Part 8 – Abraham: “He Believed the LORD, and It Was Counted to Him for Righteousness” (Genesis 15:1–6; 22:1–18)

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1. Name & Context

Abraham, originally Abram, is known as the “father of faith” (Romans 4:11–12).
He was called by God to leave his homeland, his family, and his security to journey toward an unknown land and promise (Genesis 12:1–4).

Though he obeyed, the promise of a child — through whom all nations would be blessed — was long delayed.
His faith journey spanned decades, marked by both trust and human weakness. Abraham’s life defines what it means to believe when circumstances contradict the promise.

📖 Genesis 12:1–2 (NKJV)
“Now the LORD had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.’”

2. How He Asked for Faith

Abraham did not always feel strong in faith. At times he questioned and sought assurance from God:

📖 Genesis 15:2–3 (NKJV)
“But Abram said, ‘Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless…?’”
Then in verse 8: “He said, ‘Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?’”

These are honest questions of faith, not rebellion. He believed God but longed for confirmation and clarity. His request was essentially: “Lord, help me believe that Your promise still stands.”

3. How God Responded

God responded with both a word and a sign:

  • He took Abram outside and showed him the stars, promising descendants beyond number.
  • He established a covenant ceremony, binding His word with a divine oath.

📖 Genesis 15:5–6 (NKJV)
“Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’
And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

This is the first explicit verse in Scripture where faith is credited as righteousness — setting the pattern for salvation by faith, not by works.

4. How He Received or Grew in Faith

Abraham’s faith grew progressively through revelation, testing, and obedience:

  • The call to leave his homeland (Genesis 12).
  • The covenant of promise (Genesis 15).
  • The name change and circumcision (Genesis 17).
  • The miraculous birth of Isaac (Genesis 21).

Each stage strengthened faith through encounter and experience.
Paul later explained that Abraham did not waver through unbelief, but grew strong as he gave glory to God.

📖 Romans 4:20–21 (NIV)
“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.”

5. How Faith Was Tested or Refined

The supreme test came when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac — the very son of promise.

📖 Genesis 22:1–2 (NKJV)
“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love… and offer him as a burnt offering.’”

This test seemed to contradict God’s own promise. Yet Abraham obeyed, trusting that God could even raise the dead (Hebrews 11:19).
Faith here matured from believing in God’s word to trusting in God’s character.

6. Results or Outcomes

  • Faith rewarded: God provided a substitute sacrifice — the ram caught in the thicket (Genesis 22:13).
  • Promise reaffirmed: God swore by Himself to bless Abraham’s descendants forever (Genesis 22:16–18).
  • Legacy established: Abraham became the father of all who believe (Romans 4:11).
  • Prophetic foreshadowing: His willingness to offer Isaac prefigured God offering His own Son, Jesus Christ.

📖 Genesis 22:16–18 (NKJV)
“‘By Myself I have sworn,’ says the LORD, ‘because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son — in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven… and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.’”

7. Key Verses Summary

  • Genesis 15:2–6 — Abraham’s honest question and faith credited as righteousness.
  • Genesis 22:1–18 — The ultimate test of obedience and trust.
  • Romans 4:20–21 — Faith strengthened through hope.
  • Hebrews 11:17–19 — Faith reasoning that God could raise the dead.

8. Faith Insight / Lesson

Abraham’s story shows that faith is a lifelong journey of trusting God’s promise through delay, testing, and impossibility.
His faith was not constant emotion but persistent reliance. When sight failed, he kept believing the Word.

God never scolded Abraham for asking “How shall I know?” — because real faith often begins as a sincere question.
By obeying despite uncertainty, Abraham discovered that faith matures not by explanations but by experience.

💬 “Faith does not demand to understand; it decides to trust.”

Abraham teaches that genuine faith:

  • Waits when the promise delays,
  • Obeys when the path confuses, and
  • Believes when the cost is greatest.
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