Millions of Christians around the world this weekend are studying the Bible story about Abraham and Sarah. It appears quite certain that young Abraham was the only person in the world at first who worshipped the one true God, for his father Terah was still an idolater, and still worshipped the moon. Jewish legend says (which may have a grain of truth) that young Abraham was so vociferous in his promotion of the worship of the one true God that the townspeople of Ur of the Chaldees ran him out of town.
Even so, Abraham was not a good example (through most of his life) of faithful trust in the Lord. In unbelief, he lied twice (to Pharoah and to Abimelech) about his wife Sarah; and he permitted Sarah to lead him astray, in unbelief, to marry Hagar (he same mistake Adam made, in putting his wife Eve before the word of the Lord). While it is true that a husband must love his wife dearly, putting himself out for her, he must also be sure to worship the Lord first! Love must never become idolatry.
Was it kind and generous of the Lord to let Abraham and Sarah wait so long for the fulfillment of the promise to them of a child? The Lesson Book being studied suggests that the Lord Himself was the One who “delayed” the fulfillment of the promise; true or false? Did the Lord delay it, or was it the unbelief of the couple themselves who delayed the promise being fulfilled? Let’s not accuse the Lord of violating His own promise!
In Genesis 22 we read the story of how the Lord told Abraham to offer his “only son, Isaac,” as a burnt offering. In Romans 4:11-16, we read that Paul was able to say that Abraham was “the father of the faithful,” “of all who believe,” because Abraham passed this exceedingly difficult test. What effect did this have on the waiting and watching universe?
Doubtless it convinced the unfallen worlds that God’s plan of salvation will be a grand success! He will have at last a mystic number of “144,000” who “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (cf. Rev. 14:4, 5).
Have we come to that glorious time as yet? Or will our unbelief postpone it for another generation, or for generations?
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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