The Law brings wrath rather than righteousness. So, God’s righteousness has to be received through faith, this means that it becomes about God’s grace, it is a free gift not earned. This means the promise is for all of Abraham’s descendants not just law observers. Given the link to circumcision, the implication here is not just that there might be Jews who fail to keep the law but that Abraham had offspring or descendants/heirs outside of Israel, outside the covenant with Moses. We all become Abraham’s heirs if we share his faith (v16). This is Paul’s understanding of God’s promise to make Abraham. father of not just one nation but many. It’s not simply about the nations that came from Ishamel and Esau. Abraham believed this promise made in covenant with God who raises the dead and creates out of nothing, the God who is the author of life (v17).
Abraham’s faith was shown that he trusted God to keep the promise even though he was old and Sarah was infertile. Paul makes a play on the word death linked to the life giving God. Abraham was as good as dead and Sarah’s womb was dead. So Abraham had to trust specifically in God’s ability to bring the dead to life (v18-19). Paul state’s that Abraham’s faith didn’t weaken but strengthened and he glorified God. There is some gloss here in that in the early years we see Abraham leaving the land to go to Egypt and seeking to fulfil the promise through other means such as Hagar. However, the overall story is one of trust. And Paul states that this is why his faith was counted as righteousness. I don’t take this to mean that it was a form of obedience but rather it shows a relationship that is right with God (v20-22).
The assessment that faith is counted as righteousness includes us in with Abraham. We benefit from the promise. Why? Well because we believe in the same life giving, dead raising God. This power is seen in Christ in an even greater way than his strengthening of Abraham’s dying body and bringing life into Sarah’s dead womb. It’s seen in Jesus dying for our sin and being raised to life so that we are justified. Notice that it makes sense in the context of where our faith is placed that justification is here attached specifically to the resurrection.
Faithroots 