ABRAHAM'S WALK OF FAITH.
Por Roberto Ewing.
Every revival in history has been perpetuated only to the extent of how much of God's Word has been revealed. However, this has not been solely because of the revelation, but because the revelation has been obeyed. In Psalm 9:10 we see a true principle “And those who know your name will trust in you.” Abraham shows us what this means.
There were seven appearances of God to Abraham. Each of them caused Abraham's faith to increase as he obeyed the word that came with the revelation of God.
There are other places, such as Revelation 2:3, where God or Christ progressively reveals himself in new ways to his people. We will also mention the equivalent divine names in the New Testament of those that appear in the Old Testament, by which Abraham saw God.
1. The call of faith.
Acts 7:2, 3. “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, while he was in Mesopotamia... and said to him: Leave your country and your kindred, and come to the land that I will show you.”
Here we have the confession (the call) of faith Peter tells us that God “has called us by his glory and virtue.” II Pet. 1:3.
2. The conflict of faith.
It begins when Jehovah appeared to Abram. “And the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, To thy seed will I give this land. And he built an altar there to Jehovah, who had appeared to him. Why does it say that God appeared to Abram, when we read in the Bible that no one can see God and live? God the Son, and not God the Father, was the one who revealed himself to Abram.” Gen. 12:7.
Instinctively Abram sensed in this strange land that the conflict would turn out in such a way that he prepared for it by building the altar. The truth is that there were three conflicts, with increasing pressure.
1. Because of famine, Abram went down to Egypt where he almost got into trouble with Pharaoh.
2. Then he and Lot returned to Canaan, where because of their servants, they separated. One chose the path of faith, and the other went toward Sodom and Gomorrah, the path of the flesh.
3. Amraphel, who is the famous Hammurabi of history, and other kings with him, sacked Sodom and Gomorrah, but Abram and his trained servants pursued them and won victory over them.
This sums up the conflict of faith that we experience when trusting God, and that comes from our three enemies: the world system, the flesh, and the devil.
Do not doubt that Jehovah, who gave Abram perseverance and comfort to continue, his equivalent is the “God of patience and consolation.” Ro. 15:5.
3. The consideration of faith.
It is seen when Melchizedek, who is God the Son in the Old Testament, appeared to Abraham after the victory. He was Priest of El Elyon, the most high God, possessor of the heavens and the earth.
Abram's background (Joshua 24:2) was one of idolatry. It was what his parents had taught him. But God had seen his honest heart. In those days, they had a god for each land. It may be that Abram was thinking that this new God was the god of some land that had taken a liking to him for some strange reason.
However, whatever his thoughts were, when he suddenly discovered that this was not a regional deity, but was the God of heaven and earth, then his regard for God overwhelmed him. So when all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah was offered to him, he immediately rejected it. Today when we consider how much greater our God is than our problem, then the problem fades away and our faith increases.
It was the “God of heaven” and the “Lord of the earth” who appeared to him. It is interesting that the first mention of earthly Jerusalem has to do with the God of heaven and earth and so does the last mention. Rev. 11:4, 13.
4. The consistency of faith.
For in Genesis 15:1 God appears to him as “I am your shield, and your reward is exceedingly great.”
Consistency speaks of advancing to the end without hesitation. This is where God makes a covenant with Abram.
Abram's part was to divide the sacrifices (except for the birds. Gen. 15:10,11). God's part was to send fire upon the sacrifice. But instead of the fire falling, the birds descended on the dead bodies (sacrifices).
The consistency of Abram's faith is seen in his keeping away from the birds. God rests when we work, but He works when we rest. It was when Abram fell into a deep sleep that God appeared to him in a smoking furnace when the fire of God fell and a torch of fire passed between the divided animals.
We find that “The God of hope” of Romans 15:13 is the God of our “Shield and Reward exceeding great.” Usually when God gives us a promise in which He challenges our hope, we find that a struggle ensues before that hope is achieved. So God showed Abram here how his seed should endure his sojourn in Egypt and should overcome certain tribes mentioned here before the covenant could be carried out.
5. The awareness of faith.
God wants us to be more aware of Him than of immediate problems. So God's next appearance to Abram (Gen. 17:1) was that of “Almighty God,” El Shaddai, which means “The Strong Feeding Breast.”
