Consider Abraham. He is the father of your people. Think about Sarah. She is your mother. When I chose Abraham, he did not have any children. But I blessed him and gave him many of them.

要追想你们的祖宗亚伯拉罕和生养你们的撒拉；因为亚伯拉罕独自一人的时候，我选召他，赐福与他，使他人数增多。

要追想你们的祖宗亚伯拉罕和生你们的撒拉；因为我选召亚伯拉罕时，他只有一个人，但我赐福给他，使他增多。

要追想你们的祖宗亚伯拉罕和生你们的撒拉；因为我选召亚伯拉罕时，他只有一个人，但我赐福给他，使他增多。

你们要追想你们的祖先亚伯拉罕和生你们的撒拉。我呼召亚伯拉罕的时候，他是孤身一人，但我赐福给他，使他子孙众多。

你们要瞻仰你们的祖宗亚伯拉罕，他们也要瞻仰那生你们的撒拉。亚伯拉罕独自一人的时候，我呼召了他，赐福给他，使他有很多子孙。

你们要仰望你们的先祖亚伯拉罕，以及那生你们的撒拉。我召唤了亚伯拉罕一个人，祝福了他，使他繁衍增多。

要追想你們的祖宗亞伯拉罕和生養你們的撒拉；因為亞伯拉罕獨自一人的時候，我選召他，賜福與他，使他人數增多。

要追想你們的祖宗亞伯拉罕和生你們的撒拉；因為我選召亞伯拉罕時，他只有一個人，但我賜福給他，使他增多。

要追想你們的祖宗亞伯拉罕和生你們的撒拉；因為我選召亞伯拉罕時，他只有一個人，但我賜福給他，使他增多。

你們要追想你們的祖先亞伯拉罕和生你們的撒拉。我呼召亞伯拉罕的時候，他是孤身一人，但我賜福給他，使他子孫眾多。

你們要瞻仰你們的祖宗亞伯拉罕，他們也要瞻仰那生你們的撒拉。亞伯拉罕獨自一人的時候，我呼召了他，賜福給他，使他有很多子孫。

要瞻仰你們的祖先亞伯拉罕、和那生你們、的撒拉；因為亞伯拉罕獨自一人時、我呼召了他，賜福與他，使他人數增多。

你們要仰望你們的先祖亞伯拉罕，以及那生你們的撒拉。我召喚了亞伯拉罕一個人，祝福了他，使他繁衍增多。

且念爾祖亞伯拉罕、及生爾之撒拉、亞伯拉罕孑然一身、我選召之、錫以福祉、俾其昌熾、

爾之祖父亞伯拉罕、祖母撒拉、爾祖被我遴選之時、孑然一身、後錫純嘏、寖昌寖熾。

追思爾始祖亞伯拉罕及爾祖母撒拉、我選召亞伯拉罕時、彼孑然一身、後賜之以福、使其昌熾、

look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many.

Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him.

Yes, think about Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your nation. Abraham was only one man when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation.”

Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave birth to you. When I called him, he was only one; I blessed him and made him many.

Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When he was only one I called him, Then I blessed him and multiplied him.”

Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.”

Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you; for when he was but one I called him, and I blessed him, and made him many.

Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain. When I called him, he was only one; I blessed him and made him many.

Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah[ that] bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

Look at Abraham, your father, and Sarah, who gave you birth. When I summoned him, he was a lone individual, but I blessed him and gave him numerous descendants.

Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for when he was but one I called him, I blessed him, and made him many.

“ Son of man, here is what the people living in Israel’s broken- down buildings are saying.‘ Abraham was only one man. But he owned the land. We are many people. The land must certainly belong to us.’

So those who depend on faith are blessed along with Abraham. He was the man of faith.All who depend on obeying the law are under a curse. It is written,“ May everyone who doesn’t continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law be under God’s curse.”( Deuteronomy 27:26)We know that no one who depends on the law is made right with God. This is because“ the one who is right with God will live by faith.”( Habakkuk 2:4)The law is not based on faith. In fact, it is just the opposite. It teaches that“ the person who does these things will live by them.”( Leviticus 18:5)Christ set us free from the curse of the law. He did it by becoming a curse for us. It is written,“ Everyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.”( Deuteronomy 21:23)Christ Jesus set us free so that the blessing given to Abraham would come to the Gentiles through Christ. He did it so that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. The promised Spirit comes by believing in Christ.

