One of the outstanding characters
of the Bible is Abraham: (a) he is a central figure in the history of redemption:
to him God gave promises of blessing concerning his spiritual seed; (b) he is a
Pauline example of the doctrine of justification by faith; (c) when Jesus
teaches the Sadducees about the meaning of the resurrection, he refers to
Abraham, mentioning how God was still in a personal relationship with Abraham
long after he had died (Matt. 22:32); (d) he is mentioned of with regard to
heaven; Jesus said that heaven would involve sitting down with Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob (Matt. 8:11); (e) James tells us that Abraham is an example of a
person who showed his faith by his works of obedience to God.
Clearly, Abraham is an example
for believers today and here are four details about him, each of which is
important for us.
What his neighbours thought of
him. We discover this in the story connected to Abraham attempting to buy
ground in which to bury Sarah. Abraham by then had been living in Canaan for
six decades, so his neighbours had ample time to assess his character. This is
what the Hittites said of him in Genesis 23:6: ‘Sir, listen to us. You are a
mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us
will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.’
Abraham
gained this testimony not by isolation from those with whom he lived – he was among
them. Yet they realised he was not of them. He maintained a distinction without
being remote. The words ‘mighty prince’ can be translated ‘prince of God’,
perhaps pointing to their awareness of God’s blessing on his life.
What his wife thought of him.
In order to discover this, we have to go to Peter’s first letter (3:6), where
he says, ‘Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master.’ This is a
reference to Sarah’s response when God told Abraham he would have a son. She
said within herself, in Genesis 18:12, ‘After I am worn out and my master is
old, will I now have this pleasure?’
Note that this assessment was
from within her. It was not something she was compelled to say. This was her
heart attitude towards him. Further, this was her assessment despite Abraham’s
failings. We know that twice he had put Sarah into danger because of his fear.
She was aware of his weaknesses, yet she still valued him highly. She forgave
him his failings, and because she did so there was domestic harmony.
What his God thought of him.
We discover this in the book of Isaiah, several centuries after Abraham had
died. In Isaiah 41:8, God says, ‘But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I
have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend.’ The friendship began with
God’s sovereign initiative, when he appeared to him in Ur of the Chaldees and
brought him into a saving relationship with himself. It continued throughout a
variety of experiences. On God’s side, the friendship involved promises,
protection and power. On Abraham’s side, the friendship involved worship (he
built altars to the Lord), loyalty and obedience.
What Abraham thought of
himself. We can look at this in two different ways. When he approached God,
Abraham likened himself to dust and ashes (Gen. 18:27). In contrast to God
Abraham was insignificant and unclean. He knew he was both a creature and a
sinner. This was said despite all the previous blessings Abraham had known.
When he spoke to those who lived
alongside him, Abraham described himself as an alien and a stranger (Gen. 23:4),
even although he was living in the land God had promised to his descendants. He
knew he was an exile from Heaven and he was looking forward to going there.
Think about these four areas of
Abraham’s life: his public life, his home life, his relationship with God and
his opinion of himself. Do our contacts sense that we have their good at heart,
are our homes places where forgiveness and respect exist, is our walk with God
that of two friends, and do we see ourselves as nothing in comparison to God
and are we looking forward to heaven?
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