Romans 4:18
18 Who [hos] against [para] hope [elpis] believed [pisteuo] in [epi] hope [elpis], that [eis] he [autos] might become [ginomai] the
father [pater] of many [polus] nations [ethnos], according
[kata] to that which was spoken [ereo], So [houto] shall [esomai] thy [sou] seed [sperma] be [esomai]. KJV-Interlinear
18 In
hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many
nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” ESV
Faith has an object in which one can trust. Faith is supported with knowledge and understanding
and confidence. Hope is in a future
thing anticipated, an unknown. Hope is
always surrounded with uncertainty and anticipation.
Abraham had no children at the time of the promise.
Abraham looked to God who made the promise, knowing
that God is outside of the bounds of hope and faith. For, God does not need to hope, because God does
not need to anticipate anything. God simply knows all that is and was and will
be. With God all things are certain.
And even though Abraham did not have any understanding
as to the details of his biological inability to have children, especially when
many others around him were having children right and left. He still looked to
God and to Gods promise, that children would be there when the time was right,
and according to Gods timetable.
But God has a plan, that through Abrahams life, the
world and history would be taught the lesson of having one son, of the emotional
difficulty of having to sacrifice that only son, that had been so long hoped
for, and so deeply loved, in order to save the entire human race.
It took a long time to bring Jesus into the world, and
it took a great deal of effort to let history bring Him to the Cross. A series of events that man caused, and God
coordinated.
And so too, Abraham would be the father of many
nations through the biological activities that are common to man, but also,
Abraham would become a father of many more, who would believe as he had
believed, setting the pattern for generations to follow.
