Unlimited: The Father of Many Nations
Jul 26, 2022 1516
He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed (Romans 4:16b–17a.)
For his Jewish audience, it was shocking for Paul to claim that Abraham was no longer just the father of the Jews, but now he is the father of all those who are righteous through faith.
Paul quotes the Lord God’s promise to Abraham, that he would be the father of many nations (Gen 17:4–5). Paul uses this to argue that God had made Abraham a father, not just of the Jews, but also of the “many nations” of the Gentiles who would believe.
The Jews would deny Abraham as the father of the Gentiles. But what Paul is saying is that how God sees things (i.e. “in God’s sight”) is what counts. When placed against the opinion of God, the opinion of man counts for nothing.
God had made Abraham a father, not just of the Jews, but also of the “many nations” of the Gentiles who would believe.
There are many people who never had a father. There are some who actually had deeply flawed fathers who did not protect them as they should. Even those who had good fathers know that they were deeply flawed in many ways.
Whoever we may be, we all need a father like God: a father in whom you can trust completely. That’s what it means to believe in him. And when you do, then you realise that he is your father also: the father of us all.
Spiritual Application
What was your earthly father like? What were his strengths? What were his weaknesses? How did they influence your own life? How will your life change if you truly accept God as your Father?
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