ABRAHAM (father of a multitude), A MAN OF FAITH IN HIS WORSHIP. Hebrews 11:8 It was probably near the end of the 350 years Noah lived after the flood that Terah, Abraham's father, was born. The world system had established human governments to follow, but people were again living without restraints. They wanted to build a tower to reach God, but God's judgment came, and the people were separated by the confusion caused by the creation of many languages. Abraham would likely have learned something about the reason for the flood, so when God appeared to him, he listened.
Faith’s first step [v.8] is obedience. He obeyed God’s call simply because it was God’s call. Unreserved obedience is always the first step of faith. Faith is not blind. There is always plenty of evidence on which to base our faith [Jn. 20:30-31]. The passing on of truth in oral and written forms leaves people without excuse for the existence of God and for what is acceptable to Him. There is a law written on the heart of every person as to what is right and wrong. To practice wrong and continue in that practice is to put oneself in the place of authority. That is placing faith in oneself and ignoring the evidence of a Supreme Authority - the Eternal God.
Faith obeys and acts when God calls. It may lead to unknown places and unfamiliar people, prompting unusual actions, but faith takes action because God tells us to. If that is what God wants from me, that is all I need to know. When the heart is set on being strong in faith like Abraham, we learn from his life and can live to give glory to God.
Humanity is in a unique place in creation, living between what is visible and what is invisible. Human sin and separation from God began when Adam, the representative of all humanity, deliberately chose to eat the forbidden fruit. It began in his mind, which made him choose between God and Eve, and he acted by his own free will. The consequences of going against God's mind, will, and emotions by that choice have affected every person, body, soul, and spirit since. The only way to redemption from sin’s power is for every person, by their free will, to turn away from the world and set their whole heart on God.
How, then, can we find happiness in God? Abraham is an example of that. When God called him, he left his country and family and went where God told him to go, trusting in God’s word. By faith, he saw a land he had never seen with his eyes; by God’s promise, he obeyed and went, and by faith he saw what the future held for him and those who came after him.
Jesus said, “Abraham rejoiced to see My day; he saw it and was glad.” Obedience to God is the essence of faith, and by faith we can rejoice in things we cannot see. Obedience is the way into the Holiest of all. When the heart is set on joyful obedience, we act in faith and enjoy unseen and eternal things now. It is only when, in humility and faith, we surrender to God that we can see into the future and rejoice in “things not seen as yet.” We will never be disappointed when we are fully committed to our Lord and His will.
Living in the land of promise allows us to inherit and experience God's promises now. Even though we do not live in heaven, we can enjoy “heaven on earth” when obedience and faith bring us into close communion with God. God allows us to represent Him to others and often gives us words to speak as His messengers. Trusted people live to honor God. That is our highest ambition. We are pilgrims in character, living by God’s promises. Abraham is the model of a believer. He obeyed the call of God, believed the impossible, and claimed and cherished God’s promises of a special land for him in the future, even though he was a stranger and a pilgrim. Unreserved obedience is the first step of faith.