Abraham . . . obeyed.—Heb. 11:8. Abraham and Sarah are mentioned in Paul’s list of the “cloud of witnesses.” (Heb. 11:8-12; 12:1) They were uprooted from their normal life in Ur, and their future appeared uncertain. They proved to be examples of unwavering faith and obedience in trying times. In conjunction with all the sacrifices that Abraham was willing to make for true worship, he was fittingly called “the father of all those having faith.” (Rom. 4:11) Paul touched only on the high points, his readers being well-acquainted with the details of Abraham’s life. Nonetheless, the lesson Paul drew is powerful: “In faith all these [including Abraham and his family] died, although they did not get the fulfillment of the promises, but they saw them afar off and welcomed them and publicly declared that they were strangers and temporary residents in the land.” (Heb. 11:13) Clearly, their faith in God and their personal relationship with him helped them run the race with endurance.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 07:11:06 +0000