Life Lessons from Hebrews: Abraham
HEBREWS 11:8 – CALLED TO GO; WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE
A life that begins with a Voice
Key text
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. – Hebrews 11:8
Faith does not begin with understanding. Faith begins with obedience.
Question: What is happening in my life that I do not necessarily understand or grasp, yet I remain obedient?
- Abraham’s Calling – When God Speaks First
Genesis 12:1–4
God calls Abram:
- “Get thee out of thy country…”
- “I will make of thee a great nation…”
- “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
What stands out? No map, timeline, or complete plan; only a promise. He did not respond to certainty; he responded to God’s voice. Abraham was 75 years old. At that age he had to release: security, family, culture, and familiarity. God does not always give explanations — He gives a calling. And faith responds to Who is speaking, not to what I see.
Question: What is there in your life that you believe in without an explanation from God?
- Growth and Testing – Faith is a Journey
Abraham was not perfect. He doubted in Egypt (Genesis 12:10–20), he lied about Sarah and he tried to help God through Hagar (Genesis 16)
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. – Genesis 15:6
Here we see the core of the gospel. Righteousness comes through faith, not achievement.
Question: How do you achieve and think your decisions are righteous?
Paul explains later in Romans 4:18–21: He hoped against hope. He did not waver. He was fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.
Abraham’s faith was not blind. It was grounded in God’s character. He did not trust God because he understood the plan. He trusted God because he had begun to know God.