By Faith, Abraham offered up Isaac
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, 18 the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. 19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking. (Hebrews 11:17-19)
In this next section of the “Hall of Faith,” the author shares the story of Abraham when he offered up Isaac in obedience to God, which is found in Genesis 22. After years of awaiting the promise, God finally provided Abraham and Sarah a son, Isaac, “whom it had been said, ‘Your offspring will be traced through Isaac.’” Yet, in Genesis 22:2, God tested Abraham: “Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
What is amazing is that Abraham immediately followed God’s command the next morning. In Genesis 22:5, Abraham declares to his helpers, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” The author of Hebrews spells out clearly what Abraham believed God would do in this scenario in verse 19, “He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead.”
That is an amazing amount of trust and faith. Abraham saw God fulfill His promise previously by making it possible for Sarah to give birth at the age of ninety. So, although Abraham had never seen a resurrection before, he believed that God would do this miraculous act after Isaac was sacrificed. In the end, as Thomas Lea writes, “Abraham’s faith ascended to the level of a resurrection, and God restored Isaac to him as one snatched unexpectedly from the dead.” Just like with Abraham, God will fulfill His promises in amazing ways that may be beyond our human comprehension. We just need to place our trust and obey God’s leading in our lives. Not only that, but if you are a follower of Christ, He promises resurrection, as seen in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23:
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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