Abraham … Whose Father?

I’m still, very slowly, making my way through Romans. Chapter four enlightens us with these verses.

11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all. Romans 4:11-16

All of this got me to thinking about the song: Father Abraham.

“Father Abraham had many sons

Many sons had Father Abraham

I am one of them and so are you

So let's all praise the Lord.”

Some of you might be very familiar with this little song. To be honest, I really wasn’t a fan. Not so much because of the words, but because of all the gyrations that accompany the song.

You know, by the end of the song you feel like a blue fly that has fallen from the rafters and lies there spinning around singing:

“Right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot,

Chin up, turn around, sit down!”

But the simple honest truth this song presents eluded me until … well, until the Hebrew Roots idea started to take root in my head.

What does it mean that Abraham is our father? Whose Father? The Jew in the synagogue? The Christian in the church? Both? Neither? Or …?

You see, Jewish folks claim Abraham for their own to the exclusion of anyone else. And, I do think the rest of us kind of accept that because we’re not … Jewish. We’re, mostly, Gentiles.

I understand that thinking. It seems, on the surface, to make sense. However, our passage of Scripture doesn’t present it that way. As a matter of fact, it might be saying something we never really noticed.

Here it is:

Abraham is the father ONLY of those who are saved by faith in the shed blood of the Messiah Yeshua.

That being the case (at least let’s consider it), is then Abraham …

the father of those claiming a bloodline heritage

or

is he the father of those claiming the blood line heritage they have, by faith, in Yeshua the Messiah and His shed blood?

You’ve probably heard the saying: You can’t get blood from a stone.

In light of that, think about this.

John the Baptizer told us something quite amazing during the days our Messiah walked this earth —

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3:5-12

You can’t get blood from a stone. Therefore, these “children” which God could raise up unto Abraham would be children apart from any human bloodline heritage. Bloodline heritage does not determine the children of Abraham.

So then —

Abraham is the father of whom?

Those of a bloodline heritage?

Or …

Those whose faith (like Abraham’s) is in the shed blood of the Messiah, Yeshua?

Don’t make yourself dizzy with all of this … but, the next time you’re singing Father Abraham let it spin around in your head for awhile :-)

“Father Abraham had many sons

Many sons had Father Abraham

I am one of them and so are you

So let's all praise the Lord.”