Faith is a verb; it takes action and that is what we see in the life of Abraham. Faith is not a feeling, like love, it too is a choice. The reason so many have problems with their faith is their desire to please themselves and not believe what God has written. If we look at the faith of Abraham, we see that he had more reason to doubt than we do. We are on the other side of the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Messiah. We have the historical accounts of God’s chosen people, that have been preserved over the years. We have evidence of God working and fulfilling His promises. Yet, we doubt, worry, and fret over things that God has promised.
In Genesis 12:1, we see the call of Abraham to leave his homeland and go to a land that God would direct him to. God instructed and he obeyed. He left his native land not knowing the destination until later. At this point in his life, he was 75 years old. For most, it would have been easy to ignore God and stay where everyone and everything was familiar. Think about it, would you up and leave your family, your income, and your comfort to follow God? Don’t answer yes if you allow other things to keep you from church, praying, or studying God’s word. When those things are not the first things in our lives, we are not loving God enough to hear and obey.
Hebrews 11:8 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
I believe God was preparing Abraham for his biggest test of faith. It started when God told him to leave his homeland and follow his direction. Then, in Genesis 15:5, God told Abraham to look at the stars and that would be the number of descendants he would have. This was another act of faith to believe God because at that time Abraham and Sarah had no children. Paul tells us in Romans 4:19, that Abraham was about 100 years old and we know Sarah was around 90. It took great faith to believe God would give them any children at this age, especially enough to fulfill the promise of uncountable descendants. However, Romans 4:20 says, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in his faith.”
Genesis 15:5 “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.”
Now, God instructs him on his greatest test. He tells Abraham to take his young son, probably a teen at this time, up the mountain and kill him as a sacrifice. This was the only son of Abraham and Sarah, this was the son of promise from God.
I honestly cannot imagine what was going through Abraham’s mind. His faith is far greater than mine. I would have been questioning God all along the way. He knew God had promised to give him many descendants and therefore he believed God would raise his son from the dead if he obeyed. We find nowhere that he questioned how or why of this event, just that he obeyed. That is faith!
Another one who exhibited great faith was his son. By his example, Isaac had learned what faith was all about. Isaac asks, “Where is the lamb.” He understood what was required for a sacrifice to God. He had helped bring everything needed except the one to be sacrificed. How did he feel, what was going through his mind as his father tied his hands and laid him on the altar? Whatever he felt he still obeyed. How did Abraham obey? He started with the little things God required. He had obeyed and trusted God through the years. God had never failed him, and he knew in his heart God would not start now. God was looking for the total surrender of Abraham. God already knew how Abraham would react, but the process brought Abraham to a new realization of his faith in God. He now understood there was nothing that he should withhold from God. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for God. His love for God was paramount to everything else in his life. His faith would carry him through the rest of his life, and there would be no reason for him to question God’s love and faithfulness to him. While God will probably not ask us to sacrifice our children, he wants us to be willing to give up anything for Him. He wants us to understand the love He has for us and the faithfulness He will show to us.
Abraham lived his faith daily. Step by step he followed God’s instructions and God kept His promises.
Genesis 22:2-12 “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. 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. Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the donkey; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 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 together. 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? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so, they went both of them together. 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. And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now, I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 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.”
