Old Testament · character
Abraham
The father of faith — a man who left his homeland holding on to a single promise.
Abraham obeyed God's call, left his homeland, and set out for the promised land. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all honor him as the "father of faith."
Timeline at a glance
- The CallLeaving Ur for Canaan (Genesis 12)
- The CovenantA promise of descendants beyond counting (Genesis 15, 17)
- Isaac's BirthThe son of the promise, at age one hundred (Genesis 21)
- Mount MoriahThe test of offering Isaac (Genesis 22)
The Call and the Departure
God told Abram of Ur of the Chaldeans to "leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house," promising to make him a great nation through whom all peoples would be blessed (Genesis 12). At seventy-five, he obeyed without even knowing where he was going.
Waiting and Wavering
The promised son did not come for decades. In his impatience, Abraham fathered Ishmael through Hagar, yet in the end, at one hundred years old, he received Isaac, the son of the promise.
The Test
God tested Abraham's faith by commanding him to offer Isaac as a burnt offering (Genesis 22). At the very moment he was about to obey, God stopped him and provided a substitute lamb — a scene later read as a foreshadowing of the cross.
Related verses
- Genesis 12:2The promise of blessing upon Abraham.
- Genesis 15:6"He believed the Lord ... and it was credited to him as righteousness" — the root of justification by faith.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Abraham called the "father of faith"?
Because he believed and obeyed the promise before seeing any result. The New Testament (Romans 4) holds him up as the model of one who "was justified by faith, not by works."