In brief
Abraham is the patriarch whom God called to leave his country for an unknown land, around 2000 BC by the usual reckoning. God promises him descendants and a blessing for all the families of the earth. He believes, waits, sometimes stumbles, then offers Isaac at God's command. The Bible calls him the father of believers: he was counted righteous by faith, and God himself called him his friend.
What does the name Abraham mean?
His original name, Abram, is generally linked to "exalted father." In Genesis 17:5, God changes it to Abraham and gives the explanation himself: he will become the father of a multitude of nations.
The story of Abraham
The Call to Go
Genesis 12:1-9God asks Abram to leave his country, his relatives and his father's house for a land that God will show him. He promises to make him a great nation and a source of blessing. Abram leaves at seventy-five with Sarai and Lot, building altars to the Lord along the way.
The Promise and Faith
Genesis 15:1-6Abram has no child. God brings him outside under the sky and invites him to count the stars: so will his offspring be. Abram believes the Lord, and God counts it to him as righteousness. This verse becomes the foundation of justification by faith, which the New Testament takes up.
The Covenant and the New Name
Genesis 17:1-8At ninety-nine, Abram is visited by the Lord, who presents himself as God Almighty. God establishes his covenant with him, renames him Abraham, and announces that Sarah, also renamed, will bear him a son. Abraham falls on his face, and God sets the name Isaac.
Isaac, the Promised Son
Genesis 21:1-5The Lord visits Sarah as he had said. She bears a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had announced. Abraham names him Isaac and circumcises him on the eighth day. The long-awaited promise is fulfilled exactly as God had declared.
The Test on the Mountain
Genesis 22:1-19God tests Abraham and asks him to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham obeys and climbs with his son, saying that God will provide the lamb. As he raises his hand, the angel of the Lord stops him. A ram is offered instead, and God renews his blessing.
What Abraham teaches us
- God calls before he shows everything: faith sets out without having all the answers.
- Righteousness comes from faith in God's promise, not from our efforts, as Genesis 15:6 declares.
- When the waiting drags on, it is better to trust God than to force events by our own means.
- God provides for himself: he supplied the ram in place of Isaac, and he still provides.
Key verses
The call and the founding promise: God blesses Abram so that he himself may be a source of blessing for all the families of the earth.
Abram believes the Lord and God credits it to him as righteousness. Paul relies on this verse in his letter to the Romans to speak of justification by faith.
The angel of the Lord stops Abraham's hand from heaven. His fear of God is recognized, because he did not withhold his son, his only son.
Sermons about Abraham
- Abraham's Blessing: Setting Out with GodA sermon on the call of Genesis 12: Abraham's blessing comes through setting out with God.
- Abraham, Friend of God: Accepting the InvitationA sermon on Abraham, called the friend of God, and on the invitation to enter that same closeness.
- Abraham Off the Rails: When Faith Can No Longer WaitA sermon on the moments when Abraham's faith, in a hurry to wait no longer, strayed from God's path.
- Breaking Free from a Divided Heart: The Lesson of AbrahamA sermon that draws a lesson from Abraham's life for leaving behind a divided heart.
Frequently asked questions
Why did God choose Abraham?
The Bible gives no reason tied to any merit in Abram before his call in Genesis 12. God takes the initiative by grace. Abraham responds with faith, which Genesis 15:6 sums up: he believed the Lord, who counted it to him as righteousness.
What does the name Abraham mean?
Abram is generally linked to "exalted father." In Genesis 17:5, God renames him Abraham and gives the meaning himself: father of a multitude of nations. The name thus carries the promise made to the patriarch.
Where can I find the story of Abraham in the Bible?
It fills Genesis, from chapter 11 to 25. The main passages are the call (chapter 12), the promise (15), the covenant (17), the birth of Isaac (21) and the test on the mountain (22). The New Testament returns to him in Romans 4 and Hebrews 11.