Why couldn't Abraham boast before God?
Abraham could not boast before God because, despite his stature among men, he had nothing in himself to present; before God he had nothing going for him. All he could do was come as a man of faith, which is the lesson Scripture teaches.
Les explains that Abraham was a man of stature in his day and time, yet when he came before God he could not boast. He had nothing going for him, and all he could do was be a man of faith. Les says that is the lesson Scripture is trying to show. He returns to Romans 4:3, asking, 'What saith the Scripture?'—not what a denomination, dogma, philosopher, or anyone else says. When we meet God, He will confront us with His Word and nothing but. Les also turns to Galatians 4:30 to show this pattern is not a quirk; it happens over and over in Scripture. So Abraham's inability to boast rests on the fact that before God, personal stature amounts to nothing; only faith and what Scripture says matter.