In The Footsteps Of Abraham--Introduction

[dave c]

A HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #120a Written 20OCT07 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw

In The Footsteps Of Abraham: Part One—Introduction

by dave c

Like Moses before the Red Sea, Jesus stood upon the shores of time and parted the past from the future so that the children of God might pass safely to the other side. While there have been myriads of significant people who worked to shape world events—who helped to fulfill Divine Providence’s plan of the ages—there has been only one (the One) Who clove time into before and after His physical existence on earth. “BC” (i.e., “before Christ”), or “BCE” (“before Christian era”) is appended to specific dates from the millennia prior to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth; and “AD” (“anno Domini”—“the year of our Lord”) indicates the 2,000 years since His feet left their impressions upon the dust of this planet. As a result of His first coming, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, our Holy Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments. Throughout the record of human struggle and achievement, no other person can claim the mantle of the Christ, or the Messiah, of whom predictions existed since before the beginning of written history, and after whom the world universal was irresistibly, irrevocably changed for all eternity. He is the Son of God—the Second Person of the Trinity. He is our almighty Creator, faithful Sustainer, righteous Judge, and loving Savior.

In thinking about a generalized timeline of Bible history several years ago, I noticed a possible pattern of similarity based upon 400 to 500 year increments radiating out from the birth of Christ to before and since. During the 5th Century BC we see the close of the Old Testament Canon as God falls into 400+ years of prophetic silence until the pregnancies of Elizabeth and Mary. On the other hand, the 4th and 5th Centuries AD mark the close of the New Testament Canon and the formalization of the Church. From about 1000 to 900 BC King David and his son, Solomon, expanded the power and territorial possessions of Israel to the greatest extent experienced before or since. This can be compared to 1000 AD where we witness the beginnings of the European Crusades to retake and retain the Holy Lands against the jihad of Islamic nations. Most conservative Bible scholars agree that Moses existed around 1500 BC, which corresponds nicely to Martin Luther in 1500 AD. Much as Moses led God’s people out of Egyptian slavery, Luther led true Christians out of the bondage of salvation through works and the apostasy of “indulgences” as imposed by the historic church of that period.

We now live in 2,000 AD, which would be the temporal mirror of 2,000 BC—the time of Abraham. If you agree with me that there might be a spiritual relationship between the cultural nature of historic events before and after the occurrence of the first Nativity, what does it mean to be living in a 21st Century version of Abraham’s epical journeys? What should we prayerfully anticipate as we look and listen for the will and the word of God in this, our unwinding portion of history? I believe the answer is found within the pages of Hebrews. Commonly referred to as “God’s Hall of Faith”, Chapter 11 of Hebrews presents a chronological overview of Biblical figures whom God holds precious for their possession and demonstrations of faith. In verses 8 through 20 we find an extended discussion of Abraham. Within these verses are to be found what the Lord is asking, and expecting, of you and me as we tread the path of Christianity in the 21st Century—as we follow in the footsteps of Abraham.

Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future (NIV). Amen.