Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easily missed is that Abraham’s obedience wasn’t just about leaving; it was about how he left. The text emphasizes that he obeyed while he was being called, acting immediately without knowing the destination. This highlights that his faith wasn't about knowing the outcome, but about trusting the One who called him.
The author of Hebrews is introducing Abraham as the prime example of faith, setting him up as "the father of the faithful." This passage highlights his dramatic obedience when God called him to leave his homeland and go to an unknown destination. The immediate context emphasizes that Abraham's departure wasn't just a move, but a radical act of trust based solely on God's word and promise, even before the specific inheritance was revealed.
Have you ever felt God calling you to do something, but you had no idea how it would work out? Abraham’s story is a masterclass in this kind of radical trust.
Abraham’s faith wasn't about having all the answers. It was about responding to God’s call even when the path was unclear.
The Call and the Command
God called Abraham to leave his home, his family, and everything familiar. This wasn't just a suggestion; it was a command.
The Promise and the Uncertainty
Alongside the command came a promise: a land to inherit. But critically, the destination wasn't specified. Abraham was told to go to a place God would show him. This meant his obedience had to precede full knowledge.
Faith as Action
The verse highlights that Abraham obeyed and went out. His faith wasn't passive belief; it was active, step-by-step obedience. He trusted God's direction more than his own understanding of the map.
What does it mean to inherit something you can't yet see or even pinpoint on a map? Abraham’s faith grasped a future reality.
The promise to Abraham wasn't just about a piece of land; it was about a future inheritance rooted in God's faithfulness.
The Promise of Inheritance
Abraham was called to go to a place he would receive as an inheritance. This implies a future possession, a fulfillment of God's plan.
Trusting the Giver Over the Gift
Crucially, the promise was tied to God's character. Abraham wasn't just trusting a real estate deal; he was trusting the God who gave the promise. This allowed him to leave behind his present security for an unseen future.
Understand the original words
hypakouō · Greek Verb
To hear under, implying an active, submissive response to a command or call. Biblical obedience is the outward demonstration of an inward faith and trust in the authority of the speaker.
klēronomia · Greek Noun
That which is received by birthright or divine grant, specifically the blessings promised by God to His people. In a theological sense, it refers to the spiritual benefits and the eternal kingdom God bestows upon believers.
Abraham's call wasn't just a directive to move; it was an invitation to a life of radical trust where the destination was less important than the One calling him.
c. 2000 BC— this verse
Abraham called from Ur
God calls Abraham to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldees to go to a land God will show him. This event is the foundational act of faith for Abraham.
c. 2000 BC
Abraham journeys to Haran
Abraham, along with his father Terah and nephew Lot, leaves Ur and travels to Haran, where they settle for a time. Abraham's father Terah dies here.
c. 1990 BC
Abraham enters Canaan
After Terah's death, Abraham, now 75 years old, continues his journey from Haran to the land of Canaan, as God commands, still unsure of the specific destination within the land.
c. 1990 BC
God promises land to Abraham
Upon arriving in Canaan, God appears to Abraham and promises to give this land to his descendants. This promise solidifies the inheritance Abraham is moving towards.
This is the foundational narrative passage where God calls Abraham, promising land and blessing, and Abraham immediately obeys and departs from his homeland, mirroring the act of faith described in Hebrews.
Acts 7:2-4Stephen recounts Abraham's call, emphasizing that God first appeared to him in Mesopotamia and commanded him to leave, and that Abraham obeyed without knowing where he was going, directly supporting the point made in Hebrews.
Romans 4:13-16Paul discusses how Abraham received the promise through faith, not the law, highlighting that the inheritance was by faith and not by adherence to rules, which reinforces the idea that Abraham's obedience was faith-driven, not rule-based.
Galatians 3:6-9This passage reiterates that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness, emphasizing that those who have faith are children of Abraham, underscoring the centrality of faith in Abraham's calling and subsequent life.
Hebrews 11:9-10Immediately following this verse, the text continues to explain Abraham's faith in the context of sojourning in the promised land, looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, showing that his initial obedience was part of a lifelong journey of faith towards an unseen, heavenly reality.
ellicottHebrews 11:8: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."
(8) When he was called to go out. —Our older versions are here better than the Authorised, bringing in the word “obeyed” after “called”—“obeyed to go out into,” &c. Which he should after receive.—The English rendering may seem to imply that when “called” Abraham received the promise that the land to which he would be…
cambridgeHebrews 11:8: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."
8 . Abraham ] As was natural, the faith of “the father of the faithful was one of the commonest topics of discussion in the Jewish Schools. Wordsworth ( Eccles. Sonnets , xxvi.) speaks of “ Faith , which to the Patriarchs did dispense Sure guidance ere a ceremonial fence Was needful to men thirsting to transgress.” wh…
What's easily missed is that Abraham’s obedience wasn’t just about leaving; it was about how he left. The text emphasizes that he obeyed while he was being called, acting immediately without knowing the destination. This highlights that his faith wasn't about knowing the outcome, but about trusting the One who called him.
The author of Hebrews is introducing Abraham as the prime example of faith, setting him up as "the father of the faithful." This passage highlights his dramatic obedience when God called him to leave his homeland and go to an unknown destination. The immediate context emphasizes that Abraham's departure wasn't just a move, but a radical act of trust based solely on God's word and promise, even before the specific inheritance was revealed.
The author of Hebrews is introducing Abraham as the prime example of faith, setting him up as "the father of the faithful." This passage highlights his dramatic obedience when God called him to leave his homeland and go to an unknown destination. The immediate context emphasizes that Abraham's departure wasn't just a move, but a radical act of trust based solely on God's word and promise, even before the specific inheritance was revealed.
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Faith Looking Beyond the Present
This inheritance was not fully realized in Abraham's lifetime. His faith looked beyond the immediate journey and settlement to a deeper, divinely secured future, ultimately pointing to a heavenly city.
c. 1990 BC
Famine drives Abraham to Egypt
A severe famine forces Abraham to temporarily relocate his household to Egypt, a significant test of his faith and reliance on God's provision.
"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going." — What's easily missed is that Abraham’s obedience wasn’t just about leaving; it was about how he left. The text emphasizes that he obeyed while he was being called, acting immediately without know…
