Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2159
“Who is the father of us all, (as it is written, Ihave made you a father of many nations,) before Him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead, and calls those things which are not as though they were.” Romans 4:16,17.
The preacher begs the reader, before perusing the sermon, to read the two portions of Scripture which were used in the public service— Genesis 15:1-6 and Romans 4.
ABRAHAM had received an assurance from the Lord that he was to be the father of many nations. His faith in this promise underwent great trials. Where there is the sweet honey of promise, there the wasps of doubt will be gathered together. A promise calls for faith, but through our natural depravity it awakens unbelief and there is a struggle around the sacred promise such as that represented in the prayer, “Lord, I believe: help You my unbelief.” Satan, with slimy flattery, decoys men into a belief of his lie, but the God of Truth gives us His bare promise and bids us believe it—and when questions suggest themselves He does not relax His claim but bids us still believe.
True faith, as the work of God, is not a thing to be put down—it is a conquering Grace and makes a brave fight against wicked unbelief. While doing so, Faith has her eyes open and she, in due season, spies out grounds of confidence. She looks at God Himself. She considers the days of old. She remembers her own experience at the right hand of the Host on High and thus she lifts her eyes to the hills from where comes her help. When Faith has discovered a helpful Truth of God she makes immediate use of it as a holdfast, even as Abraham did in the case now before us.
The great difficulty with Abraham was death. Death was around him on every side. God had promised him life and life more abundantly, for he was to be the father of many nations and have a seed as many as the stars of Heaven for multitude. But as to all possibility of his being a father, his body was now dead. He was 100 years old and withered with age—how could he become a father of nations? Sarah, also, as to being a mother, was practically dead for she was 90 years old. How should she bear sons unto Abraham?
Further on the Lord bade him, when Isaac was miraculously born, to offer him as a sacrifice and Abraham was willing to do even that at God’s command. He believed that in Isaac should his seed be called and therefore he looked that God should “raise him up, even from the dead; from where also he received him in a figure.” The Patriarch’s faith settled down upon God’s power to quicken the dead and he found in that unquestioned Truth a foundation for the firmest confidence. The Truth of God’s power to quicken the dead met all the difficulties of Abraham’s position. He argued— “What if my body is dead? God can quicken it. What if my wife is, in this matter, as one dead? By God’s power she can receive strength. What if my son, when growing up, should be dead on the altar? He that made me the promise can raise him up from the dead, for what He has promised He is able to perform.” Abraham’s faith was a nail fastened in a sure place. He knew Jehovah as “God, who quickens the dead” and that resurrection word was, to his faith, a shout of victory!
Abraham had a second holdfast in the creating power of God. The Lord had spoken to him concerning his seed as though it existed and had said, “I have made you a father of many nations.” As though these nations were already born, He had changed his name from Abram to Abraham, which means “father of a multitude.” Yet, when he entered his tent, no child fondly climbed his knee, no babe smiled from the arms of Sarah! “To me You have given no seed,” was the humble statement of the believing Patriarch. He felt that Jehovah could call forth from non-existence a people as many as the stars of Heaven, for He had said, “so shall your seed be.”
You know what it is to call a servant. You say, “Mary,” and there she is. You have called one who is and she appears at your call. But God calls the things that are not as though they were, and lo, they appear at His bidding! He says, “Light be,” and light was. He says, “Let there be a firmament,” and the blue sky overarches the whole earth. When He calls for fish or fowl, for plant or beast, they answer to the call. So Abraham argues—” If God calls for descendants for me, they will come. Though there are no signs of my being a father and, speaking after the flesh, it is impossible, yet God, who calls everything out of nothing, can call for a numerous progeny for me and that progeny will come.” Thus, you see, in the hour of trial, Abraham’s faith fell back upon the two facts of resurrection and creation and there it rested in peace.
I desire, at this time, without wisdom of words, in great simplicity to teach this one lesson. It is a very plain lesson, but if it is well learned it will be a well of strength and solace to you. God raises the dead, and creates out of nothing— and therefore He can carry out the promises of His Gospel. Get this worked into your own souls and you will be strong in faith. Once strong in faith you are strong everywhere, for as a man’s faith is, so is he. If your faith shall learn to stay herself upon eternal principles and find her rest in the Omnipotence of God, you will become like Abraham, a prince among men—and this service will bring you a life-long blessing.