8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 11:8–12.
Desperation will cause many to either do many great things, or lead to a road that may be unsavory. However, when someone is desperate they lack options and will resort to the limited scope of vision they have in a time of peril. These are times that lead us to act on nothing but a guess. Faithful action will seemingly act against common sense because while lacking clear immediate outcomes, faith is not born of desperation or blind guesses, but rather from a deep-seated confidence in the unseen realities of God’s promises. While desperation might compel individuals to act on limited vision or guesswork, Abraham and Sarah’s faith, as depicted in these sources, represents a profound departure from this. Their responsive, sacrificial, courageous, persistent, and dependent faith allowed them to transcend their seemingly desperate circumstances, not by guessing, but by trusting absolutely in the character and promises of a faithful God, whose power and wisdom surpass all human limitations and uncertainties.
Obedience to God’s call is the beginning of faith. Abraham’s faith was immediately expressed through his obedience to God’s command to leave his homeland for an unknown destination. He went out, not knowing where he was going, and didn’t trouble his mind with where he was going. This profound trust meant he placed himself entirely in God’s hands. His faith displaced all worry about his future, demonstrating that implicit faith and obedience are due to God, and to him alone. This act of obedience went against all common sense, as he left familiarity and security for the unknown, relying solely on God’s word. Abraham’s departure was a great trial of faith. He left behind everything that was secure, prosperous, peaceful, and enjoyable, including his family, highlighting the sacrificial aspect of his faith. His willingness to embark on this journey without a clear destination required heroism and courage, as the explicit promise of the land as an inheritance was given only after he had entered Canaan. While God promised Abraham a physical land, the sources emphasize that Abraham’s ultimate hope extended beyond the earthly Canaan. He lived in the land of promise as a stranger, dwelling in tents, which signified his transient status. Our response to God’s call when we walk in faith doesn’t rely on earthly assurances or a fallback plan. Instead, we rely solely on the command to go and do it. Through Christ, we see that hope is manifested through faith and that to walk on faith, we must rely upon God’s call alone and not on our own worldly securities.
Sarah’s journey shows how faith can conquer unbelief and yield incredible results. Initially, her unbelief was evident when she laughed at God’s promise of a son in her old age and previously, when she had Abraham sleep with Hagar. However, her faith ultimately prevailed. She came to believe that God, who had made the promise, was faithful and capable of fulfilling it. This unwavering confidence in God’s reliability became the cornerstone of her faith. The ultimate fruit of her faith was the birth of Isaac, a child of the promise. This seemingly impossible birth was the beginning of God’s promise to make Abraham’s descendants as countless as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. This demonstrates God’s power to make a barren life, whether physically or spiritually, fruitful. Sarah’s lineage eventually led to the Messiah, the greatest blessing of all. This story illustrates that faith doesn’t always immediately remove doubt, but by remaining in it, we allow God to address our unbelief and bless us in unimaginable, often impossible, ways. It also shows that God sometimes asks us to let go of our reliance on worldly systems and walk on faith alone.
Faith is an active journey toward God’s purpose, a path that often leads to the unpredictable. The stories of biblical figures like Abraham and Noah illustrate this. Abraham’s obedience, for instance, immediately demonstrated his faith, guiding him on a journey into the unknown. Similarly, Noah’s construction of the ark and Sarah’s miraculous conception in old age show how faith can challenge common sense. These examples reveal that faith isn’t static but a dynamic process. The lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob embody this journey. They lived as pilgrims, acknowledging they were “aliens and strangers on earth,” symbolizing their refusal to settle for a temporary existence. Their nomadic life in tents reflected a constant readiness for a better, heavenly dwelling. This “pilgrim spirit” emphasizes that Christians should not prioritize material possessions but rather be prepared for God’s mission. The popular scout motto, “Be Prepared,” echoes this sentiment, but with a spiritual distinction. While it often means readiness for the unexpected, the preparation God asks of us is a readiness to serve when He calls. This is the essence of a faith journey: a continuous readiness to go forth and be an ambassador for God in the world. It means finding peace in uncertainty, resting in the certain nature of God, and trusting in His desire to care for us and all creation.
Abraham and Sarah are foundational examples of biblical faith. Their lives demonstrate a profound trust in God’s promises, even when those promises seemed naturally impossible or required immense sacrifice. Their story shows that faith is not a desperate reaction but an active, persistent, and confident reliance on God’s character and power. Instead of being limited by human uncertainty, they were able to move forward, knowing that God specializes in the impossible. Ultimately, their journey as sojourners highlights a hope that transcends earthly life, calling believers to anticipate a permanent, heavenly inheritance. Thus we need to reconnect to faith not out of desperation, but out of an obedience to the Almighty God.
Elpis and Shalom 