Abrahamic Hope and God's Calling – East Back to West

Abraham’s journey began in the East, in Ur of the Chaldeans, and God called him to go westward into a land that was foreign and unknown. His story represents a profound paradigm for all believers—a journey from the known to the unknown, driven by the hope in God’s promises. In Genesis 12, we see the beginning of this call, and in Romans 4, the Apostle Paul reflects on Abraham’s unwavering faith, which was “credited to him as righteousness.” This east-to-west journey is more than just physical; it’s spiritual, emotional, and filled with the struggle of sanctification. It is a movement from darkness to light, from fear to faith, and from despair to hope.

The Call of Abraham (Genesis 12)

Genesis 12 begins with God’s direct call to Abram: “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1, NIV). The sheer magnitude of this command cannot be overstated. At 75 years old, Abram was asked to leave everything he knew behind. Imagine the courage it took to uproot his life and move westward with only the hope that God would fulfill His promise of making him into a great nation.

This call mirrors the call we all experience in our lives. God often asks us to leave behind the familiar and step into the unknown, with nothing but the promise of His guidance and provision. But just like Abraham, we wrestle with doubt and uncertainty. The challenge of faith is trusting in what we cannot see—believing that the God who calls us will also equip and sustain us.

Biblical Hope: Hebrew and Greek Insights

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the primary word for hope is tiqvah (תִּקְוָה), which appears 34 times and is often translated as "expectation" or "hope." The root word conveys the idea of waiting or looking forward with confident expectation. This is the kind of hope that anchored Abraham’s journey—a forward-looking confidence in God’s promises.

In the New Testament, the Greek word elpis (ἐλπίς) is used 54 times, carrying a similar meaning of confident expectation and trust in God’s future deliverance. Romans 4:18 describes Abraham as having hope even when there was no earthly reason for it: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” This hope wasn't based on circumstances but on the unchanging nature of God.

The Problem of Time

One of the most significant challenges to our hope is the problem of time. God’s revelations to Abraham were not daily occurrences. After the initial call in Genesis 12, years passed before God reaffirmed His covenant in Genesis 15. Another 13 years went by between the birth of Ishmael and God’s next appearance in Genesis 17. Abraham’s life reminds us that God doesn’t always speak or act on our timeline. These long periods of silence test the endurance of our hope.

Waiting on God’s promises often feels like an eternity. The problem of time is that it challenges our patience and tempts us to take matters into our own hands, as Abraham did with Hagar. Yet, despite these setbacks, God’s faithfulness never wavered. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 4:20-21 that Abraham “did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.”

The Struggle of Sanctification

The journey from east to west is not a straight path, and neither is the process of sanctification. Abraham’s life was marked by struggles and setbacks. His faith faltered at times, as evidenced by his deception in Egypt and his decision to have a child with Hagar. Yet, through it all, God remained faithful.

Sanctification is the lifelong process of becoming more like Christ. It is filled with moments of victory and defeat, joy and sorrow. Abraham’s story reminds us that the struggle of sanctification is real, but it is also part of God’s plan for shaping us into His image. We stumble, we fall, but God’s grace picks us up and sets us back on the path of righteousness.

 Returning to Hope

It is never too late to return to the faith of our youth, and taking God at His word should keep our hope vibrant into our future, no matter the age or circumstances we experience. Abraham’s journey westward was a journey of hope—hope that God’s promises were true, hope that the barren would give birth, hope that the unknown would become home. Today, we are called to walk in that same hope. The problem of time may test us, but God’s faithfulness is unwavering, and His promises remain sure.