Faith of the Fathers

The three Patriarchs of the people of Israel were amazing examples of faith. Yet, it's difficult to beat the example of Abraham offering Isaac in obedience to the One promising him children. This event is recorded in detail in Genesis 22. God tested Abraham. In the Hebrew, this word for "test" can refer to temptations as well as qualitative tests.

The word used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (Septuagint) is also used by the writer of Hebrews in 11:17 for "test". It refers to testing to determine quality, and sometimes originates from ill will (temptation). God does this sort of thing with us, but we are not to do such things with Him (Luke 4:12, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16). The Pharisees did this sort of testing of Jesus constantly.

So, here's the way the writer of Hebrews uses it:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. (Hebrews 11:17-19 NASB)

Think through this test for a second. In Genesis 21, God has had Abraham send away Hagar and Abraham's son Ishmael, telling Abraham that Isaac would be the "child of promise". Now, "some time later", this same Yahweh calls on Abraham to kill Isaac, specifically calling out both Isaac, and the special relationship between he and Abraham. Think about that for a second. It should give you chills. It should give you some pause for a moment, possibly even doubt. Because behind this story is the reader's reaction of "what might my Savior ask of me?" And that's a very good question.

The test of Abraham is of his quality of belief. God had promised that He would fulfill Abraham's promise through Isaac. So, Abraham had to decide whether he would believe this God even when He seemed capricious. Did Abraham believe that this God would make good on a promise even when He seemed to be reneging? Do you?

When things aren't going well, do you still believe in the goodness of our Savior? When it's no longer "fun", when it's taking too long, when you are actually being persecuted and suffering, will you persist in your belief of the goodness of your Creator? Is Jesus still on His throne interceding for you? Is the Father still caring for you? Is the Spirit of the Living God still residing within you? Do you still believe, even when it's not convenient, popular, fun, or even safe? What if persisting in belief and being obedient actually costs you something precious?

It's easy to answer "yes" in the abstract imagination of "what might be". I suspect that I have a limit to my faith. I don't know where it is, exactly, but I suspect it wouldn't be very difficult to find. I have spent time doubting my Savior. I have spent time behaving as if He was't real, His promises weren't sure, and as if He didn't truly love me. For some peculiar reason, He still forgives me. I can't answer the above questions with absolute confidence because I haven't been tested to the extremes of my faith, not yet, but my day is coming.

How about you?

The Faithful Example of Abraham

The "Role Call of Faith" continues in Hebrews 11. After the "antediluvian" examples, we reach Abraham. He is such an important example, there are four instances listed where he shows great faith. We're going to look at three of them:

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE. (Hebrews 11:8-12 NASB)

The first is the call. Abraham responds when Yahweh calls him to leave Haran and head to Canaan (Gen. 12:1-4). He responds by obeying, and this meant leaving the comfortable and known and going to the uncomfortable and unknown. There was a promise involved, so, obedience was to be rewarded. But there had to be belief involved, trust in the One making the promises. You and I are called. And there are promises involved. Will we obey, leave the known for the unknown, the comfortable for the uncomfortable? Will we trust the One making the promises?

And then we have the demonstration of faith in Abraham living as a sojourner in the land promised to him. Here the other patriarchs are mentioned, along with a reason for living this way. They were "looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder are God." Really? Is that why they lived in tents in Canaan? Reading the Genesis account of these men may not leave you with that impression, but what does become clear is that they lived in tents in a land they believed was theirs.

Living in a land believed to be theirs, meant living among cities of stone, and those who lived in them. It meant pasturing flocks around tilled fields of others in a land you knew was yours. It was an act of faith that waited for the timing of the One making the promise rather than taking matters into your own hands (except possibly for Simeon and Levi at Shechem).

How willing are we to faithfully persevere in obedience, even not seeing the promise? How long will we wait for the promise, while being obedient? Abraham sometimes waited more than a decade before another recorded conversation with the One making these promises. How long will we live in tents, temporary houses, waiting on the promise of real permanent mansions? The writer of Hebrews is pushing his audience to persevere to the very end.

