Abraham Set Right by Faith

Introduction

Over the last few weeks we have pointed out that everyone, whether Jewish and Gentile, need salvation. We have all sinned and broken Adonai’s right and holy decrees whether we knew about them or not. Today we will begin to go through some examples in the Hebrew Scripture that demonstrate how Adonai makes us righteous. Let’s read from: Rom. 4:1-12

Romans 4:1–12 TLV

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was set right by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, the pay is not credited as a gift, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but trusts in Him who justifies the ungodly, his trust is credited as righteousness— just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin Adonai will never count against him.” Is this blessing then only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? For we say, “trust was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” In what state then was it credited? While circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised! And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of the trust he had while he was uncircumcised, so he might be the father of all who are trusting while uncircumcised—that righteousness might be credited to them as well. Also he is the father of the circumcised, to those not only circumcised but also walking in the footsteps of the trust of our father Abraham before his circumcision.

Abraham Made Right By Trust

Paul has made the claim that Adonai makes people righteous, not based upon their ability to keep the Torah. Now he will look into the Hebrew Scriptures and show from the lives of Abraham and David that Adonai has always made people righteous because those people had faith in the grace of God.

To get a fuller understanding of Abraham, let us read the passage that Paul is quoting. Gen. 15:1-6

Genesis 15:1–6 TLV

After these things the word of Adonai came to Abram in a vision saying, “Do not fear, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “My Lord Adonai, what will You give me, since I am living without children, and the heir of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look! You have given me no seed, so a house-born servant is my heir.” Then behold, the word of Adonai came to him saying, “This one will not be your heir, but in fact, one who will come from your own body will be your heir. He took him outside and said, “Look up now, at the sky, and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your seed be.” Then he believed in Adonai and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

When Adonai first called Abram out of Ur, he was 75 years old, this is about 10 years later. Abram has obeyed Adonai and has been dwelling in the land. Here we see that Abram is considered righteous for simply trusting what Adonai had promised. The point that Paul makes later, is that Abram is considered righteous more than 13 years before circumcision was instituted.

Paul point out that this righteousness was not based upon something that Abram did, but rather upon Abram’s trust in Adonai’s words. When we work, we expect to get paid. This expectation is not the same as the trust in someone’s word.

Let’s continue the story in Genesis 15:6-20

Genesis 15:6–20 TLV

Then he believed in Adonai and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Then He said to him, “I am Adonai who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans, in order to give you this land to inherit it.” So he said, “My Lord Adonai, how will I know that I will inherit it?” Then He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old young cow, a three year old she-goat, a three year old ram, a turtle-dove and a young bird.” So he brought all these to Him and cut them in half, and put each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. Then birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. When the sun was about to set and a deep sleep fell on Abram, behold, terror of great darkness was falling upon him! Then He said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years. But I am going to judge the nation that they will serve. Afterward they will go out with many possessions. But you, you will come to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they will return here—for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” When the sun set and it became dark, behold, there was a smoking oven and a fiery torch that passed between these pieces. On that day Adonai cut a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your seed, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River: the Kenite, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Raphaites,

Now we talked through this covenant several months ago.

What type of covenant is this? Suzerian - this sort of covenant was very common in Abram’s day. It basically meant, (explain walking through)

What are the promises? (inheriting the land of Israel from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates River)

What are the stipulations on Abram and his descendants? None, who walked through the animals? A smoking oven, and a fiery torch, 2 forms of fire (not Abram).

Adonai was telling Abram, if I break the covenant, then may what has been done to these animals be done to Me, and if you break the covenant, then may what has been done to these animals be done to Me. Either way, it is an unconditional promise of Adonai, and it was made long before the Torah was written by Moses, and long before circumcision was instituted.

David Considered Righteous

Paul now brings a second witness, David, because according to Deut. 19:15

Deuteronomy 19:15 TLV

A single witness shall not rise up against a person for any offense or sin that he commits. By the word of two or three witnesses is a case to be established.

