I recently did some studying on the character of Abraham—not in preparation for a lesson or a sermon, but purely for personal reasons. Several thoughts came to mind, and I wanted to share them.
Abraham was a contemporary of his great-ancestor Noah. The Bible reveals that Noah lived 350 years after the flood (Gen. 9:28). A simple calculation from Genesis 11:10-26 reveals that Abram lived during the last fifty-eight years of the life of Noah. I have always marveled at the great faith Abram had developed, in spite of the fact that many of his immediate family members “served other gods” (cf. Josh. 24:2). In view of such, I have speculated as to whether or not Abram ever met his ancestor, Noah. Could it even be possible that little Abram sat on the knee of elderly Noah and asked, “Could you please tell the story again of the Ark? What was it like to see a rainbow for the very first time?” I can only imagine that the legacy of godliness somehow made its way from Noah to Abram during the final 58 years that Noah lived until the point in time within the first 75 years of Abram’s life when God called him to leave Ur (cf. Gen. 12:4).
Abraham had to leave his family, not once, but twice. When God called Abram out of Ur in Mesopotamia to leave for the land of Canaan, he stopped for a brief time and dwelt in Haran far to the northwest. Simple mathematics reveals that his father, Terah, was seventy years old when Abram was born (Gen. 11:26), which makes him 145 when Abram left Haran (Gen. 12:4). Yet, Terah died in Haran at the age of 205 (Gen. 11:32). Thus, the only possible explanation for this is that he lived his final sixty years in Haran. In other words, not only did Abram have to leave his family in Ur (Gen. 12:1), but he later left his father behind in Haran, taking his nephew Lot with him. Thus, he had to leave his family on two different occasions—once was difficult enough, but twice must have been painful, especially with his father getting older. The pains of separation are never easy, and it only reinforces how much love Abram had for God, even more than that he had for his own flesh and blood (cf. Luke 14:26).
Abraham needed to learn patience. As I mentioned above, Abram was at least 75 years old when God called him and gave him the great Messianic promise through his seed (Gen. 12:1-3). Yet, his wife, Sarai, was barren (Gen. 11:30) at the time God gave the promise. After his stay in Egypt and separating from his nephew, Lot, God reinforces His promise (Gen. 13:14-18). Yet again, after the Great War among the nations, Abram still has no child, and wonders if God is going to count his steward, Eliezer, as his child (Gen. 15), which prompts God to reinforce His promise once more. Thus, by the time that we arrive to Genesis 16 where Sarai suggests that Abram have children through her handmaid, Hagar, a full ten years has passed, since Abram is now 85 (Gen. 16:3). Ten years is a long time, especially when waiting on the promise of children! Ishmael is born, but God stipulates that he is not the son of promise, and Abram and Sarai have to wait another thirteen years, when Abram is 99 and Sarai is 90. In other words, from the time that they initially receive the promise, they waited at least twenty-five years! Abraham learned the hard way what it means when the psalmist cried, “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope” (Psa. 130:5). Abraham not only needed to develop faith, but he also needed to learn patience!
This previous point only reinforces the difficulty of the test that Abraham faced when God told him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah in Genesis 22. The words could not be truer, but yet are so inadequate to convey truly their meaning—“Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest…” (Gen. 22:2). To have to endure what he went through just to get Isaac, and to have the time he did to enjoy him, now to be told by God to sacrifice him is a challenge that I am not sure any of us really can understand fully. Nevertheless, Abraham listened to God and intended on doing exactly what God said. No wonder we know him for his great faith!