Chapter 21: The Blessings of Abraham’s Faith

Q1 - Are there still physical descendants of Abraham living today? What would it mean to you if you were an actual physical descendant?

A1 - Yes, there are still living physical descendants of Abraham today. The Jewish people were known for their meticulous record keeping, particularly of their heritage. Many were killed in the Holocaust, but many others escaped to various parts of the world. Today, DNA testing affirms that physical descendants of Abraham are still living today. For someone who has studied the Bible and knows the story of Abraham, being his physical descendant would hopefully be very special to them.

Q2 - How special is it to you that all who have faith today are considered children of Abraham? (See Galatians 3:6–9.)

A2 - After studying the story of Abraham and his relationship with God, it is truly humbling to realize that Christians today are among the beneficiaries of the promises that God made to him so long ago. The Apostle Paul explained this truth in his letter to the Galatians:

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:7–9, NIV)

God was planning ahead for all people of the earth when He blessed Abraham! Paul continued his explanation and said this in verse 14 (NIV): “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

That means that all who believe in Jesus and obey His teachings receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! In Ephesians, Paul further explained this wonderful gift of the Spirit:

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:3–14, NIV)

What privileges we now enjoy because of the faith Abraham had so long ago! And what a privilege to be considered a spiritual child of Abraham today because of our own faith!

Q3 - Why did the system of having judges as leaders not work out for the Israelites? Refer to 1 Samuel 8.

A3 - Moses was an exceptionally strong leader, which was what it took to get the Israelites away from Pharaoh and out of Egypt. Then, when the Israelites finally reached Canaan, the Promised Land, Joshua took over the role of leader upon Moses’s death. Also an exceptionally strong leader, Joshua oversaw the twelve tribes as they conquered the Canaanites and took possession of the land God had promised to their forefather, Abraham.

Yet, the Israelites failed to fully carry out God’s instructions as they conquered Canaan. They allowed some of the native people to remain, and these people then went on to influence the Israelites to worship their false gods. The Israelites also intermarried with the Canaanites, something Moses had warned them against.

By the time of Joshua’s death, the Israelites were spread across Canaan as the various tribes began to settle the land that had been apportioned to them. The leadership then passed to a series of judges. With the people no longer concentrated in one area, as they had been under Moses and Joshua, effective leadership became more difficult. Additionally, Judges 2:10 (NIV) tells us that after Joshua’s generation had died, “another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” So the Israelites became less in touch, less attached to the God who had delivered their ancestors out of slavery and more influenced by the pagan culture in Canaan.

The judges lived in various places around the land, and some were better than others. Samuel, who had been raised by the priest, Eli, served the Lord in the tabernacle and also became a prophet and a judge. When he was elderly, he appointed his sons as judges, but they were dishonest. The elders of the people of Israel saw that Samuel’s sons were not of good character, and they also saw how the nations around them had kings to lead them. They decided that rather than having judges, they wanted to be like other nations and have a king to lead them.

Samuel was displeased when the Israelites told him they wanted a king, but God told him to let them have their way. “Listen to all that the people are saying to you,” God told Samuel, “it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (1 Samuel 8:7, NIV). God then chose Saul to be the first king of Israel, and Samuel anointed him. While God Himself had intended to be the leader of the Israelites and the judges to be His earthly representatives, things didn’t work out well, with either the judges fulfilling their roles or the people obeying and following His instructions.