Why was Abram who became Abraham called the father of the faithful? What can we learn about about apostolic succession by looking back at Abraham? Let’s look at his early life and the tests of Abraham’s faith and how he dealt with them in Genesis 12-22 (Genesis 12:1, 10, 15; 14:14; 15:13; 16:3; 17:24, 20:2; 21:12; 22:2).
Family Stories of Abram
Today, we might be blessed enough to have four generations alive at one time. In those days, people lived much longer. Noah was ten generations older and died when Abram was 58. Abram got his faith initially from his mother, but also from years with Noah and Noah’s son Shem.
Noah and Shem were faithful believers in the one true God. Abram’s father Terah, was a high priest for Nimrod and made idols for his false religion, a way to control people. Dictators like the power to make the rules, including license to murder those who get in their way.
Astrologers told Nimrod of a baby who was to become father of a great nation. Like Herod, Nimrod wanted the threat killed. Terah took a servant’s child instead, and Nimrod thus deceived, killed the baby with his own bare hands. Abram’s mother hid him in a cave for ten years.
Abram’s mother told him stories of Noah and Shem and the one true God. When he was ten years old, Abram left the cave to go to Kedem in the mountains of Ararat to visit Noah and Shem. They welcomed him and taught him God’s ways for about 39 years.
Then, Abram heard the news about the tower of Babel, where God had divided people into seventy languages and people groups. So, Abram went out to teach them about the one true God. He was risking his life, because Nimrod had proclaimed himself god and forced people to worship him.
At age fifty, Abram returned to his father's house. Terah had an idol workshop in his house. Idols were made from wood, stone and precious metals. It was big money. People came from all over to worship and buy the idols. Terah wanted Abram to be in charge of sales.
With an axe Abram destroyed all the idols except one. He placed the axe in the last one’s hands and claimed that it had killed the rest. Terah said that was impossible. Abram had tricked him into admitting that the idols were powerless, and in anger betrayed him to Nimrod.
Nimrod threw Abram into a furnace, but he came out unharmed and Nimrod was afraid to touch him. Nimrod then gave Abram many presents and sent him back to his father’s house. With him went two hundred noble men, including Eliezer who was later to become Abram’s most trusted servant.
A large crowd rejected Nimrod and his opulent lifestyle to go with Abram and learn more about the one true God. Two years later, Nimrod had decided once more to try and kill Abram. Eliezer warned Abram and they left for Haran, where God was about to make a promise.
Bible Stories of Abraham
1. Genesis 12:1-3 Leave (Success)
The people of Haran were as much idolaters as those in Babylon. Abram and his followers were the only ones who worshipped God. So, God intervened and said, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you”.
This was bigger than Abram could imagine, “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” The Messiah came from Abram. Would we be willing to move to an unknown country, at age 75, if God offered us an inheritance we would not even receive in this life?
2. Genesis 12:10 Famine (Trial)
The first thing Abram encountered in the promised land, was famine. “Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.” How often when we start to do God’s will, are there strings of obstacles?
3. Genesis 12:15 Pharaoh (Failure)
The next obstacle on Abram’s faith journey was Egypt’s king. “Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.” Even faithful believers fail some of life’s obstacles. When have we lied like Abram to try and get out of a difficult situation?
4. Genesis 14:14 Battle (Trial)
Abram was probably not wanting a fight, but “When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.” How often in doing God’s will must we fight battles?
5. Genesis 15:13 Enslaved (Discouraged)
God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years.” This is a prophecy of Egyptian slavery. Do we believe that even such bad news will be for our good?
6. Genesis 16:3 Hagar (Failure)
“After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.” Abram neglected to ask God’s advice. Can faithful followers of God make unwise decisions, and still be people of faith?
7. Genesis 17:24 Circumcised (Success)
“Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.” If our faith journey revealed that God required something causing some short-term pain, would we believe God? Do we have faith that what we do not yet know about God’s ways will be good?
8. Genesis 20:2 Gerar (Failure)
“Abraham said of Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister.’ So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.” Abraham lied because he was afraid. How many times have we done the same thing, lied to protect ourselves from embarrassment, from a perceived threat, to be polite, or cover sin?
9. Genesis 21:12 Hagar (Failure)
But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named.” For the sake of family peace, someone had to leave. God promised to bless them and provided for them.
10. Genesis 22:2 Isaac (Success)
He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Unlike God, Abraham did not have to give up his son.
Hebrews 11:8-13
By faith Abraham… went out, not knowing where he was going… lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs… for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Jesus on Succession Romans 4:1-22
"Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith... So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith... not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham... For Abraham is the father of all who believe."
Apostolic succession and Abrahamic succession teach an uninterrupted transmission of spiritual authority through a lineage of bishops or bloodline. But, faith is more important than lineage. Those who are of the faith of Abraham are his children. So, those who are of the faith of the Apostles are their successors.
Conclusion
If you have ever followed God not knowing where you are going, you might have the faith of Abraham. If you feel like a foreigner in this land, looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God, then you might have the faith of Abraham. Like Abraham, none of us is perfect, but then salvation does not depend on our perfection, NOR does it depend on lineage or apostolic succession, but our faith in the mercy of the One who is perfect.
Genesis 12:1, 10, 15; 14:14; 15:13; 16:3; 17:24, 20:2; 21:12; 22:2; Hebrews 11:8-13; Romans 4:1-22
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112063/jewish/Abrahams-Early-Life.htm
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/246612/jewish/Abraham.htm
