If you have heard of and wondered about the God of the Jews and Christians, you might really enjoy reading about Abraham, a man faithful to God. If you are just not very likely to read the Bible at all, please take the time to read the following brief topic about Abraham, his call from God, and about some of his life to see if you might be interested in reading some more about our God and Abraham in the Bible.

"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Genesis 15:6 KJV

Among all of the men on earth at the time, there was an older man named Abram who God favored. He was privileged to be spoken to by God and Abram believed all that God was telling him. God told him move from where he lived and travel far to a land that God promised Abram He would give to his descendants. When Abram responded to God's calling him by his beginning the journey to that land, God determined and considered Abram to be faithful for his belief in what God said, and God blessed him for it. Although in earlier ages there were men who were considered to be in the "Godly Line of the Old Testament, Abram was the first be considered "faithful".

Moving to that promised land with his family and nephew Lot, Abram became very successful and was well known and respected as a stranger in the land. His flocks, possessions and servants were many and he dealt justly with all. Eventually he and his nephew Lot parted ways with Lot moving to the area of Sodom. Abraham would later ask God to spare Lot and his family from danger when Sodom was destroyed by God.

As God had promised Abram that his descendants would be many, and as God later called him Abraham "Father of many", Abraham began to doubt God's promise of a firstborn son for him. He was getting very old and growing impatient for a male heir, so decided to listen with his wife Sarah to he should have a child through one of their slave women. The child was named Ishmael and God was not pleased with Abraham doing this, but in His mercy, he saw that this child was provided for.

Good to His promise, God provided Abraham with the birth of the promised son, Isaac. God would later ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to Him as a test of true faithfulness and Abraham resolved to do so, feeling positive that God would somehow be able to give Isaac back to him after his sacrificial death. God saw that Abraham had this total type of faith in Him in all things and stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. This act is a partial preview of the later wonderers act of our God sending his only Son, our Lord Jesus to die for the sins of fallen mankind, a saving act in which every Christian believes for salvation.

In conclusion, Abraham was a Gentile who was favored by God, and through his son Isaac God would gather unto himself a chosen people, the Hebrew people, who would start with Isaac's offspring, a people through whom the Gentiles would be blessed. To remember Abraham is to remember a remarkable and faithful man of the Godly line who loved God. 

I pray that you read the Bible to learn more about God, our Lord Jesus Christ and more about his servants like Abraham by starting to read the Holy Bible. 

Rik Charbonneaux is a retired NE Iowan who loves all of God's Word and all of His creatures.