We live in a world of immediate gratification. Credit makes it possible for us to have what we want now rather than waiting a lifetime. Clothing, cars, houses, wants and needs can be bought on time. The latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York documents that total household debt in America is $17.94 trillion, the largest in history. There was a time, and perhaps there still is among some, when people counted on the promise of the American dream. The promise that if you worked hard and did the right thing, God would bless the fruits of your labor. But what if you lived a lifetime and never realized that promise? Would your faith in God remain steadfast?
Abraham and Sarah stand as examples. Abraham receives two promises—both stated five times. The first is the promise of the Land, he is told repeatedly that the land in which he traveled would one day be his (Genesis 12:7; 13:14-17; 15:7; 15:18-21; 17:7,8). The second is the promise of children (Genesis 12:2; 13:16; 15:5; 17:4-5; 22:17), to be the father of many nations. But at the time, Abraham didn’t have the land and only one son of the covenant, Isaac. Abraham will have descendants and land—however far in the future. Hebrews 11:8-13 says it well, “By trusting, Abraham obeyed, after being called to go out to a place which God would give him as a possession…” By trusting, he fathered a child, even when he was past the age for it, as was Sarah herself. They kept trusting until they died, without receiving what had been promised.
They had only seen the promise and welcomed it from a distance, while acknowledging that they were aliens and temporary residents on the earth. Just as Abraham believed God and his trust was counted as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), so are all who believe in Jesus. In this way Abraham is the father of all who believe. Romans 4:23-25 states, “But the words, “It was accredited to his account…” were not written for him only. They were written also for us, who will certainly have our account credited too because we have trusted in him who raised Jesus from the dead—Jesus, who was delivered over to death because of our offenses and raised in order to make us righteous.”
In Matthew 22:32, Jesus said that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive. At the end of days when the Jewish people, the seed, come to full possession of the land of Israel, the patriarchs will be with them and they will finally realize the full promise—along with those of us belonging to the Ultimate Seed of Abraham (Jesus the Messiah). As is stated in Galatians 3:29, “Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise.” As Jesus told Thomas in John 20:29, ““Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The depth of our faith must be founded on the promise of God, not of the fleeting things we see in this world.
Sources:
https://www.newyorkfed.org/microeconomics/hhdc.html
