Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."
As I sit down to write, I cannot seem to get past the first two words: "By
faith". We, sometimes, tend to look at the Old Testament saints as
if they were some supernatural beings that were larger than life. The good
things accomplished by them were purely and simply "by faith" in the
Almighty God. He constantly reminded them of Who He is and what He was
going to do for them. They made mistakes just as you and I make mistakes. They
were imperfect beings; yet, they are listed in this wonderful chapter
concerning faith. God is able to do great things with weak human beings.
Abraham (Abram as was his name when God called him) "was called to go
out." He lived in a place where idolatry was rampant. We are first
introduced to him while he was still in that land. We are not told that he was
looking to leave that country - until - God called him to go out. Abram had no
faith in God until it was placed in him by God. He was content in his homeland
until God spoke to him. He had no "substance" (remember Hebrews 11:1)
upon which to build his life until God came to him with the promise of inheritance.
"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew
thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them
that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all
families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had
spoken unto him..." (Genesis 12:1-4)
He would not have been inclined to leave his family, his father's house, his
country unless the Lord had promised something better for him. Notice in the
Genesis passage the number of times God says He will do something.
"I will make... I will bless... I will make... I will bless."
These promises make up the substance of the things Abram (Abraham) hoped for.
As a result of God's promise of "I will", Abram (Abraham) was able
to go with full confidence. He did not know how God would perform the things He
promised. He simply believed. He obeyed. "He went out."
This morning's lesson deals with each of us developing our God-given faith in
the art of listening to God as He speaks to us. Then we can develop the art of
obeying God. It is then we will receive and be thankful for the blessings He
has in store for us.