(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
God literally told Abraham 'I'm making you the father of many nations', and this was before Abraham had any kids at all. Abraham believed in a God who brings dead things back to life and speaks about things that don't exist yet like they're already real.
Abraham trusted a God who calls your future into existence before you can even see it coming.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Paul is writing to the early Christian church in Rome, drawing from God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17, where God promised to make him the father of many nations despite his old age and Sarah's barrenness. This verse highlights Abraham's unwavering faith in God, who has the power to bring life to the dead and to declare nonexistent things as if they already exist, serving as an example of justification by faith rather than works. Paul uses this to argue that faith, like Abraham's, is the basis for righteousness before God.
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