Faith and Sin: Abraham was a man of faith (Rom. 4:18-21; James 2:22-24). He trusted in the LORD and left Ur then Haran at His command. He built altars and called upon the name of the LORD, seeking Him to fulfill His word (12:8; 13:4; 21:33). He believed in the LORD who promised him the land of Canaan (12:7; 13:17; 16:18; 17:8) even though he lived in tents as a nomad (Heb. 11:9). At the command of the LORD, He had all the males of his household circumcised, himself included, at the age of 99 (17:23-24). Finally, he obeyed the LORD even when it meant offering up his beloved son as a burnt offering (22:2, 18). Abraham was a believer. He trusted in the word of God and kept it even to the point of giving up what he cherished the most. Amid this display of faith, we also see his sin. Twice he dealt falsely with powerful men regarding Sarah (12:11-13; 20:2), risking her honor to save his own neck. Moreover, he listened to the voice of his wife (16:2; cf. 3:17) and became a polygamist like Lamech (16:4). Abraham was a sinner like the rest who descend from Adam. But he was a believer who obeyed the word of God, and the LORD reckoned him righteous based on the future sacrifice of the Savior (15:6; Rom. 3:24-25; 4:22). Believers obey the LORD and God justifies them in Christ (Rom. 4:3-5).

Promise: To this believer, God promised the seed, nation, name, blessing, and more. At the outset Abram is almost presented as the seed of the woman (12:3; 18:18), but he is clearly not the victor over the deceiver, since He is a sly deceiver himself (12:12-13; 20:11-12) and brings God’s wrath, not His blessing, on the nations (12:17; 20:18). Nevertheless, God chose this man to be the progenitor of the Messiah in whom all the nations are blessed (22:18).