The Call of Abraham: A Summary

Introduction

The call of Abraham is an incredible story of faith and obedience that has captured the hearts of believers for centuries. It is one of the most significant events in the Old Testament, and it has important lessons for us today as we seek to follow God’s leading in our own lives. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the call of Abraham and explore its significance for us as Christians.

The story of Abraham begins in Genesis 12, when God called Abram to leave everything behind and follow Him to a new land that He would show him. It was a call to a life of faith and trust in God’s promises, even when the way ahead was uncertain. Through Abraham’s faith, God fulfilled His promises and made him the father of many nations, including the nation of Israel.

In this blog post, we will examine the call of Abraham in more detail, looking at God’s promises to him, his response to God’s call, and his faith in God’s promises. We will also explore the significance of God changing Abraham’s name and what it teaches us about the power of God to transform our lives. By the end of this post, we hope that you will have a deeper understanding of the call of Abraham and how it applies to our lives as believers today.

God’s Call to Abram

The call of Abram is described in Genesis 12:1-3 in the NKJV version of the Bible:

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God’s call to Abram was a call to leave everything behind and follow Him to a new land that He would show him. It was a call to a life of faith and trust in God’s promises, even when the way ahead was uncertain.

Abram’s Response to God’s Call

We read in Genesis 12:4 that Abram obeyed God’s call:

So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Abram obeyed God’s call to leave his country, his family, and his father’s house, and he set out for the land that God would show him. He was 75 years old at the time, and he took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him.

God’s Promises to Abram

God made some incredible promises to Abram when He called him. In Genesis 12:2-3, God promised to make Abram a great nation, to bless him and make his name great, and to make him a blessing to others. God also promised to bless those who blessed Abram and to curse those who cursed him, and He said that through Abram, all the families of the earth would be blessed.

In Genesis 15, God made even more promises to Abram. He promised him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and that they would inherit the land of Canaan. God also promised Abram that He would be his shield and his very great reward.

Abram’s Faith in God’s Promises

Abram’s faith in God’s promises was put to the test many times throughout his life. He and his wife Sarai were childless, even though God had promised him descendants as numerous as the stars. When Abram was 86 years old, Sarai suggested that he take her maidservant Hagar as a wife, in order to have a child. Abram agreed, and Ishmael was born.

However, God had promised that Abram’s descendants would come through Sarai, not through Hagar. When Abram was 99 years old, God appeared to him again and renewed His promise to make him the father of many nations. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “father of many nations,” and Sarai’s name to Sarah, which means “princess.” God also commanded Abraham to circumcise himself and all the males in his household as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham.

God Changing Abraham’s Name

One of the most significant moments in Abraham’s life was when God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. In Genesis 17:5, God said to Abraham, “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.”

The name Abram means “exalted father,” while the name Abraham means “father of many nations.” This change in name was a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham, and it represented the new identity that God was giving him. It was a reminder to Abraham of God’s promises to make him the father of many nations, and it was a symbol of his faith in those promises.

God changing Abraham’s name also teaches us something about the power of God to transform our lives. Just as God changed Abraham’s name and gave him a new identity, He can also transform our lives and give us a new identity in Christ. As it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we become new creations, and our old identity is replaced with a new one. We become children of God, and we are given a new purpose and a new destiny. Just as God changed Abraham’s name and transformed his life, He can also transform our lives and give us a new identity in Christ.

Conclusion

The call of Abraham is an incredible story of faith and trust in God’s promises. God called Abram to leave everything behind and follow Him to a new land, and He made incredible promises to him. Abram obeyed God’s call and put his faith in God’s promises, even when the way ahead was uncertain. Through Abraham’s faith, God fulfilled His promises and made him the father of many nations, including the nation of Israel.

Abraham’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of faith and obedience in our walk with God. Like Abraham, we are called to leave behind our old ways and follow God’s leading, even when it means stepping out of our comfort zones and into the unknown. We are called to trust in God’s promises, even when they seem impossible, and to live our lives in a way that reflects our faith in Him.

As Christians, we also have the privilege of being part of the blessings that God promised to Abraham. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are adopted into God’s family and become heirs of the same promises that were given to Abraham. As it says in Galatians 3:29, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

In conclusion, the call of Abraham is a powerful story of faith and obedience, and it has important lessons for us today. As we follow God’s leading and put our faith in His promises, we can be confident that He will fulfill His purposes in our lives and use us to bless others, just as He did with Abraham.