He told Abram, “walk before me, and be perfect.” If children fight while walking with their parents, it is because they are behind them, however when parents tell them: walk in front of me and be perfect, that will help them to be more aware of their parents, to protect their behavior.
Again God confirms his covenant. One thing that was designed to keep them always conscious of God was their new names, Abraham and Sarah, that God gave them. Also the personal sign of circumcision was designed to keep them aware of God's covenant made for them.
The “God of all grace.” (I Pet. 5:10) makes us aware of Him, in contrast to legalism, which leaves us condemned through the awareness of our weakness. The God of Grace works the most for us, when we realize how weak we are.
Abraham was 99 years old when God gave him the promise of Isaac, so he was a good candidate for the God of all Grace.
In I Peter 5:10, the apostle shows four things that the God of all grace will do for us. “May He himself perfect, confirm, confirm, and establish you.”
6. A strong conviction of faith.
It begins with the appearance of three men: “And the Lord appeared to him in the valley (oaks) of Mamre” Gen. 18:1. This appearance in the form of three men, one of whom is called Jehovah fourteen times. His name is not seen until Genesis 21:33.
Among the trees of Beer-sheba, Abraham called on “the name of the everlasting Jehovah God.” In Hebrew this is El Olam, or God the revealer of hidden things.
We find both aspects in these four chapters. We see God as the revealer of secrets in Genesis 18:17, where he says: Shall I hide from Abraham what I am going to do?
And then the eternal side of God is seen in contrast to the temporality of this world when He sees Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed in flames.
We see the conviction of faith tested and rewarded in which Isaac was finally born. And then his faith grew stronger in his conviction when he saw brimstone and fire falling from heaven to destroy the wicked cities.
This is a picture of what will happen to our civilization. And thirdly, we find that when Ishmael was bothering Isaac, God asked Abraham to chase away the maidservant and her son.
All this prepared him for the greatest test of his faith, which was to come.
What name would be the New Testament equivalent of the eternal God?
In Matthew 22:32 we read: “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Seven times in the Old Testament the Lord is called the “living God.”
He is the great I Am, the One who continually reveals Himself (Ex. 3:14).
“This, however, is eternal life: that they may know you (through experience), the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Jn. 17:3.
Eternal life develops in us only when the Lord makes us know his person and his secrets.
7. The confirmation of God's covenant.
When Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, by two witnesses this covenant was confirmed: for the angel of the Lord (Christ) spoke from heaven twice, assuring Abraham of the immutability of his covenant.
Perhaps the greatest type of Calvary is seen in human drama. Here God reveals Himself as Jehovah Jireh, which means “The Lord will see” and by extension means “The Lord will provide,” for when He sees a need that fulfills His desire, then He will provide His response.
His fourfold covenant is seen in:
1. “Blessing I will bless you.
2. By multiplying I will multiply your seed like the stars of heaven, and like the sand that is on the seashore.
3. Your seed will possess the gates of their enemies.
4. In your seed all the people of the earth will be blessed, because you obeyed my voice.” Gen. 22:17, 18.
Let us not lose sight of the whole principle that the story of Abraham reveals is: to keep our relationship with God and His Word updated and fresh by obeying every new present word He gives us. Some places in the New Testament give us the exact steps of faith.
Let's notice one in Romans 4:17-21.
1. The confession (call) of faith is seen in verse 17.
2. The conflict of faith is seen in verse 18, how spiritual hope overcomes our weakened natural hope. It occurs when you remain in the given promise.
3. The consideration of faith was when Abraham considered the greatness of God more than his weak flesh. V. 19.
4. The consistency of faith is seen in verse 20a.
5. The conscience of faith is looked at in verse 20b. “Neither did he doubt the promise of God with distrust”, and he was “strong in faith, giving glory to God.”
6. The conviction of faith is seen in verse 21: "he was fully persuaded (convinced) that whatever he had promised he was also able to do.”
7. The confirmation of the covenant by faith is seen not only in God restoring Isaac to Abraham but because of this obedience, he was imputed to righteousness. V. 22.
This followed after verse 12, which says to follow “the steps of the faith that was in our father Abraham.”