(v11) “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.”
My love of Hebrews, especially the “By Faith” section has lead me to read these passages over and over again over the years, pouring over the over-use of the phrase, ‘by faith,’ which I have come to conclude is an over-statement, yes an over-statement and not the under variety of the statement variety (my English teacher would kill me for this sentence, sorry Mr. Shea). By the meaning of the over-used ‘over’ in the over-statement in the sentence above, I am here to state that the notion of faith mentioned above is not what made the men mentioned in the passage what they are today, role models of faith.
And in the passage for today is all this more clear. Rather than just single deeds that seemingly prove their faith as such in the previous characters of Abel, Enoch and Noah, the example in which Abraham is mentioned contains not only one episode but a progression. When I mention progression, it is proven by the recordings of Genesis where the actions of Abraham are wanting, even to the standards of my faith. Making mistakes and being redeemed from those mistakes and learning is what faith by Abraham is teaching us.
As in the first verse, (v1) “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Yes, the fact that Abraham had faith, but the big question was that not until the end of his walk with God, he was not knowledgeable to whom he had faith in.
The reason I brought in verse 11 as the topic in today’s section is because of the passage, “…because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.” can be eh how would I say it, prone to discussion? LoL. Well here is my blabber.
Who is considering whom faithful?
There are three people
Who: is definitely God. He made the promise
But the ‘he’ and the ‘him’ in this passage can be read differently. ( / ß are breaks)
“…because Abraham /considered God faithful who had made the promise.”
or
“…because God considered Abraham faithful / who had made the promise.”
I might be far fetched and people with the ability to read Hebrew can shoot me down but, if the who referrers to the he and not the him wouldn’t all this be by grace?
Yeah I know over did it but funny huh, the action of Faith may have lead Abraham to be able to have children at his advanced age, but him being chosen in the first place and not someone else… Well… That my friends, is because God by grace considered Abraham faithful when he had nothing to prove, and God made a promise.
In the same way, I confese,
“Nothing am I but by grace of God I am here a citizen of heaven.”
-Worm
