The Life of Abraham

     As I finish reading about the life of Abraham I'm taken a back by the sheer faith of this one man.  When God called him to leave his father and set out for a new land, God never told him where he was going.  He only said "go to a land that I will show you".  The story of Abraham starts off with a magnificent display of child-like faith.  No wonder this man is listed among the heroes of the faith in Hebrews.  But I think it's very important to note that Abraham was just as human as the rest of us.  As he went through Egypt we see that, in an effort to protect himself, he lied about his relationship with Sarah.  This man who trusted God enough to leave his father and go to an unknown land didn't trust the same God to get him through one country unharmed!  And this would not be the first time Abraham takes matters into his own hands and doesn't trust God to provide.  It's important for us to remember that even the Christians that we see as strong leaders are still human.  We should never put another believe on a pedestal to the point where they achieve "super human" status.  Only God should be given that place.  And so the same goes for Abraham.  A great man.  The father of the Jewish and Christian faiths.  But human none the less.

     Still Abraham showed incredibly strong faith throughout his life.  He even went so far as to being willing to sacrifice his own son.  He was willing to give up the son he had waited 100 years to receive!  All because the Lord asked it of him.  Oh, what we could learn from Abraham.  Could you imagine if we all had faith of that magnitude?  The things that would be accomplished are unimaginable.  Don't get me wrong.  God can use the measure of faith that He has given to each of us in might ways.  But if the church would serve with the faith of Abraham, it would be a powerful thing.

     Now, I want to make sure God get's His due credit and is glorified in all this.  I found something particularly beautiful about God in chapter 15.  In this chapter God is promising to provide an heir for Abraham.  God promises to protect Abraham and to reward him.  Abraham asks that God would provide him a son to be heir to his household and God enters into a covenant with Abraham.  You probably know the words of this covenant very well.  God asks Abraham to count the stars and then tells him "so shall [his] descendants be" and they will inherit the "promised land".  In order to seal the covenant God asks Abraham to provide a 3 year old heifer, a 3 year old female goat, a 3 year old ram, a turtle dove, and a young pigeon.  Now Abraham proceeded to cut these each into two halves and lay each half to the side.  As was custom when entering into a covenant, both parties would pass through the two halves symbolizing that the same fate should be theirs, should they break the covenant.  Now the amazing part comes in at verse 17.  Prior to this, before Abraham could walk between the two halves, God put him into a deep sleep.  Then this happened:

"It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces" Gen 15:17

     Did you see it?  God himself passed through the halves.  God sealed the covenant Himself.  He did not let Abraham pass through because the covenant required nothing on Abraham's part.  God took it all upon Himself.  What an amazing God?  We serve a God who took it upon Himself with Abraham and also took it upon Himself on the cross of Calvary.  We serve a God who knows we can never reach Him so He reaches to us.  Thanks be to God!