And Abraham is used again, along with Sarah, in faithfully conceiving Isaac. Think about that, though. How much faith did that take? We tend to skip by the uncomfortable consideration of intimacy between spouses here. But, really, is it surprising they conceived? Abraham had been promised, and specifically promised that one from Sarah would be his heir, not Ishmael. He laughed, as did Sarah, but the "mechanics" of the process hadn't changed. It's just that this time it worked. And yet, the writer of Hebrews calls it faith.

 And, I suppose, it was faith. After Sarah dies, Abraham has other kids, so it wasn't Abraham who had the difficulty, it was Sarah who was barren. That's not a criticism, it's an important detail. Abraham doesn't "jettison" his wife at any point along this process. She's not the "problem", from his point of view. He is dedicated and devoted to her even though she cannot, in herself, provide the promised child. In a way, her barrenness is what brings God to the forefront. Unless He steps in, nothing changes. But, even as long as he doesn't, Abraham is faithful to this barren woman, and is for her whole life. That's faith.

You see, we can become so pragmatic about how God's promises are fulfilled. We can "see" His work, only under certain parameters, as if He can only work in certain ways. And yet, Abraham simply obeys God, remaining faithful to this woman who cannot provide him a son, an heir, the one thing he needs to see what he has been promised. And in remaining faithful to her, he remains faithful to the One promising.

Let's pay close attention to the example of faith provided in Abraham. Let's be uncomfortable, persevere without seeing our hope fulfilled immediately, and live faithful to the ones our Savior has provided to us. Being cooped up with people around the ones we love can strain that love. But it can also build it, renovate it, rejuvenate it, and make it new again. Your choice. Like Abraham, let's choose faith.

Evidence Unseen

We say it, "seeing is believing", but I don't think we believe it . You can probably think of something you've seen (or you think you've seen) but still struggle to wrap your head around. I experienced a "near car wreck" in my '20's that I still struggle to believe, and when I tell people about it, they look at me rather incredulously. And they should. It's difficult to believe.

So, when the writer of Hebrews floats a definition of faith by us, and we don't stop to pick it apart, that's probably why. We already can think of a few things that aren't God and which we still struggle to believe, even with evidence. If we can struggle with faith in seen stuff, accepting unseen faith in God is easier. Does that sound backwards? That's probably more psychological than philosophical, but it's still true.

Even so, let's look more closely at the definition of faith provided by the writer of Hebrews, especially the second half:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. Hebrews 11:1-2 (NASB, emphasis mine)

I had this whole write up ready for "assurance" but I'm focusing on "conviction", and have to switch gears. Be thankful.

The New American Standard uses "conviction", but you may be more familiar with "evidence" here. Those two terms are not the same in English. "Conviction" is a conclusion derived from some process (perhaps including evidence), "evidence" is what is used to derive a conclusion. That's not an unimportant distinction. Take a moment and think about it. Is faith the end of the process or an element of it?

As part of your process in drawing a conclusion about whether faith is evidence or assurance, keep in mind that this statement sits parallel to the first part of the definition, "substance of what is hoped for", where, again, the NASB has "assurance". Here, once again, the choice is between an element in the process of arriving at a conclusion, or the conclusion itself. Does that sound unnecessarily confusing? I hope not.

It isn't absolutely necessary to think about what you think about. I find it helpful. I prefer the elements in the process of coming to a conclusion rather than being handed a conclusion. But honestly, in discussing the Creator of the universe, it makes more sense to simply receive the conclusion. Faith is received (Ephesians 2:8,9). Is it "evidence"? In a very important sense, yes, it is. But in another sense, faith is the conclusion we live by.

The word "things" in the term, "things not seen" is the Greek word from which we get "pragmatic". For the Greeks it referred to "matters" personal, business, governmental, or even legal. So, events, points in time, of a practical nature, relating to daily life, but which are not seen, what are those? Creation? Salvation? Jesus' life, His resurrection, His ministry of intercession? All of these, and all the rest of Scripture, make up the pragmatic things we haven't witnessed personally, but about which we are convinced. 

Having been convinced of these things, we live our lives, make decisions about what to say, where to go, what to do. That is faith. We have hope in a future with Jesus, and faith gives substance to that hope. That assurance of such a future enables us to behave as if it's true. But there is so much we cannot see, so much that affects our day-to-day lives outside of our view. And we need the gift of faith from our Savior to live out our days convinced it is all proven, even when we can't see it.

Some thoughts about faith. I hope they help you through another day in quarantine.