6. Abraham’s Faith (2)

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Hymns: RHC 441 Faith Is the Victory, 337 Never Give Up, 301 My Faith Looks Up to Thee

 Hebrews 11:17-19 (KJV)

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

 

Abraham’s Faith (2)

OUTLINE
(1) Faith’s Test (v17a, cf. Genesis 22:1-2)

(2) Faith’s Response (v17b-18, cf. Genesis 22:3-14)

(3) Faith’s Reward (v19, cf. Genesis 22:15-19)

 

INTRODUCTION

Abraham was now 120 years old and Isaac was 18 years old when God tested Abraham’s faith. This testing was greater than all the trials that he had to go through. He was now sojourning in the Promised Land for 45 years.

It is interesting to observe how trials in life never seemed to abate but each trial seemed more intensive. Each one a test if we would trust God to see us through. Abraham will triumph once again. He had a victorious faith because he lived a surrendered life. He surrendered his life to God and allow God to lead him.

Ultimately, this is the test for the Christian, if we would trust God and His ability to take care of us even though in our own sight, it seemed so. Can we do as Job did in his trial?

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

To continue trusting God even though the circumstances around seemed so adverse, it dares us to doubt God’s love for us. Is there a limit that God will put to the trials that we can bear?

The Apostle Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

 The encouragement is that God will give to us the needed grace to overwhelm the trials that come our way – will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

This is the strength of our faith. It tells us the victory at the end of the trial, the light at the end of the tunnel, the Red Sea does part that we may behold the glory of God.

(1) Faith’s Test (v17a cf. Genesis 22:1-2)

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: …

 1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

God knew Abraham loved his son Isaac. To part with Ishmael nearly two decades ago was a big enough blow to his heart. Abraham loved Ishmael but God instructed him to send the lad away.

This time, the test is more severe, he was to offer Isaac at Mount Moriah as a burnt offering. To lose a son is hard to bear but to personally put the son on the stake to be sacrificed is impossible to ask of a father.

It was a precursor of what God the Father would do at Mount Calvary. God would send His Son, the Lord Jesus His only begotten Son, to die for us.

The Bible says that the gospel was preached unto Abraham. Jesus said later, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). And so, this verse tells us that immediately after he receives this word from God, with no hesitation—there’s nothing between verse 2 and 3 — it’s just the next morning that Abraham sets out.[1]

What was going on in Abraham’s mind? It must be very hard. He loved his son and yet he was asked to give up his son. Every parent will understand this pain, the intensity of that love or the intensity of that trial.

The verb “offered up” is the emphasis here in verse 17 – Πίστει  προσενήνοχεν  Ἀβραὰμ  (Heb 11:17 SCR). It describes the triumphant character of Abraham’s faith by the action of his offering up his son. The verb “offered up” is in the perfect tense signifying the enduring nature of the present state as a result of a past action.

It is like one who has climbed a hill and look backwards at the climb or a runner who has run the race glances back again. Such a person is pictured as looking back from the standpoint of one who has finished and completed the race and having completed it in the past, it is the results that are continuing.[2]

It was a precursor of the triumph of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, whom God the Father will send to be a propiatiation for our sins. God the Father had to see His Son offered on the cross for our sins. Three days later, Christ rose from the dead victorious!

(2) Faith’s Response (v17b-18, cf. Genesis 22:3-24)

17… and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Notice the repeated use of the conjunction “and” to show emphasis. It described the deliberateness of Abraham’s action. It showed the depth of faith’s response. He obeyed the will of God although he could see obvious “loss” of this exercise.

There was a great conflict it seemed that cannot be reconciled in the mind of Abraham. On the one hand, God has promised that He will give a posterity as the stars in the sky and the sands in the seashore through his son Isaac. On the other hand, Isaac is to be offered up as a sacrifice. Can a man come back from the dead?

Nevertheless, he trusted God. Abraham was able to put God first in his devotion. His priority was first in obedience to God.

Genesis 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 

Abraham told the young men that were with them that he would go alone with his son to the place ahead for worship and they will return to them again. He knew in his heart the contradiction of his words that God had instructed Isaac to be sacrificed. How could this be fulfilled? He had to trust God. He had to trust God’s care and ability to make a way for him.

I Know the Lord will Make a Way for Me

I know the Lord will make a way for me (2x)

If I look to Him in prayer, darkest night will turn to day.

I know the Lord will make a way for me.

