Hello and welcome back to Cultivating Growth. Thank you for joining us again this week. We are studying the life of Abraham this month, and we've broken that into three separate topics. We began discussing the promises that God makes to him in Genesis chapter 12. And then last week we talked about the moments in life where Abraham demonstrated a lack of faith.

And this week we're gonna focus on how he responds to that and the faith that he ends up showing and the faith that he is known for. And so with that, let's get right to the discussion for today.

Well, John, if you remember last week we kind of closed our discussion by referencing a passage in Hebrews chapter 11. And if you are familiar with that chapter in any way, it, it is a chapter all about faith, men and women from the Old Testament and their reactions by faith and the life that they live by faith.

And we made mention of there in Hebrew chapter 11 six that it. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. And not far after that, you get a passage where Abraham has made mention of and, and you know, not to, you know, elevate him above anyone else that's there in Hebrews chapter 11. But there's a fair amount given to Abraham and his wife, Sarah e even in comparison to everyone else there.

And, and it is not even just one instance that's made mention of Abraham and him operating by faith, but really a couple of different things and I thought that would be a good place for us. You know, kind of to start, we really kind of hammered down last week that although he was not a perfect man, he, he had, you know, his times in life where he operated.

Without faith and, and lying about Sarah and her relationship with him on a couple of different occasions that we know of and, and even them kind of presuming on God and placing boundaries upon him in the Hagar and Ishmael fiasco that kind of takes place there in, in Genesis chapter 16. But to kind of move on from that, in, in Hebrews chapter 11, there are.

Couple of things that are made mention of specifically, and I thought it would be good for us to kind of spend a second in both of those. The first is given to us kind of at the very outset in verse eight of chapter 11 by Faith Abraham obeyed when he was called out to go to the place that he went afterward, receive it as inherited, and he went out not knowing where he was going a couple of weeks ago.

We made mention of that a little bit. There in Genesis chapter 12, as God is giving the promises that he does to Abraham, where you kind of have in context it, it, you know, that kind of story and I think it's interesting. Biblically In a lot of ways it's how we're introduced to Abraham. Mm-hmm. It, it is really the very first thing that we learn about him and we're introduced to him in this very simple kind of way that he is fully putting his faith and his trust in God when God tells him to head off and, you know, in the direction that I'll just kinda show you.

Mm-hmm. And he just packs up and goes. Yeah. I think it's really interesting that both of those two occasions that Abraham is. Known for how he responds when God tells him to leave his country, and then the instance in which God tells him that he's gonna sacrifice his son Isaac. In both of those instances, God tells him to do something that doesn't make any sense at all and would be absolutely horrifying to anyone that would hear them pack up and leave your country.

I'm not telling you where you're going. Just follow me and this one son, the one that's tied to the promises that I've made to you. I want you to take him up on the mountaintop and sacrifice him. In both of those instances, the way the text tells us this story, Abraham doesn't hesitate at all. God commands he does.

That's it. It's almost as if instantaneously immediately when told these two extraordinary directives by God. Abraham immediately acts and responds in a, in a faithful way, and I, that, that tells us so much about Abraham and wow. It sort sets a, a challenging example for us to follow. When, when God, when we are confronted with directives from God, how do we respond to those?

Nah. Hold on a second. I'm gonna need some time to think about this. Or God says, therefore I do. And that's what Abraham does, and I think that's one of the reasons why those two stories are specifically called out in Hebrews chapter 11, because they demonstrate such an immediate act on Abraham's part. To respond in faith.

You know, one thing that you don't see in either of those texts there in Genesis 12 or in Genesis 22, is, is you don't, you don't then see Abraham with a big conversation with God. No. He's not asking follow up questions. He's not looking for more details. He just gets to the director from God and he goes, even in the story with Isaac, Isaac has questions about what's going on.

Right? Absolutely. But you, you don't see Abraham. You don't see Abraham asking questions. And so he's receiving this directive, both of them, way out of the norm. I mean, way out, and, but yet he takes both of them. He listens and then you're right. It seems as if he goes. Immediately. Mm-hmm. Certainly in Genesis 22, that's most certainly what happens, but he just takes off directly.

Now, what's nice about Hebrews chapter 11 is you get a little bit more into the inside of what he was thinking. Mm-hmm. Especially from the sacrificing of Isaac's side. And and I think that is helpful. It it is. As a father, and, and I know you are as well, a lot of times we use that story there with, you know, Abraham and Isaac, and we, we make some points that are valid that we don't necessarily see in the text.

You know, that, you know, this would've been very, very difficult for Abraham. He would've been thinking, you know, this was my son. That would be certainly very, very hard. He would be thinking about the promises that were, that would be made. Mm-hmm. I mean, he would be thinking about all of those things that we would be thinking about.

Yeah, absolutely. But yet. Textually we're only told, the one thing that he was thinking in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 19 I, is that if he would sacrifice his son, that God in some capacity would raise him from the dead. Mm-hmm. And, and even that is kind of a remarkable thing because you know, up to that point of the book of Genesis.

It doesn't seem as if that's something that has just occurred over and over and over again where Abraham would be like, well, in the 55 other times that he's raised someone from the dead, you know, he would do that here. But that seems to be the one insight that we're given, and even that is crazy faith.

I was thinking about it. Per our conversation, you know, last week with the story of Hagar, where it seemed as if him and his wife were putting boundaries on God. Mm-hmm. In this story, he is operating with no boundaries. Yep. Man has boundaries, but he's thinking, well, God, he has no boundaries. And so if, if I were to kill my own son, God's gonna raise him up.

Mm-hmm. And so now this is the kind of faith that we need to be operating with because God has no boundaries and it takes faith and trust to trust that to believe. Yeah, that's a great point. I, you know, it's, we see other instances of this. You know, throughout scripture, you know, where Joshua asks the, the sun to stand still is another one that comes to mind immediately where you just stop and think.

