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Let us pray. Abraham believed in God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Romans 4, 3. Dear Lord, we understand that no righteous deeds or religious ceremonies could ever replace pure faith in you. Trust in your promises and redemption are what save us, not works.
Keep us humble and grounded in that knowledge so we would not become boastful or arrogant. Just as Abraham believed in you and it was accounted to him as righteousness, we declare belief in the work of Christ. May that faith transform us, empower us to live righteous lives, and glorify you daily. In Jesus' name, amen.
Thank you for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for another episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider. Abram's head leaned against the stone and slowly he drifted away to sleep. He closed his eyes and then opened them to see a terrible vision. He sprang up and looked around him. He saw hundreds of thousands of people with scars on their backs, dragging stones through the sand and mud.
The voice of God spoke to Abraham, saying, Know this, your offspring will be strangers in a land that is not theirs.
They will be slaves there and afflicted for four hundred years. Abram looked at the people. They were his descendants, a vast sea of faces all somehow from him. Their image faded and Abram was shown a mighty torrent of water thrashing against an army and his descendants running towards safety. I will bring judgment on their oppressors and once I have freed them they will have a great reward.
Abram looked around him as millions flooded the valley he called home. They outnumbered the stars. Then he saw nothing. It was just him and the Lord. God spoke tenderly to him, saying, As for you, Abram, you will have peace.
Welcome to another episode of the Stories of the Messiah podcast. I'm your host, Rabbi Kirk Schneider, with Discovering the Jewish Jesus. I'm here to guide you through the Bible's most iconic stories and showcase how they point us toward the ultimate Redeemer and King, Jesus. If this podcast has blessed you thus far, please take a moment to leave a comment and review. Doing so will make sure others discover these life-changing stories. This season of Stories of the Messiah is called Jesus the Greater.
As heroic and admirable as Noah, Abraham, and Moses are, they are mere shadows of the true hero who came after them, the greater Redeemer of the world, Savior of mankind and author of faith, King Jesus. Today we visit the story of Abraham. He is known as the father of faith. God made a promise to bless the entire world through him.
Is Abraham able to carry such a burden? We'll find out now. Join me now as we immerse ourselves in a cinematic retelling of Genesis 15, where God beckons Abram out of his tent to gaze at the stars. Within the stars is a promise, the promise of a greater hero that will come from his lineage. Let's begin. "Fear not," the voice called out. Abram sat up in a sweat.
He looked around for the source of the voice, but he could only see Sarai sleeping beside him. "Fear not, Abram," the voice said again. Abram looked forward. A cool breeze blew in from the entrance of his tent. He stood to his feet and walked outside. God was beckoning him, drawing him out of slumber and into a vision. He heard the voice of God again. This time, it seemed he was speaking all around and within him. "Fear not, Abram."
Abram paused and considered God's declaration as the cool breeze brought the scent of falling leaves through the valley. His bottom lip quivered slightly, both from the cold and from the sadness within his heart. He closed his eyes and replied,
Abram's doubt was not a denial of God's promise, but rather a desire for God's promise. He wanted it to be true, but the one desire of his heart had eluded him.
God's presence surrounded Abram. He was enveloped in the comforting embrace of the Lord Almighty. Oh, Abram.
A son from your flesh will be given to you." God's presence called Abram to walk up a small grassy hill like the gentle nudge of a father. "Look up at the heavens," God whispered. Abram turned his gaze towards the heavens. Casting his gaze upward, his eyes met a cosmic tapestry that stretched infinitely beyond his reach. Unobstructed by clouds or earthly illumination,
A myriad of twinkling stars painted the night canvas, each a distant sun, a silent testament to the vastness of the universe. Abram found himself entranced, humbled and insignificant. God spoke to Abram's heart in this state of awe, saying, "Your descendants will outnumber the stars. Through you, all the nations of the world will be blessed." Abram's heart melted.