The second witness, David writes in Ps. 32:1-7

Psalm 32:1–7 TLV

Of David, a contemplative song. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is pardoned. Blessed is the one whose guilt Adonai does not count, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones became brittle through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me. My strength was drained as in the droughts of summer. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said: “I confess my transgressions to Adonai,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah So let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found. When great floodwaters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place— You will protect me from distress. You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

Here we see that David is simply trusting in Adonai for forgiveness, he is simply confessing his sin, and receiving the mercy of God. Paul is showing that trusting in Adonai, not only means believing the promises that He has made, as was the case with Abram, but also trusting Adonai for forgiveness, as shown through David.

Last time we pointed out that David was not perfect by any means, rather David was a man who knew what it meant to be forgiven.

How are we made right?

Now as we mentioned before, one of the main issues that Paul was addressing was whether or not the Gentiles needed to be circumcised. We know that the answer is no, and Paul points out that Abraham is the father not only of the Jewish nation, the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but also of the Gentiles.

Paul also points out that Abraham is the father of all who will put their trust in Adonai, regardless of their ethnic background.

What about z’khut-avot (merits of the fathers)?

Now you may or may not have heard of this concept, but it was an extremely widespread teaching in the time of Paul. David Stern puts it this way:

There can be no doubt that in the 1st century C.E. the doctrine was widespread that descendants can benefit and even can claim salvation on the grounds of their ancestors’ righteousness. Yeshua’s opponents made exactly this claim at John 8:33, Sha’ul’s own opponents obviously were making use of the idea at 2 Cor. 11:22, and Yochanan the Immerser rebuked his investigators before they had a chance to say, “Abraham is our father” (Matt. 3:9).

This teaching is still quite prevalent in many circles of Rabbinic Judaism. The concept is that because Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were so faithful, and Adonai accepted them, therefore I will be made righteous because of their faithfulness because I am a physical descendant from them.

As you can see, this was and is an argument usually only made by people of Jewish descent.

But here in Rom. 4:12 we see that it is not enough to simply be a descendant of Abraham, you must also have the faith and trust in God that Abraham had.

Romans 4:12 TLV

Also he is the father of the circumcised, to those not only circumcised but also walking in the footsteps of the trust of our father Abraham before his circumcision.

Now if you have any doubt that this is the case, you need to read the book of Jeremiah the prophet. I am up to Jeremiah in my personal daily readings. Just before Adonai speaks to Jeremiah about the New Covenant, He says Jer. 31:28-29

Jeremiah 31:28–29 TLV

“In those days they will no longer say: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are blunted.’ Rather each will die for his own iniquity: if anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be blunted.”

In fact, not only does Adonai point to this reality in the negative (i.e. dying for our individual sins), but he also mentions it in the positive. Jer. 31:30-33

Jeremiah 31:30–33 TLV

“Behold, days are coming” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not like the covenant I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they broke My covenant, though I was a husband to them.” it is a declaration of Adonai. “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “I will put My Torah within them. Yes, I will write it on their heart. I will be their God and they will be My people. No longer will each teach his neighbor or each his brother, saying: ‘Know Adonai,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.” it is a declaration of Adonai. “For I will forgive their iniquity, their sin I will remember no more.”

Notice, that in the context of the New Covenant that Jeremiah the prophet spoke about in 500 B.C, Adonai points out that everyone will have an individual relationship with Adonai. All people will be able to “Know Adonai … from the least … to the greatest.”

This is the reality of what Adonai has done through the New Covenant that was established through Yeshua.

Conclusion

We all need to put our trust in Adonai, and in the work that Yeshua did on the Cross. Yeshua paid our penalty so that the just requirement of the Torah could be fulfilled. We now need to trust in that provision, and in the promise of Adonai in the same way that Abraham trusted Adonai.

Let us thank God for all that he has done and put our trust in the sacrifice that He made on our behalf.