Abraham, the father, is remembered in the New Testament as the father of the Jewish people and Christians. For the faith of Abraham was so great God made a covenant with him. That is, of those who have believed in Christ, from all nations, as those who inherit the promise given to him. In the time of the patriarchs, the father was the priest for the whole family. About him, the Savior tells the Jews who sought to kill him.
Abram is called the Father of the Faith because he underwent the greatest trial. That of sacrificing his only Son, offered by God in his old age. And Abraham sacrifices Isaac. Abraham believes in God. Tertullian said that to believe is absurd. God stops Abraham when he is about to slaughter Isaac, and from that moment on, for this act, God will reward him thousands of times in Abraham’s age. Abram had the faith of millions.
Abraham receives the command from the mouth of God. There is an encounter between Abraham and God. Abraham was a man in whom God found humility and faith. He found inner readiness towards Him. Abraham had an open heart toward his Creator. Abraham was a pure man without heavy sins.
Is Abraham the father of faith?
As we know, Abraham spent his early life in Ur, in Chaldea, today’s Iraq. It is said that 24 miles. South of Ur is a group of mounds known as Eridu, the home of Adalah. Archaeologists agree that this was the Garden of Eden. Today, Ur is just a railway station about 119 miles away.
Abraham is the father of faith for the sacrifice he brought to God. When he wanted to sacrifice Isaac. Paul also calls Abraham the father of Jesus, who came into the world and did not take the nature of angels. But the seed of Abraham he took, that he might be like unto the brethren in all things.
The Bible tells us that God’s first conversation with Abraham was when he was in Ur. Terah took his son Abram, Lot, the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai, his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. And they went out together from Ur of Chaldea to the land of Canaan.
Biography of Abraham
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Biblical places from the times of Abraham
- Arabian Desert- Is the Arabian Desert the place Abraham went to?
- Moriah- Does the Mountain of Moriah still exist today?
Why is Abraham considered the father of faith?
It is possible that obedience to God and obedience to His will cost Abraham dearly. But whatever it cost him, the loss of his good name, wealth, or something else, Abraham did not compromise with the people of his birthplace and take part in their idolatry and immorality.
According to biblical accounts, Abram is considered the father of faith because he was the most faithful man in the Bible after Jesus. His strong faith in God’s promises made him obedient, so Abraham arrived in Canaan.
When Abraham entered the Land of Canaan, he first settled in Shechem. He did not stay there long but went to a more mountainous part near Bethel. There he made his home, built an altar to the Lord, and prayed for himself, his family, and all the servants under his hand.
How many times is Abraham mentioned in the Bible?
When God calls Abraham to come out of Ur, which had become a fair of deserts, he makes him a promise as a reward for this call.
According to biblical sources and false information, Abram is mentioned in the Bible 27 times. His name is mentioned in the Gospels, and the Bible verses are as follows:
- Acts 3:13,25; 7:2-32; 13:26
- James 2:21-23
- Hebrews 6:13,15; 7:1-10; 11:8-17
- John 8:39, 40, 52-58
- Luke 1:55; 1:73; 3:8; 3:34; 13:16, 28; 16:23-30; 19:9; 20:37
- Matthew 1:1-2; 3:9; 8:11; 22:32
- Mark 12:26
- I Peter 3:6
God knew that Abraham was, in fact, unfinished, touched by the sin of the fall. God commanded that Abraham’s heart be wholly devoted to Him and His will.
Key Verse related to the Abrahamic Faith
So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a gift. And we are all certain to obtain it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses if we have faith like Abraham’s. Abraham is the father of all who believes.
What are the three promises God made to Abraham?
God had promised Abraham. He promised that Abraham would become the father of a great nation. But then, Abraham was already 75 years old and still childless. He had to wait another 25 years until the promised child came when he was 100 years old; his wife, Sarah, gave birth at 90. God’s first promises to Abraham are one of the most beautiful passages in the Old Testament. They speak to us of His grace.
It was not by chance that Abraham came to be called the father of all believers because he went through a lot but learned how, when and how much to trust God. According to the Bible, God promised Abram three things:
- The Promised Land
- Blessings
- A great name
God also has promises for people today. He promises that anyone who believes in Jesus will be saved. This well-known verse from John also shows how we should respond to God’s promise: we must believe God’s promises.
1. The promise for land.
Why this Holy Land was chosen to be given to Abraham is a secret of the Lord, Who wanted to tell humankind that, though unseen, He continues to remain the Master of life. The focal point of the world and peace. Jesus Christ reveals Himself in the Holy Land as the living One, the omnipresent One.
2. The promise to bless Abraham.
The Lord said to Abram: “Come out of your country, and from your kindred, and your father’s house, and come into the land which I will show you. I will make you a great nation and bless you; I will make you a great name. Abram went, as the Lord had said, and Lot went with him. He was seventy-five years old when he came out of Haran. Abram took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his brother’s son, with all the wealth they had gathered and all the servants they had gained in Haran. And they went into the land of Canaan and came to the land of Canaan.
3. The promise to make Abraham’s name great.
The Book of Hebrews explains that Sarah could have a child because of faith in a faithful God: By faith, Sarah received the power to bear seed, even though she was barren, and Abraham was advanced in years because he considered Him faithful who promised. This example shows that God sometimes waits to keep His promise, but He never forgets it. Through Isaac, Abraham received the blessing.
Primary Takeaways
- For reasons of faith, Abram endured such harsh trials as sacrificing his only son, in whom all the promises were concentrated.
- Reduced to the stature of a simple pilgrim in search of a new homeland, Abraham sat meekly in the gallery of our models of destiny.
Conclusion
The Bible describes some fascinating things in which Abraham went far beyond standard capabilities, demonstrating a higher level of communication with God and knowledge that can only be expa spectacular special revelation can only explain.
If you enjoyed reading our article, play the following Quizlet to test your biblical knowledge about The Abrahamic Faith.
Quizlet about The Faith of Abraham
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Explanation of biblical words
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Bibliography
- Walton, M. T. (1941). Professor Seixas, the Hebrew Bible, and the Book of Abraham.
- Römer, T. (2012). Abraham’s Traditions in the Hebrew Bible outside the Book of Genesis. In The Book of Genesis (pp. 159-180). Brill.
- Hendel, R., & Hendel, R. S. (2005). Remembering Abraham: Culture, memory, and history in the Hebrew Bible. Oxford University Press on Demand.
- Sherwood, Y. (2008). The God of Abraham and exceptional states, or the early modern rise of the Whig/liberal Bible. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 76(2), 312-343.
- Moberly, R. W. L., & Moberly, R. W. L. (2000). The Bible, theology, and faith: A study of Abraham and Jesus (Vol. 5). Cambridge University Press.
