From Abram to Abraham

S. SEKOU ABODUNRIN



16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 (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.
Rom 4:16-17

It is captivating the things spoken concerning Abraham in these verses. There is a tremendous lot that could be gleaned from this passage, but I want to call your attention to the strong case presented about Abraham calling things as God. I want you to notice that it doesn’t speak of Abram, but of Abraham – Abraham & God.

As you read through the Old Testament records of these events, you realise that it was not Abram that was the father of Isaac, Abraham was.
Abram was trying to bring forth that which only Abraham could bring forth by divine ability and for as long as Abram failed to see this he was childless for 24 years.
Abram thought that childlessness was his problem but God knew otherwise.

2 And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen 15:2

God had just told Abram not to fear. God knew that fear was keeping Abram from the fulfilment of the promise of God. Notice that the language of Abram and the language of God were opposite and contradictory. God had just given himself to Abram as Abram’s shield, but Abram still had an image of childlessness.

In simple terms then Abram talked fear – highly developed fear. He was a 99-year product of fear talk. He spoke the things that his natural eyes confirmed to him, he echoed the sounds that floated into his natural ear – he was governed largely by the senses. If you were to have asked Abram what the problem was, he’d have pointed to childlessness, if you had asked God he’d have spoken otherwise – Abram’s fear and Abram’s mouth were in agreement to keep Abram locked in a system of childlessness. Childlessness was the symptom and not the cause.

God very often will not change the symptoms. This is not because he lacks the power and might to cause a symptom to change, but because he is more interested in dealing with the “root” – in the business world you’d talk of a root cause analysis.

Abram was in this condition for 24 years. There is something about fear that robs you of your true potentials and robs God of his opportunity to partner with you. The real problem was Abram. Abram could never be the father of Isaac. I encourage you to read through genesis 15 and watch the marked difference between the language of God and the language of Abram.

The things recorded in Gen 17 were spoken to Abraham and not to Abram.

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
Gen 17:4,5

You see Abram was the greatest hindrance to the coming forth of Isaac into the world. There was no need to change the devil’s name or to break sweat over the demons in this situation for they were not directly the reason for Isaac’s delay. The Abram-language had to be buried – this is what God did. When you stop speaking the language of fear you reduce satan to true size.

Abraham was a product of God’s language. The one that was made a father of many nations was the one who would be called Abraham. Abraham was the product of a “finished work” – God had already made him a father, the name was the language or vocabulary needed to bring the father of Isaac into public view. This principle was also true of Sarai – Sarai could not bring forth Isaac. Isaac is the manifested promise of God – The language of fear can never bring forth the promises of God into manifestation. Sarah was the only one that could bring forth Isaac. “Sarah and Abraham” was in reality the means by which God got a man and a woman to start speaking the language of God.

10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Gen 18:10

We don’t know how long it was between the events of Gen 17 where Abraham the man that spoke God’s language was “born” and Gen 18 when God spoke out the word of wisdom about the time frame of Sarah’s delivery but we know this - it wasn’t 24 years!!!

If you study Romans 4 and Genesis 17 closely you discover it couldnt have been more than 3 months between when Abraham and Sarah started speaking the vocabulary of God and when they heard the supernatural word that aided Sarah’s conceiving Isaac.

What was delaying the expression of this supernatural utterance from God to Abraham about exact time frames? The man had been operating as Abram instead of operating as Abraham. When he and his wife started speaking the language of God it was not long afterwards that the anointing was stirred!

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Gen 18:11,14

I want you to notice that Abraham didn’t need age change, neither did Sarah. Abraham started out with the conditions of Abram and so did Sarah. Things do not change overnight, but the “root cause” had been destroyed by the consistent declaration of and participation in the language of God.

The consistent affirmation of the language of God had pushed both man and wife into an “appointment”. Their language had transported them into a time slice where the miraculous workings of God could be released in great power! When they started saying what God had said they had an appointment – you understand that an appointment involves two parties – God & Man.

When you speak the wrong language you are affirming the wrong appointment. Abram and Sarai had been keeping the appointment of barrenness for a long time and the confession formed from their lips was the very life [or death] sustaining this condition.

… to be continued