Our ancient forefathers had more faith than I have ever given them credit. I have been reading a book written by John Walton about Ancient Near Eastern Thought, which includes the authors of what we call the Old Testament or the Jewish Bible.
Westerners greatest concern In our days seems to be economy. Money and security are near the top if not on the top of our priority lists. Western Christians are no exception. It seems to be an extreme position to take to live with faith in the financial provision of God. But as I learn more about the thought life of these ancient Biblical writers and characters, I can see how truly they really did trust God at times. Abraham really did believe that the God who had introduced Himself to him was indeed the source of all life. Therefore, giving his barren and old wife a child, making him a great nation, and even raising his son from the dead, if necessary, were all very valid options for God in Abraham's mind. Abraham did not doubt that God was able. This is more than I can say for myself. I have to confess that even though I have never been an evolutionist, I too have been influenced by Darwinian thought that would suggest that newer is better. I subconsciously imagine that since Abraham lived "back then" he was not as enlightened about the world and the way things work as we are today. I imagine that since I was born in the 1980s, I have a distinct advantage of knowledge that Abraham did not possess. Nevertheless, Abraham believed God and God considered it all that He required for Abraham to inherit the blessing (Genesis 15:6). Meanwhile, I stack up my excessive material property, my knowledge of the scripture, my knowledge of the world and my stories of miracles on the mission field, and then fret about what comes next. There is a good reason that our ancient fathers and mothers are called "great men and women of faith." They were smarter and braver and more full of faith than I usually have given them credit.
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