Yesterday, we started working with a premise, that to be blessed as Abraham was, we must be acquainted with what he did. The first thing about Abraham was that he believed God. He believed when it was unreasonable to do so. Today, we pick another of his works; that is, his obedience. His obedience complemented his work of faith. Abraham believed when it was hopeless to believe, and obeyed when it was difficult to do so. A few examples will help to grasp this point. When the Lord asked him to relocate from his home country, family, and friends, he was already 75 years old. That was not a time anyone wants to seek an immigrant visa. In most cases, that is the age many people return to their native land. There was not the slightest indication that Abraham argued with God; he just obeyed.
Abraham’s obedience came to the fore again on the issue of circumcision. God introduced this as a token of His covenant with Abraham. All male children in Abraham’s house were to be circumcised, beginning with him of course. The Bible captures Abraham’s response to this: “In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son” (Genesis 17:26). The value of this obedient step is further enhanced when we consider that Abraham was already 99 years at this time. The fact remains that our belief is demonstrated by our willingness to obey. Note that our obedience must be complete and without grudge, otherwise it is not acceptable.