Abraham Believed God Is Able to Raise People from the Dead
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March 11, 2018 |
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 Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, 'In Isaac your descendants shall be called.' He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type" (Hebrews 11:17-19)
According to the Bible, God took delight in forefathers of faith who obeyed Him in any kind of situation without any human thoughts and He gave them great blessings. Abraham, especially, proved his perfect faith in God who can raise people from the dead and was called the father of faith. He enjoyed amazing blessings both in spirit and body. Let's delve into the faith of Abraham.
1. Abraham believed God controls life, death, fortune, and misfortune.
1) He only obeyed the Word of God.
Abraham lived around 4,000 years ago. Before God named him Abraham his name was Abram. He had no child since his wife Sarai was barren. Terah, his father, left his hometown, Ur of the Chaldeans, to enter the land of Canaan. As they went as far as Haran, they settled there.
In Haran as well as Ur of the Chaldeans, idolatry was prevalent in those days. Terah couldn't keep his faith and followed their custom. So, God told Abram to go forth from his country and from his relatives and from his father's house lest he be stained with the custom of the area (Genesis 12:1). With this, the process of God's refinement started for the purpose of making him the father of faith. And God gave a word of amazing blessing to him, saying, "You shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2-3).
Abram did not know where he was going, but he completely believed God and did not use his own thoughts. He simply departed in obedience to the Word of God (Hebrews 11:8). Since he believed God's promise of blessing, he left behind all his past life without any reluctance and departed in obedience.
2) He believed God controls fortune and misfortune.
Not long after Abram left his hometown, he stayed in Egypt, and there his wife Sarai was taken into the Pharaoh's house (Genesis 12:14-15). But God struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife, so he sent her back to Abram (Genesis 12:17-20).
Abram went through distress for a moment, but due to livestock, gold, and silver that Pharaoh sent to him, he became rich. His trouble turned into a blessing in both spirit and body. This experience increased his faith, and he came to rely more on God in every matter.
The 13th chapter of Genesis recounts a relevant episode between Abram and his nephew Lot. As Abram became richer and richer, so did Lot who was with him. Their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. There was even strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen. Then, Abraham told Lot to choose the better land and separate from him (Genesis 13:8-9). Lot chose a seemingly better land abundant with water and left Abram.
Abram was his uncle, and Lot enjoyed prosperity thanks to him. However, Abram gave the right of choice to Lot because he believed that God controls life, death, fortune, and misfortune. That is why he could completely pursue goodness all the time.
God said to him, "For all the land which you see northward and southward and eastward and westward, I will give it to you and to your descendants." He also stated, "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered" (Genesis 13:14-17). Abram's life shows us that the most important condition for receiving blessing lies in whether God is with us or not.
3) He believed God controls life and death.
Abram believed God to be the manager of all living creatures and all things. God wanted to see the evidence of his faith and make him the father of faith by revealing his faith to all people of all nations.
When Abram turned 99, God gave another name, Abraham to Abram (which means a great man) and said he would be the father of a multitude of nations. Sarai was also given a new name Sarah which means a mother of nations. God also told him that he would gain a son about that time the following year. Abraham believed it and gained Isaac at the age of 100 (Romans 4:18-22).
When he gained Isaac from his body and Sarah's womb that were past the time of fruitfulness, he came to completely believe that the authority over life and death is in the hands of God.
Then one day, God commanded him to give his only son Isaac as a burnt offering to God (Genesis 22:2). God had promised to give him as many descendants as the stars of the heavens and the sand of the sea and said that the seed of His promise was Isaac. But He told Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham obeyed. He took Isaac to the place God had appointed. He did not feel sorrow or resentment at all. Rather he felt so grateful. His trust in God never changed.
When Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son, God called him and said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Genesis 22:12).
Abraham completely believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead to keep His promise even if he would kill him and offer him up as a burnt offering. This event proved his faith in God who controls life and death (Hebrews 11:17-19).
2. Abraham became the fountain of blessing
Because he relied on God who controls life, death, fortune and misfortune in everything, God gave him blessings in every matter (Genesis 24:1). James 2:23 reads, "And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to Him as righteousness.'"
He was given a duty from God to take charge of the Upper Grave where people stayed who had been qualified to receive salvation before the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Luke 16:22). He received many other blessings. They were the results of his belief in God who controls life, death, fortune, and misfortune and of his having committed everything to God. In the end, he became the forefather of all believers, the friend of God and he received blessing of good health to enjoy longevity.
He even enjoyed the blessing of rejuvenation, so he begot six sons after he gained Isaac. He enjoyed financial blessings as well. If we truly believe and love God, we should rely only on God who controls life, death, fortune, and misfortune. This is perfect faith.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if you possess faith to commit everything to God, there is no problem that cannot be solved. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will possess perfect faith, receive blessings in every matter and enjoy prosperity in everything.
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