Having Lunch With Father Abraham

Let’s explore Abraham’s saving faith, which was counted as righteousness and blessed him with descendants more numerous than the stars.

Have you ever wondered which person from the Bible you would most like to meet in heaven?

I have, and the thought is very exciting, My list is incredibly long, Excluding God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It includes Mary, the Apostles; James, the brother of Jesus; Adam, Eve, David; all the Prophets; Moses, Joshua, and Caleb; Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Martha; Lazarus; Jabez, the woman at the well; Barnabas, and Silas—the list goes on and on. Thankfully, we’ll have all eternity to meet, talk, and be with other saints!

Imagine if there was a large video screen where we could watch the entire Bible played out in real time, narrated by each person involved. Even better, what if we could step into it and experience it firsthand? I want to see the land, know the customs, learn everyone’s thoughts, and hear how they came to faith in Jesus. I’ve always fancied having lunch with Abraham outside his tent. It would probably be hot and sandy, with wonderful dishes like figs and date honey.

I’d sit on a big Bedouin rug and probably be able to smell the camels and the other animals. I can just imagine this scene would be filled with a huge variety of aromas.

Father Abraham

The life of Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation and a remarkable believer, captivates me! His journey is filled with dramatic events, unwavering faith, and a relentless pursuit of the one true God.

There is so much about this man and his life I want to share with you! God’s covenant with Him moves me to tears, especially the moment he left his homeland to follow a God he had only just met. He and Sarah’s deep longing for children and the reason behind it, the heart-wrenching three-day journey to Mount Moriah with his only son, and the terror, joy, and faithfulness in getting his son back—these stories are profoundly touching. But for now, let’s focus on his extraordinary faith!

God made a covenant with Abram (his name before he believed). A covenant is more than a promise; it is a binding, unbreakable agreement or contract, only severable by death. God promised Abram that he would become the father of a great nation, that He would give Abram land for eternity, and more. The name “Abram” means great father, which was quite ironic for this childless man of faith. He was 75 years old when God made these astounding promises to him.

Abram must have clung tightly to these promises as years passed without any children. He and his wife Sarai (her name before God changed it) were well past childbearing age. Decades went by, yet Abram continued to believe in God and His promises!

Abram’s Belief

The first time the word believed appears in the Bible is in Genesis 15:6. Let’s set the stage…

Abram, nearing 90 or 100 years old, is visited by God once again. God tells Abram not to fear, that He would be his shield, and that Abram’s reward would be very great (Genesis 15:1).

Abram immediately reminds God that he is still childless, recalling God’s covenant promise. Despite all human odds, Abram knows that God is greater than any obstacle, even something as seemingly insurmountable as being past the age of bearing children. I love this moment—Abram is persistent in reminding God of His promise!

God then takes Abram outside (perhaps from his big tent) and shows him the stars in the sky. Picture it: a dark, clear night in the desolate desert, cooled from the day’s heat. Abram wraps himself in his cloak and steps out into the night, with the heavens overflowing with twinkling stars.

God says to Abram, “Count the stars if you are able to count them. So shall your descendants be.”

And then the Bible tells us something magnificent: “Then he (Abram) believed in the Lord, and He (God) reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).

Abram believed that God would make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. He believed that God was who He said He was and could do what He promised. This belief was reckoned or accounted, to him, as righteousness—being in right standing with God. Once you are truly in the right standing with God, you always are. Amazing!

What Is True Belief?

The Hebrew word for believe is Emunah (pronounced em-MOO-hah). It is translated as the word believe in English or pistis in Greek. But Emunah carries a much deeper meaning! To believe is to assent to a factual statement or agree to the truth of something.

Abram’s belief was an Emunah belief, a deep and steadfast faith that led God to change his name to Abraham, meaning father of a great nation. This old, childless man, whose name before his encounter with God meant great father, became Abraham, the father of a great nation!

Abraham’s Emunah belief is much deeper and richer than what many of us understand. It embodies the same broad meaning as when God calls us to have faith in Him. Simply believing that there is a God does not credit us as righteous.

James 2:19 says,

Even the demons believe and shudder.

The demons know who Jesus is and believed in God, but their belief did not lead to salvation. Just knowing that there is a God is not a saving belief.

Like Abraham, we are called to an Emunah belief—a faith that sees God and assents to belief in Him. And then belief drives us to repentance and a life lived for God rather than ourselves. It embodies steadfastness and persistence in our commitment to God, which is a life of faithfulness!

So, when things get hard—and they will—and it seems like God is not who He says He is or will not do what He says He will do, we must Emunah- believe. We must persistently believe, bowing our knee to our God and committing ourselves to Him alone. We believe that God is, He can, and He will, no matter the circumstances!

Yes, when I get to heaven, Abraham and I will have lunch and a long, long talk! I have so much to ask him. If you believe in Jesus, why don’t you join us? We will make it a feast!

Scripture To Ponder

Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sue that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations shall be blessed in you.”

So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. Gal 3:6-9

Related Post

Please read the post below for more about a true saving faith…

What Is Saving Faith