As he surveyed the expanse of heaven, he realized just how incredible it was that the creator of the stars considered him, knew him, and loved him. Abram believed God. He had faith that the Lord would follow through with his promises. That belief, that faith, is what made Abraham righteous. No deed, ceremony, or religious gesture would ever replace that pure trust in God's word.
Abram looked up at the heavens, tears fogging his vision, and whispered to the Lord, "Oh, shall these things happen? Bring me a heifer, goat, turtle dove, and pigeon." The Lord replied, "Abram knew exactly what God was requesting. In his culture, covenants were made through sacrifice. Two people making promises would split animals in half and walk through the middle.
To seal a covenant with blood meant that if one were to break that promise, it would mean death. God intended to make an unbreakable vow with Abram, a promise sealed in blood that would endure throughout the generations. Abram took his eyes off the heavens and retreated to his tent. The following day, he gathered the necessary animals, split them in half, then waited. The sun's heavy rays were briefly shaded by the wings of vultures flying overhead.
They descended on the carcasses of the animals, but Abraham fought them off. Thrashing and screaming, he scared them away, then sat on a stone and panted. Abram was sure God would show up. He had heard his voice so clearly. Abram leaned back and looked out on the horizon. He waited for God's voice to return. He waited all day, staring, praying, pondering. Faith kept him hopeful.
The day drew on, and Abram watched the sun slowly descend over the valley. Hues of orange and crimson splashed the skies, matching the blood soaking the ground near the slain animals. Abram's head leaned against the stone, and slowly he drifted away to sleep. He closed his eyes, then opened them to see a terrible vision. He sprang up and looked around him.
He saw hundreds of thousands of people with scars on their backs, dragging stones through sand and mud. The voice of God spoke to Abram, saying, "Know this: your offspring will be strangers in a land that is not theirs. They will be slaves there and afflicted for four hundred years." Abram looked at the people. They were his descendants. A vast sea of faces, all somehow from him.
Their image faded, and Abram was shown a mighty torrent of water thrashing against an army and his descendants running towards safety. I will bring judgment on their oppressors, and once I have freed them, they will have a great war. Abram looked around as millions flooded the valley he called home. They outnumbered the stars. Then he saw nothing. It was just him and the Lord. God spoke tenderly to him, saying,
"As for you, Abraham, you will have peace." Abram opened his eyes to see something miraculous. God had passed through the sacrifices himself. A smoking fire pot and a flaming torch stood at the other end of them. God had made his promise to Abram and his offspring without him. "But what of the blood that's required if I break my part of the covenant?" Abram wondered.
God was the one to pass through himself. That means God would be the one to die if Abram and his descendants broke their promise. God would later rename Abram, making him Abraham, a father of nations. He said that through his seed, all the nations would be blessed. A son from his lineage would rise to redeem and bless the world. Abraham eagerly awaited that time.
He believed in the future redemption. He hoped for that future blessing. And one day, he would meet the promised son in eternity. What a moving moment between God and Abram. Could you feel the intimacy between them? Could you sense Abram's doubt melting away under the warm embrace of his heavenly father? It makes sense that Abram would be doubtful of God's promises. Think about it.
He was old and had tried to have children for years. He feared all his blessings wouldn't be shared with his descendants. But God comforted Abram and made a promise that his offspring would outnumber the stars in the sky. They would multiply, suffer from slavery, be rescued, and prosper in the land promised to them. And through them, a greater hero would come. Abram took all this in and had faith in God.
The faith was accounted to him as righteousness. It wasn't any good deeds, holy exploits, or obedience that made him righteous. It was his belief in the promises of God. To seal the promises he made to Abram, God made a covenant. He had Abram prepare sacrifices for them to walk through together. These types of contracts were weighty back then. Whoever broke their side of the agreement would be held accountable with blood.
That is why God walked through the sacrifice on his own. He was going to bear sole responsibility for the promise. If Abram or any of his descendants broke the covenant, God would pay the penalty, not them. He would eventually do that through the sacrifice of Jesus. Abram was eventually renamed Abraham, and God promised that all the nations would be blessed one day through his seed. Abraham looked forward to that time.
