Who Was Abraham in the Bible?

Abraham is one of the towering figures of the Bible — called the 'father of faith,' honoured by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. His story is about a man who staked everything on the promises of God, and through whom God set in motion his plan to bless the whole world. Here's who Abraham was.

The call

Abraham (first called Abram) lived in ancient Mesopotamia when God called him to leave his country, his people, and his father's household to go to a land he would be shown. God made him an astonishing promise: to make him into a great nation and to bless all peoples on earth through him. Abraham obeyed, setting out — remarkably — not knowing where he was going.

A man of faith

What made Abraham great was not perfection — he had real failures and doubts — but faith. God promised him countless descendants, though he and his wife Sarah were old and childless. And 'he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.' That single sentence became a cornerstone of biblical faith: Abraham was made right with God not by his works, but by trusting God's promise.

The great test

Abraham's faith faced its ultimate test when God asked him to sacrifice his long-awaited son, Isaac. In wrenching obedience, Abraham prepared to do it — trusting that God would somehow keep his promise — and at the last moment God stopped him and provided a ram instead. It was a profound test of trust, and a foreshadowing of the day God would provide his own Son.

The father of a promise

Through Abraham's line came the nation of Israel, and eventually Jesus himself — the descendant through whom 'all families of the earth' would truly be blessed. The New Testament holds Abraham up as the model of faith for everyone: those who trust God, it says, are the true children of Abraham. His story shows that faith means trusting God's promises even when we can't see how they'll come true.

Abraham was the father of faith — a man who left everything on the strength of God's promise, believed God against all odds, and was counted righteous for his trust. Through him God began his plan to bless the whole world, fulfilled at last in Christ. Abraham's life still teaches the essence of faith: taking God at his word, and following him even into the unknown.