Friday, April 13

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Friday

This week we have been reflecting on the life of Thomas (the Doubter).  I want to close out our week of reflection on the nature of doubt, and it’s relation to faith by examining the case of another doubter in the Bible.  Abraham is certainly a famous Biblical figure, but he is not usually associated with doubt.  In fact, he is often referred to as “The Father of Faith”.  It might surprise you to discover that Father Abraham had his own struggle with doubting the promises of God.

Abraham had reasons to doubt God time and time again: when the land he was promised fell victim to famine; when he fled to Egypt only to be separated from his wife; when he was promised a massive offspring only to remain childless into his elderly years. His life reminds me of a little quote by Frederick Buechner: "Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving."  This continual struggle with doubt is quite understandable in Abraham's case. After all, God made "impossible" promises to him, and then chose the most bizarre ways of making good on them.  I have sometimes wondered how Abraham kept his sanity, much less his faith.

Let’s take a closer look at how this struggle between faith and doubt worked itself out in Abraham’s life.

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:  “Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward.”  But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”  And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”  Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”  He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.  He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.  But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”  - Genesis 15:1-8

God says to Abraham - “Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward.”  There was a good reason why God said this. Because Abram had just defeated a much larger army, from a confederation of five kings, he had reason to be afraid for his security. An attack of retribution was to be expected. Abram needed a shield because he was expecting to be attacked. He needed reward because he had just forfeited great reward offered from the king of Sodom.

Abraham says to God - “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless”  While I am sure that Abram appreciated this promise from God, at the same time, there was a sense in which it seemed to ring hollow in his ears.  It was as if Abram said, “What good is it that You are my shield and reward?  The only thing I’ve ever wanted with any passion in my life is a son!  Where are the descendants You promised me God?”

God says to Abraham – “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”  He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  God reminds Abram of the promise originally recorded in Genesis 12:2 and 13:15-16. God does this because He knows how much we need to be reminded of His promises.  Not only does God remind Abraham of his original promise, but He also takes him out for a walk under the stars!  (how awesome must that have been?)

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.  This is one of the clearest expressions in the Bible of the truth of salvation by grace, through faith. This is the first time believe is used in the Bible; this is the first time righteousness is used in the Bible. It is the gospel in the Old Testament, and it is quoted four times in the New Testament. The faith that made Abraham righteous wasn’t so much believing in God (as we usually speak of believing in God), as it was believing God. Those only believing in God (in the sense of believing He exists) may not necessarily believe what He says to them in His Word.

You would think that this is the end of the story.  Abraham has conquered his doubts and God has called him righteous for his faith.  But this is not the end of Abraham’s questioning! 

After God makes such a dramatic and solemn statement like I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it, how could Abram answer God by essentially saying, “prove it”?  How could Abram ask “How shall I know that I will inherit it,” when God had just accounted him righteous for his belief?  Abram is experiencing what many of us who are accounted righteous in Christ experience. It is as if he says, “I believe itwhen I hear God say it, but five minutes later, I’m not sure!”

One of the things that the life of Abraham teaches us is that faith is linked first and foremost to obedience, not knowledge.  Abraham did not need to be able to wrap his mind around all that God was promising him; he simply needed to act on the faith he had to trust the character of God.  Too often, we think we must know how it is all going to work out before we are willing to obey God.  But He never promises us that we will know everything ahead of time, He just calls us to trust Him in the moment, doubts and all.


Jeff Frazier