Was it easy? No. But that’s faith’s response. It is measured not only by the depth of our devotion but also the height of our obedience to His goodwill. He was fully surrendered to God to do whatever He pleases. His faith was not bounded circumstantial impasse, it was founded upon his complete trust in God’s goodness even to an unknown future, even to a future fraught with pain, he was willing to go!

Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

When Isaac innocently asked Abraham concerning the sacrifice, Abraham again made a response of faith. He did not know God’s solution but he knew by faith God will provide a solution – My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.

The literal translation – “The LORD shall see to it for an offering, my son”.

“The LORD shall see” meaning He knows what you are going through. He knows your need. He will see to it that He will provide for you. This is the phrase “Jehovah Jireh” –

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

The LORD shall prove Himself faithful – in the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

We see here the glory of God, the reward of faith. 

Genesis 22:9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

What was the test for Abraham? That he feared God. He would not defy God to go his own way but trust God’s way to be the best way for him.

The critical test was that he was able to give up and surrender his son to God’s care.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

God provided a lamb for the sacrifice when in the bushes. For Abraham, his faith was not a blind faith but a faith that was based on God’s clear revealed will to him.

(3) Faith’s Reward (v19 cf. Genesis 22:15-19)

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

 As Job, Abraham too, in the height of his trial affirmed God’s ability to make a way even by way of the resurrection in the last day in Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

There is a depth in this man’s message. Do you have that faith of the son of God? This is the message of the resurrection. This is the message that everyone should be living in the enjoyme. Jesus, my soul is panting even for Thee. I know that my Redeemer liveth. He will conquer all death, my body may be lost, yet in my very flesh I shall see Him, my God and not another. Behold I show you a mystery, we shall all be changed. If we have this faith, we shall see God face to face and sing the story saved by grace.

This is the gospel’s promise of hope that we confess today as a dying man. When Adam committed the first sin, communion with God ceased. He lost faith, joy, hope, he can no longer bear the presence of his Creator. He ran and hide. For the first time, he was gripped by failure, shame, hatred (blamed the woman), selfishness, even defending his condemnation, the fellowship with God was over. All that follow, God made a promise illustrate it with a picture that He will send a Redeemer to destroy sin, through whom we will be reconciled back to God (Genesis 3:15).

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

 God tested Abraham if he would believe His promise. Abraham believed and acted in obedience to God. If Isaac had died, the promise would not have been fulfilled. It was against his logic deduction and yet he was willing to trust God’s promise.

Rogers said well, “Faith is not, listen, it is not believing God in spite of evidence. Faith is not believing anything in spite of evidence. That is not faith. That is superstition. Always when you believe, you are believing a word from God. Do you understand? That is your evidence. That is your warrant. That is your authority. Faith is not, is not, is not believing in spite of evidence, faith is obeying in spite of consequence. Do you like that definition of faith? That’s what faith is. Faith is obeyed in spite of consequence, or appearance, or anything else. Get up to Mount Moriah. Offer up Isaac. I have told you to do it. Faith is measured by the depth of its devotion, the height of its obedience. And, what kind of obedience is this.

First of all, it is intelligent obedience. You cannot obey God until you know God and hear God. God has not promised to bless any endeavor that he has not commanded. Many Christians are endeavouring to do things for God that God doesn’t want done, and their calling it faith. It’s not faith, it is mere presumption.

Now, in order for you to obey God, you must hear God. And, in order for you to hear God, you must have a quiet time. So not only must it be intelligent obedience, are you listening? It must be intentional obedience. Do you want to know the will of God?

Many of us are really not ready to report for orders. It is not that God is not speaking. It is that we’re not listening. You see, dear friend, you’re not excused from doing the will of God, because you don’t know the will of God. If you’ve not sought, do you report in for orders? Are you listening to God? Ignorance of God’s will is no excuse, because the Bible says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).”[3]

God rewarded Abraham with a multitude of descendants. His reward would go beyond his lifetime upon earth. His faith was an enduring faith that reaped faith’s eternal reward because it was founded upon God’s eternal purpose for his life.

CONCLUSION

The trials of faith will be our portion in this life and the response of faith is ours to make and the reward of faith is ours to receive. May God bless us with faith to put God as our first devotion! Amen.

[1] The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – The Adrian Rogers Legacy Collection – Sermons.

[2] Nelson Noel Ng’uono Were, Biblical Greek Syntax, 2006, 125.

[3] Ibid.