Abraham’s Struggle for Faith

In the bible story, Though Abram receives fabulous promises in Genesis 12:1-9, he is in no way perfect. His first struggle for faith occurs as he enters the land of promise. Incredibly, famine pervades the land of promise (12:10-20). Abram and Sarai, therefore, go to Egypt. To save himself, Abram poses as Sarai’s brother. They are discovered, but the Lord protected them. Rather than trust God, Abram has attempted to help himself. He is not yet a man of faith.

Abram’s greatest struggle of faith, however, comes as he waits for a son. He proves himself just in dealing with his nephew Lot (Gen.13-14), but no heir arrives. When God next appears to him and repeats
His promises (15:1), Abram complains about this problem (15:2-3). Once more, the Lord reassures Abram of the future (15:4-5), and Abram believes. Here he demonstrates great faith.

Many years pass. In Genesis 12 Abram is seventy-five years old. Genesis 16:16 observes he is eighty-six. Abram and Sarai have begun to doubt they can have children. So they, make use of a common practice.
Sarai’s handmaid, named Hagar, acts as a surrogate mother for her mistress (16:1-2). Hagar bears a son named Ishmael, who becomes the father of the Arab peoples. God loves and protects this child. Still, Abram and Sarai fail the test of faith. They do not fully trust God to give them a child. Is Abram a man of faith? Thirteen more years transpire (17:1). By now the author has introduced great tension into the plot. Is God faithful or not? Can or
should Abram cling to the original promises? Once more God appears to Abram (17:1). This time He will “confirm” his covenant, or agreement, with Abram (17:2). To show this confirmation, the Lord
changes Abram’s name (”exalted father”) to Abraham (”father of many”). This name change means God has increased His blessing.
Abraham will have many descendants, an everlasting covenant, and the land of Canaan as a home (17:7-8).

This episode closes with two important aspects. First, God tells Abraham that Sarai’s name will be changed to Sarah (”princess”). Though very aged, she will have a son. Because Abraham laughs, the
new child’s name will be Isaac, which means “laughter.” Ishmael will not serve as the main heir. God blesses him (17:20), but Isaac is the long-awaited heir who will continue Abraham’s relationship with God (17:21). To show his faith, Abraham obediently circumcises himself, Ishmael, and his male servants (17:27). Thus circumcision
became the initiation rite of Jewish males into the Lord’s covenant.

Isaac’s laughter-filled birth provides a temporary relief in the plot’s tension. Finally, the long-awaited son arrives (21:1-7). Chapters 18-19 prepare the reader for this important event by repeating
the promise of a son to Abraham and Sarah (18:1-15) and eliminating Lot as an heir of faith (18:16-19:38).

Finally, Abraham obeys God and builds an altar, ties his son to it, and prepares to kill Isaac. At the last second—indeed, when his hand is in the air God stops Abraham (22:10-11). The Lord declares, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (22:12, NIV). Quite clearly, Abraham has become a person
of faith. The ultimate test has been passed. Now the reader knows he is faithful. Surely this type of commitment can lead to the defeat of sin. God does provide a lamb for the sacrifice (22:13), so Abraham’s
earlier statement is vindicated.

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