Don’t Stop Believing January 16, 2012
Itwas a ruined world, that ancient place where Abraham lived. Brutal, perverse,power-hungry, violent, and rebellious. The Lord’s universal verdict put itpretty plainly: “The intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen8:21). It couldn’t have been more obvious that the world was under God’s curse.
That’swhat makes God’s announcement to Abraham so striking: “I will make youexceedingly fruitful, the father of a multitude of nations. I will give to youand your offspring all the land of Canaan for aneverlasting possession. And in you all families of the earth shall be blessed”(Gen 17:4-8, Gen 12:2-3). What a promise! Innumerable descendants, a cherishedhomeland, and universal blessing. Finally, some good news has come to humanityafter thousands of years under the curse.
Whatreally struck me last week as I meditated on all this in my seminary class washow Abraham’s story ends. How many of the promises have come true? None ofthem. Innumerable descendants? He has one son and two grandsons. A cherishedhomeland? All he owns is a burial plot he had to buy for his dead wife.Universal blessing? Ruination is still more like it. God’s promises look like ajoke.
ButAbraham didn’t think they were a joke. He literally went to the grave believingthat God would keep His word. “Abraham and his family all died in faith, nothaving received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them fromafar” (Heb 11:13). Relentless, unyielding, unstoppable faith. With almostnothing of the promise come true, Abraham kept believing.
Isn’tthat encouraging? (…and convicting?!) Sometimes I feel like life is a whole lotof sojourning and not a lot of fulfillment. More waiting than attaining. Soit’s encouraging to remember that this is so often how God does it. Hispromises are sure, but they are sure slow in coming!
Howdid Abraham keep his faith alive over decades of waiting? The answer is in therest of that verse from Hebrews: “He acknowledged that he was a stranger andexile on the earth.” The real homeland is elsewhere, not here. Promises cometrue in the New Heaven and New Earth. In the meantime, we wait, like Abraham,in faith. Don’t stop believing.