Heroes of the Bible: Abraham
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 7/18/2021
NOTE: This sermon was adapted from my book, Holy Heroes of the Bible. If it's a blessing to you, please consider buying my book which includes chapters/sermons on 17 additional Bible heroes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SBNJTSZ
If you weren’t here last Sunday, we started a brand-new series on the Heroes of the Bible. From Hercules to Robin Hood to the Lone Ranger, history’s greatest stories and legends are a roll call of heroes. And no one does heroes better than comicbooks. For nearly a century, comicbook heroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man and Spider-man have captivated comicbook fans, and for the last two decades they’ve dominated the box-office, becoming some of the highest-grossing movies of all time. I think the unparalleled popularity of superheroes all around the globe reveals a spiritual hunger for heroes that’s woven into the fabric of the human heart as though God built us with a persistent longing for a hero who will save us and keep us safe.
The only drawback when it comes to superheroes is—they aren’t real. As real people with real hardships and hurdles, we need real heroes to inspire and encourage us, to model true heroism from a biblical perspective.
Lucky for us, the Bible is full of heroes—mighty men and women of God like Moses, David, Ruth, and others. Through their heroism, we can find the inspiration we need to follow in their footsteps and become holy heroes ourselves.
Last Sunday, we kicked off this series with the story of Noah.
Despite living in a corrupt and cruel world, Noah remained committed to the Lord. He walked in close fellowship with God and carefully carried out all God’s commands. Noah became a hero by being different, diligent, and devoted to God.
The next hero in our lineup is a true hero of faith—Abraham.
Chosen by God to become the spiritual and physical father of a whole new nation, Abraham’s place in Hebrew history is completely unrivaled. In the New Testament, Paul appeals to Abraham as the preeminent example in his authoritative argument for justification by faith apart from works (Romans 4). Similarly, James, the brother of Jesus, points to Abraham as verification that faith without action is useless (James 2). Abraham, in other words, is the quintessential example of faith in action.
Abraham’s sprawling story, recorded in Genesis 12-25, takes many twists and turns, so it would be impossible to touch on every aspect of his faith journey. Still, I’d like to highlight three qualities of Abraham’s faith that made him a hero of faith.
First, Abraham became a hero because he possessed a prompt faith!
• A PROMPT FAITH
Prompt means “ready in action; quick to act as occasion demands,” which is an excellent description of Abraham and his faith in God. His story begins with these words:
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3 NLT)
Abraham, who was known as Abram at this point in his life, came from the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur. The ancient Mesopotamians worshiped a panoply of false gods, as did Abram and his family (see Joshua 24:2). So, when God told Abram to leave his home and travel to a far-off land, where God would make him into a great nation, Abram probably had a lot of questions.
Who is this God telling me to leave my country?
What about the other gods my family worships? Are they real too?
Where is this land? How far away is it?
To become a great nation, I need children. But how can that happen when I’m already 75 years old and my wife and I don’t have any kids?
Abram had countless reasons to say no to God. But instead, he promptly said yes. The very next verse says, “So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed” (Genesis 12:4 NLT). Rather than hesitate or hold back, Abram was ready and willing to answer God’s call to action and adventure. How could Abram just drop everything and promptly pursue God’s calling like that? Faith. The Bible later explains, “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home” (Hebrews 11:8 NLT). Abram had no idea who this God was or what the future would hold. But he heard God’s call and promptly stepped out on faith.
In many ways, we’re not that different from Abram. Like Abram, you have been called by God. It’s probably not a calling to pack up all your belongings and travel a thousand dry, dusty miles on a camel, but it’s a calling from God nonetheless.
The Apostle Paul writes, "I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God" (Ephesians 4:1 NLT). Who has been called by God? You have! Anyone who has read these words, anyone who has heard the Gospel or read the Bible. God is calling you. It's a call to salvation, a call to service, a call to sweeping spiritual adventure. It’s a call to a life of faith and fellowship with God.
A life of faith begins with a single step. The most important thing we can do is take that first step of faith. Have you answered God’s call? Did you promptly take that first step of faith and start following his lead? Or is something holding you back? Heroes of faith promptly answer God’s call.
Once you’ve begun your hero’s journey with a prompt faith, though, you might need a patient faith for the next part of your journey.
• A PATIENT FAITH
When God first called Abram, he promised to make Abram into a great nation. In fact, sometime later, God took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” (Genesis 15:5 NLT). Later, God announced, “What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5 NLT). While Abram means “exalted father,” Abraham means “father of many.” God wanted Abraham’s very name to reflect the certainty of his future.
Now, Abraham was about 75 years old and his wife, Sarah, was about 65—much too old to have a baby under normal circumstances. Yet, Abraham believed God and trusted him to keep his promise.
But nothing happened immediately. Abraham waited… and waited… and waited. The hours and days passed slowly. Weeks turned into months. Months turned into years. Years turned into decades. Abraham grew older. His hair became grayer. His body became weaker. Still, Abraham waited for God to keep his word.
Abraham didn’t always wait patiently, mind you. Occasionally, doubts crept in—Is God really going to keep his promise? Has he forgotten about me? Was it all just a dream? After eleven years of waiting, Abraham’s wife Sarah even suggested that he should have a child with one of her handmaids, like a surrogate mother. Even worse, Abraham went along with the hairbrained scheme which, of course, ended disastrously—but that’s a story for another time.
