Don’t Underestimate Abraham’s Faith
"As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her…" (Genesis 17:15-16).
When God spoke these words, Sarah was 90 years old and Abraham was just shy of 100. Not only were they well beyond the age of childbearing, Sarah had always been barren. Difficult as it was for Abraham to imagine having a son by Sarah, he had come to believe that nothing is too hard for God – Genesis 18:14.
Abraham's faith is described in Romans 4:18-21, “…he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith…”
Speaking of Abraham’s faith, the KJ and NKJ versions contain a subtle, but unequivocal fault. While copying verse 19, some scribes evidently doubted that Abraham’s faith was strong enough to overlook the fact that it was impossible for a man his age to father a child. While the original reads, "And not being weak in faith, he did consider his own body, already dead…", these scribes added the word "not" in an attempt to clarify Abraham’s actual faith.
The modified reading is, "And not being weak in faith, he did NOT consider his own body, already dead…” In other words, Abraham supposed that he (and Sarah) were NOT beyond the age of childbearing, thus it was easier for Him to believe God's promise.
Tragically, those scribes underestimated the strength of Abraham's faith. The truth is that Abraham completely believed God’s promise, despite KNOWING that Sarah and he were too old to produce a child. Abraham was "fully convinced that what [God] had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:21).
Sadly, some Christians suffer from a similar malady as the aforementioned scribes. Although they trust God in some respects, they inwardly doubt that:
Nothing is too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:27).
Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
Having complete trust in God's promises may not always be easy, but He has never failed to come through. Remember, “Doubt defeats; faith obtains!”
Building Faith that Sticks in 2026!
Dennis
"As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her…" (Genesis 17:15-16).
When God spoke these words, Sarah was 90 years old and Abraham was just shy of 100. Not only were they well beyond the age of childbearing, Sarah had always been barren. Difficult as it was for Abraham to imagine having a son by Sarah, he had come to believe that nothing is too hard for God – Genesis 18:14.
Abraham's faith is described in Romans 4:18-21, “…he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith…”
Speaking of Abraham’s faith, the KJ and NKJ versions contain a subtle, but unequivocal fault. While copying verse 19, some scribes evidently doubted that Abraham’s faith was strong enough to overlook the fact that it was impossible for a man his age to father a child. While the original reads, "And not being weak in faith, he did consider his own body, already dead…", these scribes added the word "not" in an attempt to clarify Abraham’s actual faith.
The modified reading is, "And not being weak in faith, he did NOT consider his own body, already dead…” In other words, Abraham supposed that he (and Sarah) were NOT beyond the age of childbearing, thus it was easier for Him to believe God's promise.
Tragically, those scribes underestimated the strength of Abraham's faith. The truth is that Abraham completely believed God’s promise, despite KNOWING that Sarah and he were too old to produce a child. Abraham was "fully convinced that what [God] had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:21).
Sadly, some Christians suffer from a similar malady as the aforementioned scribes. Although they trust God in some respects, they inwardly doubt that:
Nothing is too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:27).
Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
Having complete trust in God's promises may not always be easy, but He has never failed to come through. Remember, “Doubt defeats; faith obtains!”
Building Faith that Sticks in 2026!
Dennis
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