The Call of Abraham: Responding by Faith

Abraham’s faith-walk began “when he was called” (Hebrews 11:8). His faith wasn’t founded on a subjective feeling about God’s will, a cloud formation pointing like an arrow, or a vague message from a fortune-teller staring into a crystal ball. The Bible says “the Lord had spoken to him” (Genesis 12:4 NKJV), and “the Lord appeared to Abram” (Genesis 12:7). This is where true faith rests—on the clear revelation of God.

God’s calling to Abram was audible, objective, and specific. He responded with faithful obedience. In Hebrews 11:8, the depths of his faith are seen: “he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Can you imagine that? He packed up his things and led his wife, Sarah, from the comfort and security of his homeland to head to God-knows-where!

Hebrews 11:9 says it took faith to live as a foreigner in the Promised Land. He dwelled in tents like an unwanted visitor so he could move from place to place. In the midst of this, Abraham walked by faith, not by sight. He was depending on God and yearning for a permanent, heavenly city designed and built by God (11:10). His focus wasn’t on the hardships of his journey through life, but on the reward at the eternal destination.

After all that Abraham and Sarah had been through over the decades, God tested Abraham’s faith by instructing him to do the hardest thing he could be asked to do. In one act of trust and obedience, Abraham was to surrender the fulfillment of God’s promise, the center of his dreams—his one and only son (Genesis 22:1-2).

Abraham’s unflinching trust and unhesitating obedience rested on a foundation of solid theology.

• Abraham knew that God is completely good and never commands evil.
• Abraham knew that God is completely wise and must have had a plan.
• Abraham knew that God is completely just and would not treat Isaac unfairly.
• Abraham knew that God is completely powerful and would keep His promises.

Even in the midst of an apparent contradiction, Abraham could trust and obey—not because he knew exactly what was going on, but because he knew the One who did. And, when Abraham demonstrated his faith through this radical test, God provided a ram for Abraham to offer in place of Isaac (Genesis 22:11-13).

Abraham and Sarah’s faith was characterized by the ability to hope beyond the restrictions of the present, marked by a deep-down determination to embrace the eternal over the temporal, and demonstrated a willingness to release all earthly things for the sake of following God’s will (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Are you willing to take the first steps of faith? Those are the hardest. But after that, each baby step will grow closer and closer to a mature stride. Then even you may become a living model for the Hebrews 11 type of faith with a faith-walk worthy of following.

—Some content taken from Insights on Hebrews by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright 2017. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.