He's never seen the sun stand still before. Right? Why would he think that God would do that? And, and this is another situation where I, you're right. I mean, we have no indication that Abraham has seen people raised from the dead before. Why would he think God would. Do that. Well, your point answers that question.

When we don't put any limitations upon God, he can do whatever he wants to do. He can. He can do anything. And so if I act in faith, then I'm just trusting that. He can do things that I've never seen done before, and he can do things in ways that I can't even comprehend, and so I act accordingly. You know, I think sometimes we, we see that perhaps at times on a, on a.

Smaller scale with our children and the amount of faith they put in their parents to take care of them and to make sure that they're, you know, fed and clothed and, you know, they get in the car with them and then, you know, we take them places and they're just. Along for the ride, trusting that we're gonna take care of them and we're gonna meet their needs and we're gonna get them where we're, you know, we're supposed to go.

And they do that seemingly without hesitation, and they do that because they know their parents and that is what God wants us. To be with him. We act this way and we respond with such great faith because we know our father. I may not have to know how he's going to do things or why he's going to do things, but I know my father and so I act in faith and I think that's what we're seeing here with Abraham.

He knew his father and so. You tell me to leave my country, I'm gonna leave my country. You tell me to sacrifice my son, I'm gonna sacrifice my son because my faith and my trust is in you. And I think what's really interesting, and, and maybe just almost by way of application for us is, is it's still striking to me that these are things.

That are so outside of the normal. Mm-hmm. But yet Abraham isn't looking for answers. He, he, he didn't need, he, he didn't need the answer. Right. He just, he just didn't need it. All he needed to know is, this is what God wants. And, and it would be, it would be good for us to. Begin to consider living our life that way.

Yeah, yeah. Especially on the directives that we have from God of, of just, and not sitting down and, and trying to figure out the why and lose sight of this is what God has asked for and the trust that God is has always the best in mind. Right. He is always looking out for the best. He always knows what's best.

And just to simply trust that. And I think we spend so much time trying to figure out the why. Mm-hmm. And then we, we end up not. Not following, you know what the directive may be, and Abraham certainly could have done that, but he doesn't. He does spend zero amount of time on the why. He gets the directive and he takes off you.

We see that same thing with a story like Job where he has all kinds of questions. Mm-hmm. God doesn't answer any of them. No, and and Job has to be okay with that. At the end of the day, God doesn't owe us an explanation. Now, there are times certainly scripturally where he does provide explanations and doesn't leave people in the dark, but he doesn't owe us those explanations.

He doesn't owe us his reasoning. He's God, we're not. And when we see these acts of great faith from a man like Abraham, it just was a reminder to us that my job is to follow the creator. That, that's my responsibility and to put my trust in him. He's earned it. He deserves it. And so I'm gonna follow him in faith.

He doesn't owe me an explanation. He doesn't owe me anything. Now, if he chooses to do that and give me those things, I'm very grateful for it. But it's not going to impact my faith as to whether or not he does that. And, and Abraham is a man who, for the majority of his life. Was acting as if he understood that God doesn't have to explain himself to me.

I know who he is and so I'm gonna follow him. And I think you're right. We would, we would be better served if we responded to God in the same way today when we read through his inspired word. We see what he has said to us today and how he wants us to live our lives and what he wants us to do. Let's, let's do that and let's do that quickly and let's do that decisively because he's God and I'm not, and I'm gonna act in faith.

It's been hard for me, you know, as we've talked over the last several weeks about Abraham not to, you know, think back to a couple months ago, and we kind of did the same thing with. David and, you know, to see David operating with an understanding that the, the limitless God is standing next to them, right?

Mm-hmm. And, and so yeah. How, how can you stand in a, in a battlefield against a giant of Goliath and, and. Think you're going to win. Well, because you have the, the, the unlimited God standing mm-hmm. Next to you. Yeah. And, and that's where Abraham is. And, and that's ultimately where we can be when we come up against the difficult, when we come up against the seemingly hard or impossible.

To have that understanding that the unlimited God is standing here next to me. Mm-hmm. And, and that is certainly what Abraham does when he packs up all of his things and leaves. Yeah. And most certainly what he does when he heads up that mountain with his only son, Isaac whom God had, you know, promised everything through, he does so because the unlimited God is standing next to him.

You know, I, I hope that all of us. I'll speak personally, I hope. I hope that when my life is over with that there are moments that in my family, my children will remember in my life of great faith and and trust in God. And that doesn't mean that there aren't gonna be times where there're gonna see weakness on my part.

But I, I hope that I can be remembered similarly to Abraham as a man whose life was governed by faith as a man who tried to live in a, in a way that showed my trust in God at every step of the way and acted decisively that that's the kind of person that I wanna be. Right? And that's how I wanna be remembered.

And I think all of us would probably share that sentiment. And, and so it should then remind us just how important it is every single day. To act in faith to, to live a life that follows God and trusts in him, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the challenges that we might faith face. I'm gonna put my trust in my creator no matter what.

And, and Abraham, I think, serves as a great example of someone that we should seek to emulate as we go throughout our lives so that we can be known in much the same way that he is. Let's close Second Corinthians, chapter five. The Apostle Paul is going to be writing in context here about the difficulties of living in this life and the troubles that come because of that and his desire certainly to be with God.

And he, he writes in Second Corinthians chapter five, beginning of verse six. Therefore, we are always confident knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith and not by sight. Thank you for listening this week. If you haven't already done so, we'd appreciate it if you would take just a second to subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you're listening and rate and review the show so we can continue to spread the good news of Jesus as widely and effectively as possible.

Thanks again for joining us this week, and we'll talk to you again next week.