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Abraham, a Father of Many Nations

Genesis 17:1-8

“No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations” (17:5).

(1) Personal testimony

My name is Elijah. I came to UBF as a freshman in 1969 and I was sent out as a missionary to Washington D.C., USA in 1978. I remember the small second floor center in Gwangju Daein-dong. About 50 people gathered there, studying and praying. I grew up hearing the stories of the forefathers of faith, like Dr. John and Sunji J. and Joseph and Esther C. We prayed for Southeast nations and gave an offering for this cause since they were poorer than Korea. When I came to UBF, I did not know anything about the Bible, church, or Jesus, but I grew up in faith through the prayers and love of many shepherds like Joseph L., the late Abraham K., Gwangpil K., Samuel S., and John L. Often times I made a lot of trouble, but they endured all my sins and loved me.

For the last fifty years, God used UBF in world salvation by sending about 2,000 missionaries to 90 countries. From Gwangju UBF, God sent out 200 missionaries. I praise and thank God who has been doing a great work through us just as he fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish.

(2) Message

This passage is about God who confirmed his covenant with Abraham thirteen years after he had Ishmael with Hagar. I’d like to share God’s grace shown in this event and think about how we can live as a father of many nations.

(a) I am God Almighty (1-2)

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

(b) Abraham’s family-centered life without mission

When Abram had Ishmael with Hagar out of unbelief and impatience, turmoil began in his family and Hagar fled from home. God sent an angel to solve his troubles. However, for the last thirteen years, God kept silent. He did not talk to Abram till he became 99 years old. How did Abram live during the last thirteen years? At first, he must have been very happy with his first son Ishmael. Though God was not pleased with his act of unbelief, Abram did not care. He was very happy about having his own son. He fell in love with Ishmael and spent much time with him. However, we can easily imagine his mind wandering and his soul becoming dry due to his lost connection to God and when God did not say anything to him. He must have longed for the days when he had left his hometown for Canaan trusting God and the days when God had come to comfort him in times of difficulties. Outwardly, he appeared to be happy with Ishmael, but he must have longed for the days when he had lived by faith. We, too, experience a dry soul when we struggle to solve the problems we face with unbelief.

(c) God visits Abraham and rebukes his unbelief

How did God help Abram who failed to live by faith? God appeared to him and said: “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” God gently rebukes his act of unbelief and encourages him to live by faith. Abram had worried and acted in unbelief when he did not believe in God Almighty. “God Almighty” is “El Shaddai” in Hebrew. El Shaddai means that God is God who can meet all our needs and desires with his almighty power. If Abram had believed, God could have given him a son through Sarai, even though she was an old grandmother. Here we also see God is so merciful that he did not abandon Abram who had failed so miserably. He visited Abram and encouraged him to start a life of faith again. Abram fell down, but God lifted him up and dusted him off and helped him to walk by faith again. God is merciful and he never gives up on us. Then why did God confirm his covenant with Abram who had failed?

(d) God confirmed his covenant with Abraham

God confirmed his covenant with Abram. He changed his name and promised to make him very fruitful. He would make him into many nations and raise kings from his descendants. He would provide the land for them. Why did God promise to bless Abram so abundantly despite his failed life? It is because of God’s ultimate desire to be the God of Abram and the God of his descendants. At the end of both verses 7 and 8 God says: “I will be your God and be the God of your descendants.” God wants to be our God and protect and provide all our needs. To fulfill his purpose, God called Abram as the father of many nations.

Let us think about the reason why God changed his name to Abraham. First, God wants Abraham to share his vision to save all nations. “Abram” means “exalted father.” Abram wanted to live as an honorable father to his children and a noble husband to his wives. He worked hard to live as a noble father, buying toys for Ishmael and taking him to the park to play with him on weekends. These days there are many fathers who abandon their families, leaving their children with much pain. It is so desirable to live as a noble caring father. However, God was not pleased with his family-oriented life alone. God wanted Abram to share his vision for all nations who were suffering under a curse, so he changed his name from Abram to Abraham. “Abraham” means “father of many nations.” God had a grand vision for Abram’s life that was beyond his imagination and made him a father, not only of his family, but of many nations. God wanted him to be used as a foundation to save all nations.

Sometimes we want to live only as a noble father. However, when we live only for our family and our children, we see other’s children as competitors to our children. When they do better than our children, we become jealous. But when we live as a father of many nations, we see others as objects of love and can pray for them to live as God’s children. We can embrace all kinds of people with God’s love and compassion.

Second, God wants Abraham to have an identity as a father of many nations. Think about Abraham’s everyday life. When people called his name, “Abraham! Abraham!” – “Father of many nations! Father of many nations!” – he could wake up, reminding himself, “Yes, I am a father of many nations.” God wanted him to have a clear identity no matter what happened in his life. It was the nametag God made for him personally.

(e) An exemplary father of many nations among us

Many missionaries attended the 50th anniversary with us. Dr. Joseph and Esther C. left their comfortable life in Chicago for Uganda as silver missionaries in their late 60s. Why did they seek hard lives while many worldly people enjoy comfortable lives? I am sure they accepted God’s calling to be a father and mother of many nations. However, when we live without Bible students or Bible students become difficult, or when we sacrifice everything yet see no visible fruits of our mission life, we are tempted to give up on the mission life and live an ordinary family life. However, when we think about Abraham’s life, we can see how important it is to keep our identity as a father and mother of many nations. Abraham raised Isaac, one sheep for his lifelong mission life, even though God promised to give him numerous descendants like stars in the sky. But when he kept his identity as a father of many nations, God multiplied his descendants through his faith. It is more important to keep our identity as a father or mother of many nations than feed 10 Bible students. When we live as a father and mother of many nations, God will multiply his children like many twinkling stars in the sky in his time.

Third, how should we live as a father and a mother of many nations? I did not know what it meant to live as a father of many nations till I attended the opening ceremony for the 50th UBF anniversary. Dr. John Jun delivered a message on 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a royal priesthood.” He mentioned that as a royal priesthood, we should pray for all nations and preach the word. When I realized that God appointed me as a royal priesthood, my mind and heart become widely open toward people. I could embrace all kinds of people and pray and share the good news. Till now I prayed for my Bible students and my family, but I did not sincerely pray for the USA and world salvation. I realized that I lived as a noble father like Abram. I realized that living as a father of many nations means that we should pray for all nations with God’s heart and God’s vision. Though it sounds a little vague to pray for all nations, when we pray with God’s heart, God will grant us a prayer spirit for all nations. May God fill us with a burning prayer spirit for all nations.

(f) You are the father of many nations

When we preach the word on campuses and feed a few students, our hearts should not be limited to them only when we know our identity as a father of many nations. We should pray for all nations as a father of many nations and seek to preach to all nations by sending missionaries if we cannot go ourselves. We should pray that God may send out 10,000 missionaries to all nations by 2041.

(g) Conclusion

In conclusion, Abraham received God’s covenant and circumcised himself and his family. In the same way, we should circumcise our unbelief and our own small thinking and accept God’s grand purpose and live as a father and mother of many nations, praying for all nations.

One Word: I am a father of many nations