Who was Abraham in the Bible?

Son of Terah and grandson of Nahor, the seventh descendant from Shem. His name was at first ABRAM, "father of elevation," but was altered by God into ABRAHAM, "father of a multitude." In this name (Abraham) the blessing of the Gentiles is secured by God. The family dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees, and were idolaters. Joshua 24:2. Abraham was the first to receive a definite call from God to leave not only the idolatrous nation to which his ancestors belonged, but to leave his kindred and his father's house and to go into a land that God would show him.

Abraham is not told to remain in the city of Ur and deal with man's wickedness, or attempt to improve its social condition, or reform its domestic ways, or attempt to make it a better and a brighter world. He is called to come out of it in every form. He is to leave the political world — "your country"; the social world — "your kindred," and the family world — "your father's house."

Then God promised him a son, and an innumerable seed, and "he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness" (verse 6). It was a great privilege to have the promises of God, and to be counted righteous by God.

But he proves more when he says that Abraham believed God; it was plainly not a question of law. Abraham never heard of the law.

Abraham's path, all the way through, is marked by personal intimacy with God, constant conversation with God, visits from God. The Lord comes to him and explains His purposes, so that he is called the "friend of God" (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; James 2:23). And this was not only about his own portion, but about what God was going to do with Sodom — the judgment He was about to bring on Sodom, though personally he had nothing to do with it.

Abraham desired no place in this world, but with his tent and his altar he waited for the city which has foundations, of which God is the Designer and Builder. His tent marked him out as a pilgrim and sojourner before men; his altar spoke of him as a worshipper before God. Our tent and altar must go together.

He who had come out at God's call, the stranger in the land that was given him by God, fearing the pressure of circumstances, goes down into the granary of the earth, the land that boasts of endless resources. Abram went there on his own initiative, without God or His word. Not only is there no altar there, but he is without the guidance and guard of divine power morally. Abram fails miserably.

If God demanded that Abraham should offer his son, it was to set forth His mighty love in sending His well beloved Son. There was no last minute withholding in pity as on Mount Moriah in Abraham's day.

If therefore God called for him to be offered up, resurrection must restore him from the very flames of the altar; and "in a figure," as the apostle says, he was received from the dead.

Every believer is a child of Abraham in a spiritual sense; and not only so, but as verse 9 shows us, every believer enters into the blessing of Abraham... It was not merely his own personal blessing, but that in him all nations should be blessed. Not only was he to be accounted righteous before God and to stand in the blessings connected with righteousness, but countless people from all nations were to enjoy similar favour, which was to reach them in him.