after the death of his beloved Sarah. It states Abraham married "again." You make a comment that "I don't judge or condemn Abraham like that." Neither do I. The purpose of the Sermon was to show that the patriarchs were human. Like us they had strengths and weaknesses. Their struggles are our struggles. There is no judgement in showing their strengths and weaknesses as the Scriptures reveal them.

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