Abraham and Sarah were already very old. Sarah was too old to have a baby.So she laughed to herself. She thought,“ I’m worn out, and my husband is old. Can I really know the joy of having a baby?”Then the Lord said to Abraham,“ Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say,‘ Will I really have a baby, now that I am old?’

Some time later, Abram had a vision. The Lord said to him,“ Abram, do not be afraid. I am like a shield to you. I am your very great reward.”But Abram said,“ Lord and King, what can you give me? I still don’t have any children. My servant Eliezer comes from Damascus. When I die, he will get everything I own.”

The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become rich. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold. He has also given him male and female servants, camels and donkeys.

Long ago the Lord saved Abraham from trouble. Now he says to Jacob’s people,“ You will not be ashamed anymore. Your faces will no longer grow pale with fear.

So I will certainly bless you. I will make the children born into your family as many as the stars in the sky. I will make them as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They will take over the cities of their enemies.

By that time Abraham was very old. The Lord had blessed Abraham in every way.

What should we say about these things? What did Abraham, the father of our people, discover about being right with God?Did he become right with God because of something he did? If so, he could brag about it. But he couldn’t brag to God.What do we find in Scripture? It says,“ Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham’s faith, and so his faith made him right with God.”( Genesis 15:6)When a person works, their pay is not considered a gift. It is owed to them.But things are different with God. He makes ungodly people right with himself. If people trust in him, their faith is accepted even though they do not work. Their faith makes them right with God.

Abraham had faith. So he obeyed God. God called him to go to a place he would later receive as his own. So he went. He did it even though he didn’t know where he was going.Because of his faith he made his home in the land God had promised him. Abraham was like an outsider in a strange country. He lived there in tents. So did Isaac and Jacob. They received the same promise he did.Abraham was looking forward to the city that has foundations. He was waiting for the city that God planned and built.And Sarah had faith. So God made it possible for her to become a mother. She became a mother even though she was too old to have children. But Sarah believed that the God who made the promise was faithful.Abraham was past the time when he could have children. But many children came from that one man. They were as many as the stars in the sky. They were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. No one could count them.

The Lord spoke to Abram after Lot had left him. He said,“ Look around from where you are. Look north and south, east and west.I will give you all the land you see. I will give it forever to you and your family who comes after you.I will make them like the dust of the earth. Can dust be counted? If it can, then your family can be counted.Go! Walk through the land. See how long and wide it is. I am giving it to you.”

Then a message from the Lord came to Abram. The Lord said,“ When you die, what you have will not go to this man. You will have a son of your own. He will get everything you have.”The Lord took Abram outside and said,“ Look up at the sky. Count the stars, if you can.” Then he said to him,“ That’s how many children will be born into your family.”

The Lord had said to Abram,“ Go from your country, your people and your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you.“ I will make you into a great nation. And I will bless you. I will make your name great. You will be a blessing to others.I will bless those who bless you. I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. All nations on earth will be blessed because of you.”

I took your father Abraham from the land east of the Euphrates. I led him all through Canaan. I gave him many children and grandchildren. I gave him Isaac.

The promise is based on God’s grace. The promise comes by faith. All of Abraham’s children will certainly receive the promise. And it is not only for those who are ruled by the law. Those who have the same faith that Abraham had are also included. He is the father of us all.It is written,“ I have made you a father of many nations.”( Genesis 17:5) God considers Abraham to be our father. The God that Abraham believed in gives life to the dead. Abraham’s God also creates things that did not exist before.When there was no reason for hope, Abraham believed because he had hope. He became the father of many nations, exactly as God had promised. God said,“ That is how many children you will have.”( Genesis 15:5)Abraham did not become weak in his faith. He accepted the fact that he was past the time when he could have children. At that time Abraham was about 100 years old. He also realized that Sarah was too old to have children.But Abraham kept believing in God’s promise. He became strong in his faith. He gave glory to God.He was absolutely sure that God had the power to do what he had promised.That’s why“ God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God.”( Genesis 15:6)The words“ God accepted Abraham’s faith” were written not only for Abraham.They were written also for us. We believe in the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. So God will accept our faith and make us right with himself.

“ You are the Lord God. You chose Abram. You brought him out of Ur in the land of Babylon. You named him Abraham.You knew that his heart was faithful to you. And you made a covenant with him. You promised to give to his children after him a land of their own. It was the land of the Canaanites, Hittites and Amorites. The Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites also lived there. You have kept your promise. That’s because you always do what is right and fair.