Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude--innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. (Hebrews 11:12, NKJV).
The Bible minces no words, nor does it meander along lofty and vaporous trails of nuance and subtlety.
It can't.
It is written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
So Abraham and Sarah, this faithful couple from 4000 years ago were brought into being by God to establish a picture in our thick heads of what it means to live by faith.
And what it doesn't mean.
It doesn't mean following the world's wisdom or ways. If Abraham had done that, he would never have left the comfort and security of Ur of the Chaldees to dwell in mere tents in the Promised Land. Worldly wisdom would have called that decision foolish, at best, and delusional at worst.
Sarah would have greeted the news of her impending pregnancy with derision instead of laughter, and if/when she had become pregnant at the appointed time, would likely have been paralyzed with fear.
Instead, they ignored what the world might have said about their decisions, priorities and ways of life to follow the Source of Life Himself, and embarked on a journey fraught with danger, and unthinkable choices.
Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead… an entire nation was born - a nation that to this day has more impact on world events than any other single people group in human history.
Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead… all the world would be blessed, for Messiah, the Savior of the World, would be a Son of Abraham in the flesh.
Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead… the way of salvation was made clear by Abraham believing God and having it accounted to him for righteousness, thus showing the way of escape for every man woman and child on the planet, long before the Law of Moses was laid down from Mount Sinai.
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; (Romans 4:17, NKJV).
It is no accident that this man, as good as dead, is called the Father of the Faithful, and we who follow Jesus Christ are his spiritual descendants by faith.
God keeps His promises, even to one as apparently useless as an old man, and that is excellent news for us all, for we too are in the same mortal condition, awash in trespasses and sins, near eternal death. We too are weak and feeble in the things of God, and yet - and yet - He takes pleasure in using the least likely vessels for His glorious purposes.
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, (1 Corinthians 1:19, 28, NKJV).
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. (1 Corinthians 1:26, NKJV).
Are you seeing the obvious pattern here? If you are of the world, comfortable with its ways and thinking, friendly to its priorities and values, following in its meandering and sometimes pleasurable course to destruction, then, though you may be vibrantly alive from its perspective - and your own, you are really dead. Not just as good as dead.
The difference lies in your ultimate destiny.
To be despised because of Christ in your life is the guaranteed lot in a Christian's life. Jesus warned us that the world, hating Him, would hate us - with unreasoning, unrelenting, and unmerciful hatred. The more obviously your are His, the more despised you will be.
He warned that families would be divided because of Him.
He promised that in this world we will have tribulation. But He also said, be of good cheer - I have overcome the world.
If Abraham and Sarah had kept the world's priorities and values, rather than holding onto God's Word, they would have made no difference. Their lives would have been as utterly meaningless as all who go down into the grave in unbelief.
While he still might have become rich and powerful, for rest assured he was both those things, Abraham's life would have served no purpose other than to increase his own condemnation before a righteous and holy God.
Remember, when the world sees you as good as dead, when the world sees you as useless, when the world sees you as an obstacle to obtaining whatever the world holds dear, and it sees you as these things because of your faith in Christ, then rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.
Friendship with the world, and the ways of the world, is an eternal death sentence.
We are in the world, but not of the world.
While we are here, like Abraham, we are to fulfill God's purpose in our lives, surrendering our imperfect and twisted will to His infallible and divine will.
We are to occupy until He comes.
We are, as much as depends on us, to live in peace.
But when the times come to go out into the wilderness, or make a stand at the city gates, or climb an insurmountable mountain, or suffer alone, then we, like Abraham before us, are to simply obey, not knowing where he was going, but trusting in Him.