God had to repeatedly reassure Abraham that he would keep his promise and that Sarah would be the biological mother of his child. Abraham learned patience the hard way—by waiting.
Finally, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90, God gave them a child—baby Isaac, the son of promise. Abraham waited a whopping 25 years for God to fulfill his promise. That’s a long time!
We usually think of heroes as men and women of bold action. And that’s often true. But holy heroes also know how to wait patiently on the Lord. In in one of his many psalms, David urges believers, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14 NLT). In David’s mind, bravery and courage go hand-in-hand with patience.
As Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once said, “Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is ‘timing’ it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.” Or, to quote Captain America, patience is “one of the most valuable traits a student or soldier can have… Sometimes, patience is the key to victory.”
As Abraham learned, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise” (2 Peter 3:9 NLT). However, God’s timing is not like ours. He acts according to his schedule, not ours. Waiting on God can be tough. But waiting can produce perseverance, patience, and faith. So, whatever you’re waiting for, wait patiently and have faith. God is faithful and he keeps his promises.
Finally, in addition to a prompt and patient faith, Abraham also wielded a proven faith.
• A PROVEN FAITH
Several years later, in a shocking and unexpected turn of events, the Lord instructed Abraham, “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you” (Genesis 22:2 NLT). Can you imagine what Abraham must have been thinking? Has God lost his mind? How could a good God possibly ask me to do such a thing?
Now, you and I have the benefit of knowing how this story ends. We know that God never intended for Abraham to sacrifice his son. In fact, God hates human sacrifice (see Deuteronomy 18:10, 12:31). This story begins by saying, “God tested Abraham’s faith” (Genesis 22:1 NLT). God’s command to sacrifice his son was intended to test Abraham’s faith. Amazingly, Abraham passed the test.
The next morning, Abraham got up early, gathered some firewood, saddled his donkey and set out for the place God told him about along with two of his servants and his son, Isaac. After a three-day journey, Abraham told his servants, “Stay here with the donkey… The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” (Genesis 22:5 NLT). Notice Abraham says, “we will come right back.” Despite God’s command to sacrifice his son, Abraham was confident that both he and Isaac would return from this excursion. A little later, young Isaac noticed that they had wood for the fire, but they didn’t have a lamb for the sacrifice. When he asked his father about it, Abraham replied, “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8 NLT). Again, Abraham’s words demonstrate his faith in God—faith that God would keep his promise and save his son.
In Zach Snyder’s Justice League, Batman, Aquaman, Flash, Wonder Woman and Cyborg prepare to face off against the alien conqueror, Steppenwolf, but Superman is nowhere to be found. Without Superman, the League doesn’t stand a chance against Steppenwolf’s army of parademons. But, as the heroes embark on their mission, Batman tells Alfred that he knows Superman will come, “He’ll be here Alfred, I know it.” When Alfred asks what makes him so sure, the Dark Knight simply says, “Faith, Alfred. Faith.” Just as Batman had faith that Superman would show up to defeat Steppenwolf and save the day, Abraham had faith that God would show up and save his son.
And that’s just what God did.
Upon reaching the top of the hill, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, and prepared to sacrifice his son. But just as Abraham raised his knife, an angel of the Lord shouted, “Abraham! Abraham!” Abraham answered, “Yes.” The angel said, “Don’t kill your son or hurt him in any way. Now I can see that you trust God and that you have not kept your son, your only son, from me” (Genesis 22:11-12 NCV). Just then, Abraham spotted a ram caught in a nearby thicket. So, Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as burnt offering to the Lord in Isaac’s place.
The Bible later summarizes this story, saying, “It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him… Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.” (Hebrews 11:17,19 NLT). Wow. Abraham possessed a truly heroic faith, and his obedient actions proved it.
Still, many may wonder why God would even test Abraham in such a way. On the surface, it seems cruel and capricious. The story of Abraham and Isaac, though, is the story of a loving father willing to offer his only begotten son as a sacrifice for sin, knowing that he would receive his son back from the dead. Sound familiar? God strategically scripted Abraham’s story in order to foreshadow the death and resurrection of God’s only begotten Son and humanity’s greatest hero—Jesus Christ. In proving his faith, Abraham became part of a much grander story and helped pave the way for the greatest hero of all.
Conclusion:
Of all the heroes we find in Scripture, Abraham is perhaps the definitive hero of faith. Abraham employed a prompt faith—ready and willing to answer God’s call to adventure, a patient faith—waiting twenty-five years for God to fulfill his promise, and a proven faith—willing to make the greatest sacrifice imaginable, knowing that God would show up and save the day. Abraham’s heroic faith sets an example for all of us to follow and proves that it’s possible to live a life of faith. I hope Abraham’s story inspires you to develop a deeper, more dynamic faith in the Lord our God, so that you too can become a true hero of faith.
Next week, we’ll read about another rousing hero of the Bible—Jacob.
Invitation:
In the meantime, if you’re ready to begin a life of faith and fellowship with God, but you’re not sure how to go about that, or if you’re struggling with patience right now and could use someone to talk to—please reach out to me. You can talk to me after church, call me, or come forward while we stand and sing.
