Is the children’s song “Father Abraham” merely Wishful Thinking?

2nd Semester / Week 3

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Many of us grew up singing this children’s song:

To see if that’s correct, we’ll first look in Romans 11 to see the description of the olive tree (and notice that Old Testament “Israel” was specifically depicted as an “olive tree” in Jeremiah 11:16-17, therefore the olive tree symbolizes Israel):

“…if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the ROOT supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by Faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be CUT OFF,” (Romans 11:17-22).

A common theme in the Old Testament is the threat of being “cut off” from Israel. The “branches” that are still attached to the olive tree are the faithful Remnant, and they weren’t “cut off” because they placed their “faith” in the Promised Redeemer. It was because of “unbelief” that many of the “natural branches” were “cut off.”

So the question we should now ask is, who is the “root” of the olive tree? It’s commonly thought that the root is the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yet we also see a possible answer to this question in Romans 15:12, Revelation 5:5 and 22:16:

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I AM THE ROOT.” (Revelation 22:16).

Through Jesus we’re grafted into the olive tree which symbolizes Israel; it’s truly now all about the one olive tree and our “FAITH” in Jesus. Regardless of exactly who “the root” of the olive tree is, one thing is for certain; it’s now centered around Jesus Christ, and doesn’t exist outside of Him. Everyone else has been “cut off” for not placing their “faith” in Him. They have been “cut off” from Israel, just like the Old Testament frequently threatened. The olive tree is now only made of believing Jews and Gentiles who have “FAITH” in Christ, and we are all together the Remnant. Before Christ came, the only way of salvation was “FAITH” in the promised Redeemer, and now that Christ has come, He’s still the only way of salvation, because Jesus has taught us:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (John 14:6).

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit,” (John 15:1-2).

There are only two types of people in this world, those with Christ and those without Christ (unlike the dispensational belief of 3 types of people: those with Jewish DNA, and then those either with or without Christ), so rather than relying on our personal “feelings” or modern traditions, we need to study what Scripture actually says about this important topic.

Again, it’s now all about “faith” in Jesus, and God’s people must be in a Covenant with Him, and anyone without Jesus has been “cut off” and removed from “the Israel of God.” Thus, for the vast majority of the history of the Church, it had always been observed that those who have “faith” in Jesus are added to Israel by being connected to the Root of “the Israel of God.” For centuries, theologian after theologian saw in Scripture the obvious connection between Israel, Jesus, and His Church.

For example, the well respected 2^nd century theologian Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho in chapter 10, wrote this about Jesus and the Israel of God:

“He is the new law, and the new covenant, and the expectation of those who out of every people wait for the good things of God. For THE TRUE SPIRITUAL ISRAEL, and descendants of Judah, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham (who in uncircumcision was approved of and blessed by God on account of his faith, and called the father of many nations), ARE WE WHO HAVE BEEN LED TO GOD THROUGH THIS CRUCIFIED CHRIST.”

To restate, he documented that Christians are “the true spiritual Israel.” Keep in mind that Trypho was a Jew, yet as we see here, Justin Martyr told him quite boldly that Christians are now the true descendants of Abraham and Jacob (and remember that Jacob’s name was changed to Israel), and he said this because the New Testament tells us that being one of their descendants is only based on having “faith.”

Before we explore the importance of “faith,” was being a true descendant of Abraham ever really only about someone’s DNA? Was it merely focused on their physical descent?

“…do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these STONES,” (Matthew 3:8-9).

Notice the word “stone” which is used here: it’s the exact same Greek word (Strong’s G3037) used in 1 Peter 2:5 to describe Christians, and that’s not a mere coincidence:

“…you also, as living STONES, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices…,” (1 Peter 2:5).

We can now see that these “living stones” are the same “stones” that God is able to turn into descendants of Abraham. Regardless of our DNA, if we have the faith to follow Jesus and listen to His voice then we’re now seen as the descendants of Abraham, and Jesus taught us in John 10:

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be ONE flock and one shepherd,” (John 10:16).

Romans 4 also makes our relationship to Abraham crystal clear:

“that he might be the FATHER of ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them… who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of FAITH,” (Romans 4:11-13).

“Therefore it is of FAITH that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations’),” (Romans 4:16-17).

That is what Genesis 12:3 had intended regarding Abraham blessing all nations.

Then in Galatians we read:

“Therefore know that ONLY those who are of FAITH are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by FAITH, preached THE GOSPEL to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then, those who are of FAITH are blessed with believing Abraham,” (Galatians 3:7-9, NKJV).

That critically important statement needs to be repeated. The ONLY people who are actually considered by God to be descendants of Abraham are those who have “FAITH.” But is it merely having faith that there’s a God somewhere out there? No. We’ll see at the end of this important chapter exactly what type of faith a person must have, but first, Galatians 3 continues with a surprisingly significant fact about the promise made to Abraham:

“Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,” who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16).

According to that passage, the promises weren’t spoken to physical descendants of Abraham, but only to THE Seed of Abraham. A single seed. The promises given to Abraham were actually only focused on Christ.

Galatians 3 then concludes with the “Good News” for Jews and Gentiles who are now in Christ:

“…YOU are all ONE in Christ Jesus. And if YOU belong to Christ, then YOU are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the PROMISE,” (Galatians 3:28-29).

We’re no longer seen as a separate people, but rather, we’re all “one” in Jesus. That’s the only way that we too can receive the promise made to Abraham that was only for Jesus. We’re seen as being “one” with Him, and He was the only true “Seed” of Abraham. In order to be a descendant of Abraham and an heir of the promise, you must belong to Christ. The promises were only made to the “Seed,” and only in Him will anyone receive the promises. And yet anyone who has Jesus becomes a FULL heir of the promises made to Abraham because we’re “one” with Jesus. Not a stepchild that only receives some of the promises, but instead a full heir. This is “GOOD NEWS.”

Hopefully we can now begin to see that anyone can truly become a descendant of Abraham through “FAITH” in Jesus Christ. It’s all about JESUS, rather than about being a physical descendant based upon mere DNA.