The story of salvation is recorded in the Bible through true accounts of real people. Faith is a core element of salvation and has a long and treasured history. The narrative of Adam and Eve recounts the first sin and promise of redemption. After they had sinned, God sacrificed an innocent animal and demonstrated the concept of substitutionary sacrifice. Adam and Eve wore the animal skin that subsequently served as a remembrance of that important event. God promised a future redeemer and thus, the plan of God was revealed in capsule form.
The narrative goes on to present Abel, their second son, making an acceptable offering to the Lord. Abel was a shepherd and sacrificed animals selected from the firstborn of his flock. He understood the interdependence of faith and obedience. Though there is no record of him saying anything, he demonstrated his faith by his actions. By his example, we have learned to approach God on the right terms, and with the proper attitude. Abel’s life came to an abrupt end, but he left a legacy of faith that will last for eternity.
Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
The Old Testament tradition of faithfulness and sacrifice is recorded in the story of Job. Even before Moses and the Law, men would make appropriate sacrifices for themselves and those in their household. The father, in essence, served as a priest for the family. Job was a righteous and wealthy man and had seven sons and three daughters. They lived in Uz, southeast of the Dead Sea. The events and customs described in the book of Job indicate that he was a contemporary of Abraham, during the patriarchal period, or about 2000 BC. His priestly role is evident by his faithful actions.
Job 1:5
When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them [his family] to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ This was Job’s regular custom.
Job 19:25-26
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Job may not have known all the details of the gospel like we do today, but he believed up to the extent of revelation God made known to him. Faith was required to make regular sacrifices in anticipation of God’s ultimate plan of redemption.
Faith in God’s plan requires knowledge and understanding of God’s plan. It is obvious that God had revealed much to Job as he confidently spoke of his own resurrection. God has revealed much to mankind at large, but it is a progressive revelation. It began in the Garden of Eden and has been steadily unfolding throughout the ages. The recurring themes of this revelation are sin, sacrifice, and eternal destiny. Our eternal destiny will be either restoration with God, or isolation apart from him. Salvation is a work of God for sinful man and is based on the sacrifice of God’s own son, Jesus Christ. The animal sacrifices anticipated this ultimate sacrifice. The veracity of God’s redemption plan is being revealed to us slowly and methodically. To exercise faith effectively, we must believe God is willing and able to save us. Faith leads to hope. Hope is fixing our eyes on God’s perfect plan while we are in the midst of our imperfect earthly lives. Job’s life was riddled with trials, but he remained focused on God’s ultimate plan. He looked beyond his present circumstances and confidently anticipated his future glory. He remained focused on his eventual restoration with God, thereby affirming confidence in God’s willingness and ability to redeem and restore.
We would do well to consider the hope of Job. The Apostle Paul encouraged believers by saying, “we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).
Even when we believe the gospel and are saved, our perception of life can fluctuate. If we remain focused on our glorious future, we can endure the trials of life gracefully. However, if we lose focus of God’s plan and gaze upon mere earthly circumstances, the trials of life seem unbearable. By losing hope, we invariably make poor choices–which only compounds our misery. The extent that hope affects our journey through life may be observed by studying the experiences of Abraham. His story is a pillar in apostolic doctrine and is pivotal to understanding God’s love for mankind.
Next Section: Abraham’s Journey of Faith
Table of Contents: Faith, Hope and Love
Text for this post has been borrowed from my Kindle eBook Faith, Hope and Love (Book 2 of the Grace and Knowledge Series), by Brother Woody Brohm. Copyright 2013.
I’ve included the full text of the book on this blog and you are free to read the book in this format if you please. Just follow the Next Section Link or view the Table of Contents to skip to wherever you prefer.
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.