“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).
Since Abraham is divinely described as the “father of all those who believe” (Romans 4:11), it should be of no surprise that the inspired penman cites several examples of robust faith from his life. This verse contains three vital and vibrant characteristics of his faith.
It was prompt. The word “called” is a present tense participle. This gives great insight into the swiftness of his obedience: Abraham obeyed God while His call was still sounding in his ears. You cannot get more “prompter” than that.
It was drastic. At God’s command, Abraham—aged 75—left everything behind, and never went or looked back. Family, friends, and the familiar were all things of the past. (A similar experience awaited several of the first century readers who were going to have to flee Jerusalem in a few years.)
It was unquestioning. God did not give Abraham the GPS coordinates of his final destination. In some ways, it is accurate to say, there was no final earthly destination. The homeland he ultimately inherited was heavenly (Hebrews 11:14-15).
Prompt, drastic, and unquestioning are three vital characteristics of a robust faith.
