Lumen Fidei - page 14

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non-being or chance, but the fruit of a person-
al call and a personal love. The mysterious God
who called him is no alien deity, but the God
who is the origin and mainstay of all that is. The
great test of Abraham’s faith, the sacrifice of his
son Isaac, would show the extent to which this
primordial love is capable of ensuring life even
beyond death. The word which could raise up a
son to one who was “as good as dead”, in “the
barrenness” of Sarah’s womb (cf. Rom 4:19), can
also stand by his promise of a future beyond all
threat or danger (cf. Heb 11:19; Rom 4:21).
The faith of Israel
12. The history of the people of Israel in the
Book of Exodus follows in the wake of Abra-
ham’s faith. Faith once again is born of a primor-
dial gift: Israel trusts in God, who promises to set
his people free from their misery. Faith becomes
a summons to a lengthy journey leading to wor-
ship of the Lord on Sinai and the inheritance of
a promised land. God’s love is seen to be like that
of a father who carries his child along the way
(cf. Dt 1:31). Israel’s confession of faith takes
shape as an account of God’s deeds in setting
his people free and acting as their guide (cf.
Dt 26:5-11), an account passed down from one
generation to the next. God’s light shines for
Israel through the remembrance of the Lord’s
mighty deeds, recalled and celebrated in worship,
and passed down from parents to children. Here
we see how the light of faith is linked to con-