Abraham, Part 1 - Forefather of Israel and the Church
12th September 2010
Starting this week, we're going to take a look at Abraham.
I'm sure that all of Genesis is historically accurate, but the characters of the early chapters, before Abraham was born, lived so long ago that they're shrouded in mystery for us. We read about Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel, and Enoch, and Noah, and the Towel of Babel. And I'm sure these stories are real and true. But I find it hard to imagine what it was like living in those days.
Abraham seems to me to be the first Biblical character that we can see clearly emerging from the fog of pre-historic times. We have far more information about him than about any previous biblical character. The period from the creation of the world until the birth of Abraham is covered in eleven chapters. The 175 years of Abraham's lifetime takes more than thirteen chapters.
Abraham is the first person chosen as part of God's chosen people, the original patriarch of the Israelites, the father of Isaac and the grandfather of Jacob. Abraham is also the spiritual ancestor of every Christian. As Galatians 3:6-9 says:
Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.
The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to
Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
So Abraham is the bridge between pre-history and history as we understand it, and he is a pivotal character both for the Jews and for the church. There are 77 references to Abraham in the New Testament, including Romans 4:11b-12 which says:
he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
So as well as being the father of the Jews according to the flesh, Abraham is also the father of both Jewish Christians and gentile Christians according to the Spirit and the promise of God.
We have much to learn from our spiritual ancestor, starting next week.