Key Concepts

Understanding Faith: Lessons from Father Abraham

Habari mwanafunzi! Welcome to our lesson. Have you ever trusted someone so completely that you would follow their advice without question? Maybe a parent, a teacher, or a good friend? That deep trust is the starting point for understanding one of the most important people in our faith journey: Abraham. Today, we are going to unpack the key ideas from his life that form the foundation of our Christian faith. Let's dive in!

1. Covenant (Agano)

Think of a covenant as a super-serious promise or agreement. It’s much stronger than a simple "I promise." In Kenya, it's like a formal, binding agreement between two parties, maybe about land or a traditional marriage, witnessed by the community. In the Bible, a covenant is a sacred bond between God and His people.

With Abraham, God initiated a covenant. It wasn't a deal between equals; it was God, in His greatness, making a promise to Abraham. This is known as the Abrahamic Covenant.

Kenyan Example: Imagine two families agreeing on a bride price (ruracio/mahari). It's a serious agreement with terms, witnesses, and a celebration. It binds the two families together. God's covenant with Abraham was even more profound, binding God to Abraham and his descendants forever.

2. The Promise (Ahadi)

Every good covenant has terms. God's part of the deal was a three-part promise to Abraham. This is very important to remember!

• Promise of Land: God promised Abraham and his descendants a specific place to live, the land of Canaan.
• Promise of Descendants: God promised Abraham that he would become the father of a great nation. His children would be as many as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore! (Genesis 22:17). This was amazing because at the time, he and his wife Sarah were old and had no children.
• Promise of Blessing and Redemption: God promised to bless Abraham and make his name great. Most importantly, through him, all the families on earth would be blessed. We believe this was fulfilled through Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham.

Image Suggestion: A dramatic, awe-inspiring digital painting of an elderly Abraham standing on a hill at night, looking up at a brilliant, star-filled sky. The stars should seem infinite. He looks hopeful and thoughtful. The style should be realistic with a touch of divine light shining down on him.

3. Faith (Imani)

This is the core of our lesson! So, what is faith? The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:1 that "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

Faith is not just believing something in your head. Faith is belief in action! Abraham showed his faith by acting on God’s promises, even when they seemed impossible.

Kenyan Example: Think about sending money using M-Pesa. You key in the number and the amount, and you press 'Send'. You don't see the money travel through the air, but you have faith that it will arrive safely in the other person's account. You act on that belief. Abraham's faith was like that—he acted on God's word without seeing the final result.

4. Obedience (Utii)

Obedience is the evidence of faith. It’s the "action" part. If you truly have faith in someone, you will obey them. Abraham’s life was filled with acts of radical obedience:

• He left his home and family in Ur to go to a land he did not know (Genesis 12).
• He agreed to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant (Genesis 17).
• In the ultimate test, he was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, because God commanded it (Genesis 22). He believed God could even raise Isaac from the dead!

This shows us that faith and obedience are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other.

Let's visualize the relationship between these concepts:

    
    +-----------------+
    | God's PROMISE   |  (e.g., "I will make you a great nation")
    +-----------------+
            |
            v
    +-----------------+
    | Abraham's FAITH |  (He believes God's word)
    +-----------------+
            |
            v
    +-----------------+
    |  His OBEDIENCE  |  (He leaves his home, prepares the sacrifice)
    +-----------------+
            |
            v
    +-----------------+
    | God's BLESSING  |  (The covenant is fulfilled)
    +-----------------+
    

The "Equation" of Faith

To help you remember, let's think of it as a simple formula. This isn't real mathematics, but it shows how the concepts work together to produce a result.

    # The Spiritual Formula for Abraham's Blessing

    Belief (Trust in God's Character)
    +
    Action (Obedience to God's Command)
    ======================================
    Fulfilled Promise (God's Blessing)
    

Image Suggestion: A modern Kenyan farmer planting seeds in dry-looking soil under a hot sun. The farmer looks determined and hopeful, looking towards the sky where a few distant clouds are gathering. This image captures the essence of faith in action—acting on the hope of future rain and harvest.

Abraham is called our "Father in Faith" because he is the perfect example of how to live a life that pleases God. His journey teaches us that true faith is an active trust in God's promises, demonstrated through our obedience, even when we don't understand everything. What an incredible lesson for our own lives!