He hoped in God and believed his promised descendant would save the world. He knew this prophesied son would be greater than him, mightier. The Bible is covered in prophecies like this, and you can hear me unpack more of them at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Now let's fast forward to when Abraham's descendants are great in number. They have an established culture and way of life.
They look back at Abraham as the ultimate example of righteousness, but they seem to have forgotten that someone greater than him was supposed to come. Just admit it! One of the scribes shouted from a group of Jewish leaders. You are a Samaritan dog and are possessed by a demon! The crowd stirred, uncomfortable with the accusation. Jesus remained calm under scrutiny. His eyes pierced through his accusers.
He exhaled and shook his head. I do not have a demon, he replied matter-of-factly. I honor my father in all things, yet you stand here and dishonor me. I won't fret over this, though, for I do not seek my own glory. There's only one who seeks my glory, and he's the ultimate judge between you and me. He looked away from the group of accusers, turned to the crowd, and said, Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my words, you will never see death.
The group of scribes and Pharisees stirred. Their holy veneer was slowly eroding, giving way to a more perturbed and petty countenance. Now we are sure that you have a demon, they shouted. They began to spit on the floor and mock him. Abraham died, as did all the prophets. Yet you say whoever keeps your word will never taste death.
Who do you think you are? You think you're greater than Abraham? The Jews postured to threaten Jesus, but he remained unperturbed by their presence. Jesus stepped towards them, and they took a few paces back as he approached. I will tell you again, I do not aim to give myself glory. If I did, it would mean nothing. It is my father who glorifies me. You're God, but you don't know him, do you? I know him, and your father, Abraham, knew him.
He rejoiced that one day he would get to see me. He had faith in me and was filled with joy. Ridiculous, they shouted. You're not even 50 years old, yet you claim to have seen Abraham. Jesus' gentle countenance shifted slightly at that moment. It was as if the air around him became thick with glory. Jesus spoke, his voice resounding with calm authority. I was before Abraham. Before Abraham was the great prophet.
Those were the words they had been waiting for. Jesus had claimed to be God himself. With zealous rage, the Jews ran to retrieve stones. They wanted to end Jesus' life. Jealous and indignant, they turned with rocks to hurl at Jesus. But he had vanished. He had escaped from the temple just in time. One day, the Jewish leaders would successfully execute Jesus, but they would do so on his timing, not theirs.
He would use death as a tool to fulfill the promise made to Abraham long ago. He would be the seed that sprung up from the line of Abraham to bless every nation. Abraham did indeed become the father of a great nation. God's promise to Abraham was kept, and the children of Israel were preserved through slavery, wilderness, war, oppression, and pride. Despite themselves, God was faithful. Through them, the great hero of heaven came.
But not everyone recognized him as the Messiah right away. Jesus was continually challenged about his identity. But we know now that he is the promised redeemer, the seed from Abraham that would bless every nation. In his discourse with the religious leaders, he declared, before Abraham was, I am. What does that mean? That means that Jesus preexisted Abraham and life itself.
He was the one that spoke life and light into existence. He was the one who fashioned man from dust and crafted the heavens and earth. Jesus was God himself. In this way, Jesus is more than just a patriarch of faith or a member of a great lineage. He is God. He is not just a man of faith. He is the one who we put faith in. Through Jesus, the lineage of Abraham was extended beyond just a bloodline.
He unified different nations, cultures, and creeds under the banner of faith into a nation of faith, the church. Because of all this and more, Jesus is greater than Abraham. Be sure to join us next time as we explore another patriarch in the lineage of Abraham. This man is not known for his courage or strength. In fact, he willingly submitted himself to be killed by his own father.
Join us for the next episode to discover why Jesus is the greater Isaac. Explore more about Jesus and the Old Testament at discoveringthejewishjes.com. Also consider checking out my recent book, Messianic Prophecy Revealed, Seeing Messiah in the Pages of the Hebrew Bible. You can get your hands on it via my website.
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