God’s Faithfulness to Abraham and to Us – Part 1

Genesis 1 and 2 teaches us that God created a perfect world. From Genesis 3 to 11, we read about man’s unstoppable degradation and rebellion against God. And beginning in Genesis 12, we see that God is also unstoppable in fulfilling His promise and plan of salvation.

Merciful and gracious, our faithful covenant King and Father began achieving His redemptive purpose by calling Abraham. From him was to come Israel. And from Israel was to come the Messiah, satan’s destroyer and man’s King-Deliverer (Genesis 3:15).

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

God commanded Abraham to leave the idolatrous and rebellious world, and to follow Him to the promised land. He also gave Abraham His pledge of covenant blessings and protection, a people/nation, land and the fulfillment of His promise to restore His blessing on earth.

But aside from God’s covenant blessings and protection, Abraham did not see the fulfillment of the Lord’s promises to him. In his lifetime, he did not become a great nation. He did not possess the promised land. And he definitely did not see God’s blessing restored in the whole world.

Yet, he continued to believe in God and His promises. And his faith moved him to continue following and obeying the Lord, despite of all the temptations, trials and adversities that he encountered.

As Christian believers, we are “Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). God’s word tells us that salvation and covenant blessings are ours because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection (Romans 5). And He calls us to turn away from sin and rebellion (Romans 6), to live a life of faith (Hebrews 10:32-39), and to apply our faith in our daily lives by obeying His word (2 John 1:6).

Believe like Abraham, knowing that God is faithful to fulfill all His promises to you and to your family.

Obey like Abraham. Forsake sin and the idolatry and rebellion of our fallen world. Follow God’s call. Let us “be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22), because the safest place on earth and in the age to come is in the center of God’s will (Matthew 7:24-27).

Persevere like Abraham. Patiently endure” all trials and tribulations in the Christian life. Do not turn your back on the Lord. Do not return to your past life of sin and “Christlessness.” Trust God. He will never fail to sustain and give you strength to overcome.

“Adam’s disobedience precipitated a deluge of sinful acts that ended in the flood. Noah, the new father of the human race, was ‘blameless’, but he also fell and that culminated in the overweening pride of Babel. This in turn was punished with a judgment affecting all mankind. Now with Abraham God started again, this time promising ‘all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’ (Genesis 12:3).” – Gordon J. Wenham

“The history of redemption, like that of creation, begins with God speaking…” – Derek Kidner

“…Abram’s… ‘name’ will be ‘famous’. This is doubtless another deliberate contrast with the Tower of Babel incident. One of the aspirations of those builders was ‘to make a name for ourselves’… [T]hey did get an ironic name for their city: Babel. The builders’ aggressiveness is matched by Abram’s passiveness. If His name is ever to become great it will not be because of any self-initiated effort. The great name will be a gift, not an achievement.” – Victor Hamilton

“A great nation, blessed, a great name – yes. But Abram must be more than a recipient. He is both a receptacle for the divine blessing and a transmitter of that blessing.” – Victor Hamilton