Last week we looked at Abraham the man of faith and now I want to consider another of his attributes namely that Abraham was a generous man.

In Genesis 13 we see an example of Abraham’s generosity shown towards Lot. The herdsmen from both men had been quarrelling, as the land where they dwelt was unable to sustain them both. Abraham decided that they needed to split up and live separately to resolve this dispute. However, instead of choosing the part of the land that he preferred to live in Abraham let Lot make that decision. He would then live in the other part that Lot had not chosen.

Abraham could have pulled rank on him as he was the older of the two but instead his generosity is displayed in allowing Lot to make the choice. Now before Lot made the decision of where he wanted to live, he viewed the land to see which part of it was best and then chose that part. Abraham as a result of being generous towards Lot did not get the best land and ended up with the lesser of the two sections of the land. There will be a cost for us when we are generous towards others but for Abraham this was something that he was prepared to pay. Are we too prepared to pay this cost?

The second example of Abraham’s generosity is towards Melchizedek, as seen in Genesis 14. Melchizedek is described as a priest of God Most High. After Melchizedek blessed him Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. Thus we see another generous and costly act by Abraham. He was not only generous towards his fellow man but also in his worship of God.

Likewise we should be generous towards God as well as to man. This does not mean that we should just give God 10% of our possessions and say that is sufficient. The important thing is not the amount of money we give God but our attitude towards that giving. An attitude of heart that loves God and gives accordingly is one to desire.

Next week we shall again look at Abraham and see what further lessons we can learn from him.

I have recently been looking at Abraham in my daily Bible readings and have decided to share some thoughts over the next few postings on what we can learn from him. The first attribute I want to think about is Abraham being a man of faith.

We first come across Abraham or Abram as he was formerly known as, in some family listings at the end of Genesis 11. However it is not until Genesis 12 that he takes centre stage. God calls Abram to leave his country and his father’s household and go to a land that He would show him. Most of us would find it difficult to leave our normal surroundings and go to another country that we know. However Abram was called to go and was not even told his destination. Yet he obeyed. That takes a lot of faith. Abram obviously had a deep trust in God and this would suggest a close relationship with Him too.

After a slight detour due to a famine and some time in Egypt, God again speaks to Abram and tells him that his offspring will inherit the land. Abram responds by worshipping God.

Later God again appears to Abram and encourages him. God tells him that he will have a son. Abram believed the promise from God and this was credited to him as righteousness.  What a description! Abram had complete confidence in God and once He said something he believed it. Oh that we would have such faith! God was pleased with his response and proceeded to reveal the future to him.

After many more years had passed, during which Ishmael was born, Abram who now had become Abraham, finally saw the birth of his son Isaac. God had been faithful to His promise and Abraham’s faith was rewarded.

There then followed a few years later one of the greatest tests that Abraham encountered when God told him to sacrifice Isaac. One can only imagine the pain, doubts and confusion that went through Abraham’s mind when God said that to him. All his dreams humanly speaking were about to be shattered. Yet incredibly Abraham obeyed! He must have had such a deep trust and unwavering confidence in God to even contemplate obeying. He truly loved and feared God more than anything or anyone else. Once again God commends his faith and says that He will bless Abraham.

At the end of his life Abraham wanted Isaac to marry someone from his own country and sent his servant off to find him a wife. Abraham believed that God had promised to bless his descendants and therefore it was essential that Isaac married the right person. The promises of God were a living reality to him and he wanted to ensure that Isaac followed God faithfully. Once again Abraham’s faith was rewarded as his servant was led to Rebekah who returned to Canaan and married Isaac.

As he finished his life on earth Abraham could look back and marvel at God’s faithfulness to him and God was able to also commend him on his faith in Him (Hebrews 11: 8-12). I wonder if God is pleased with our level of faith and trust in Him or do we sadden Him by our unbelief?

Next week we shall look at another aspect of Abraham’s character and see what we can learn from him.