Whereas Jews see Abraham as the father of their nation on account of God's covenant with him, Christians see Abraham as the father of all who believe in Jesus Christ.
The significance of Abraham for nations other than Israel
Abraham was the father of many nations
Genesis 17:3–6 See also Genesis 17:20, Genesis 25:1–4, Genesis 25:12–18 Muslim Arabs trace their ancestry through Ishmael to Abraham.
Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you.
Abraham was to be a means of blessing to many nations
Genesis 12:3 See also Genesis 18:18, Genesis 22:17–18; Acts 3:25
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
The significance of Abraham for the people of Israel
Israel traces its origins back to God's call of Abraham
Genesis 12:1–2 See also Joshua 24:2–3; Acts 7:2–3; Hebrews 11:8–10
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
God promises the land of Canaan to Abraham's descendants
Nehemiah 9:7–8 See also Genesis 15:1–21, Genesis 17:1–8; Exodus 6:8; Deuteronomy 9:5; Acts 7:4–5
You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites— to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.
God is subsequently known in Israel as the God of Abraham
1 Kings 18:36 See also Genesis 24:26–27, Genesis 26:24, Genesis 31:53; Psalm 47:9; Acts 7:32; Exodus 3:6
At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.
Abraham is seen as the father of the Jewish nation
John 8:39 See also Psalm 105:5–6; Isaiah 41:8, Isaiah 51:1–2; Luke 1:54–55; John 8:33; Acts 13:26; Romans 11:1
“Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.
God deals with Israel on the basis of his covenant with Abraham
1 Chronicles 16:14–18 parallel Psalm 105:7–11 See also Exodus 2:23–25; 2 Kings 13:22–23; Psalm 105:42–45; Luke 1:68–75
He is the LORD our God; His judgments carry throughout the earth. Remember His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations— the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: ‘I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.’
Circumcision was the sign of participation in God's covenant with Abraham
Genesis 17:9–14 See also Leviticus 12:3; John 7:22; Acts 15:1
God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant— you and your descendants in the generations after you. This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner — even those who are not your offspring. Whether they are born in your household or purchased, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh will be an everlasting covenant. But if any male is not circumcised, he will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
The significance of Abraham for Christians
Abraham was an ancestor of Jesus Christ
Matthew 1:1 parallel Luke 3:34
This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Jesus Christ attacks Jewish confidence in mere physical descent from Abraham
Matthew 3:9–10 parallel Luke 3:8–9 See also John 8:33–41
And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Jesus Christ makes a point of identifying outcasts as children of Abraham
Luke 19:7–9 See also Luke 13:10–16
And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.
God's promise to Abraham is not inherited by those who obey the law
Galatians 3:15–18 See also Romans 4:13–16; Galatians 4:21–31
Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.
God's promise to Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is Abraham's seed
Galatians 3:16 See also Genesis 12:7, Genesis 13:15, Genesis 24:7; Galatians 3:19, Galatians 3:29
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
Abraham is the father of those who are justified by faith
Galatians 3:6–9 See also Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1–25
So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Abraham's obedience to God shows that faith must lead to good works
O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless? Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.
Fellowship with Abraham is a symbol of salvation
Matthew 8:11–12 See also Luke 13:28–29, Luke 16:19–26
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.