I have reached the section on Abram's faith being counted as righteousness and here is where I got stuck.
According to Hughes, Abram was a moon worshipper but he believed in Yahweh when Yahweh called him.
I reckon I am looking from my perspective where the Word has been revealed to us and we believed, have faith and continue to seek understanding.
How was it for Abram? Is it as simple as God spoke and he believed?
Maybe I don't understand it as much because I grew up in a Christian family, I knew God from young and gradually grew in faith. And yes, I do not have one conversion date, which used to bother me a whole lot, but not anymore.
Maybe I can even liken my faith experience to the Israelites as being already the chosen people of God, but whose hearts still needed circumcision.
In that line of thinking, maybe Abram's faith is the model for the conversion of non-believers nowadays. With no background in the knowledge of God, God spoke to them, whether through friends or sermons or Scriptures or even dreams, they believe and have faith.
Simple faith and pureness of belief, and that faith is counted as righteousness through Jesus.
pearlie
Abraham has experienced up and down in faith, and achieved final growth in faith too. so I think 'simple faith' is not the best term to describe him. The progress of his characterisation is also an interesting aspect to look at
ReplyDeleteI know - he was up and down and up and down in his faith, but I am referring to the first point when God called him to go to a place that God does not even reveal, he just went, at least what I read in Scripture :) A lot must have gone through his mind I suppose. And I suppose it is the nuance of the word "simple" I am referring to. The word simple is not simple. LOL
ReplyDeleteAbraham is asked to give up all the symbols of security and autonomy with which the builders of Babel sought to shore up their own identity, attempting to take for themselves -- fame, security, and a heritage for the future, later all become God's free gift to Abraham.
ReplyDeleteVery insightful post that makes us think. I know for me, I was raised in Church and "believed" in God and the stories of the Bible and Jesus in my "head", but when I was 18 I finally realized I was a sinner and had to believe Jesus was who he said he was, and did what the Bible said he did, and believe in my "HEART". I changed that wonderful day and have never been the same, although I have certainly had my ups and downs along The Way I was born again and have never doubted that or that I am HIS child.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much influence Abram's father had on him. Thisnk about these verses:
ReplyDeleteTerah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran. Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.
Perhaps Abram was simply completing his father's journey? Maybe he learned how to sense God's voice from his dad?
KB,
ReplyDeleteYea, I thought of the same thing. Not so much just on Terah but right from Seth to Shem to Terah.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteMine was stretched out for quite a long time. But I did believe since I was very young. But I grew and confirmed that later on in life. Which is why I like to "label" my life as a faith seeking understanding one :)
KB,
ReplyDelete"Perhaps Abram was simply completing his father's journey? Maybe he learned how to sense God's voice from his dad?"
I think it is more than just simply completing his father's journey because if it is, then our faith father will not be Abraham but Terah or Shem. But God specifically singled Abraham out and Abraham believed and obeyed.
Hermes,
ReplyDeleteI agree. I can imagine, what if one day my husband return home and order that our family of 3 just pack up and go, but he does not know where we are going. And we pack everything, sell the house, get a big van and then drive of...to where?
The usage of my word simple is for the faith that he had - that he just had to believe, simple as that. With no working out whether it make sense or not, or if there are any evidence to the existence of God, or did God really really say what he said.
Per the scripture, the mission of Abram's father, Terah, seemed to be Canaan. For some reason he stopped before getting there. Perhaps he died along the way?
ReplyDeleteI see nothing wrong or lacking in faith for Abram to continue the mission his father did not finish. It took faith for him to believe and act on what he heard God say to him.