This post has a lot of theological significance, but it has tremendous personal application, as well. Have you ever felt discouraged in your spiritual walk, wondering if you would ever “get it right?” Have you felt that God might give up on you? Abraham was a great man of faith, but as we have seen in past posts, he had plenty of issues of his own. His story is a testament to the faithfulness of God, not the faithfulness of Abraham. May God encourage you today that He will be faithful to finish the good work He started in you!

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Genesis 22:1-2
Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.

What in the world is going on here? [if you're not familiar with this story, please take a moment to read all of chapter 22 on your own.] I have heard quite a few sermons on this passage, and if you’ve been in the Church for any length of time, you probably have, too. Unfortunately, I think that while many good applications are brought out of this passage, we often miss the main point of this story.

Sometimes you will hear people explain that God was testing Abraham’s loyalty. “Do you love Isaac more than Me?” Sometimes people will say that God is testing Abraham to see just how obedient he will be. Would he do the unthinkable? What is really going on here?

Hebrews 11:17-19 gives us a big clue about the point of this story (always compare Scripture with Scripture and let it explain itself!!)

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”

Ah – here’s the big point! First of all, this passage is emphasizing Abraham’s faith. Isaac is important to Abraham, not just as his only beloved son, but as the key to God’s promises. Abraham and Sarah had waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for God to fulfill His promise of a son. God did fulfill that promise in Isaac. Now, when God says, “Abraham, go sacrifice Isaac on the mountain,” the question is more than just where Abraham’s loyalty lies or who he loves more. The question is If Isaac is killed, could God still fulfill the promises?

What does Hebrews tell us about Abraham’s answer to that question? I like the way The Living Bible states this:

“While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac and was ready to slay him on the altar of sacrifice; yes, to slay even Isaac, through whom God had promised to give Abraham a whole nation of descendants!
He believed that if Isaac died God would bring him back to life again; and that is just about what happened, for as far as Abraham was concerned, Isaac was doomed to death, but he came back again alive!”

[Keep in mind here: up to this point (Genesis 22), resurrection from the dead has never happened!] Abraham’s faith has been so matured, deepened, and galvanized, that when God tells him to go sacrifice Isaac, Abraham believes that God will just have to raise him from the dead again. Isaac’s the key to the promises! God’s word is powerful and trustworthy! So, if Isaac dies, God will have to supernaturally raise him back to life because no matter what, God is a faithful God and He will keep His word!

Perhaps you’re still not sold that this is point. Check out Genesis 22:4-5.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

Abraham was absolutely planning to sacrifice Isaac. As a burnt offering, no less! He would have to kill his son and burn him to ashes. But he truly believed that somehow, someway, they would both be walking back down that mountain!

Now, before we fall into the sticky trap of elevating Abraham instead of God, let me just remind you that absolute faith and obedience against all odds has not exactly been Abraham’s lifelong pattern. This is a powerful testament to God’s sanctifying work in a fallen man’s life. On his own, Abraham would not have gotten to this point. But through a lifetime of obeying, then falling away, then being brought back, believing the promises, doubting, being brought back… God has accomplished a mighty work in this man’s life. At the end of his life, Abraham believes God, no matter what – and that is a testament to the gracious and merciful God of Abraham.

After listing great heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, the beginning of the next chapter exhorts us to look to Jesus… “the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) He started this work of faith in our lives. And He will finish it. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, know this: salvation is not something you work for – it is a gift from God. Becoming a man or woman of great faith is not a testament to you and your character – it is the work of our faithful Lord and Savior.

Philippians 1:6 “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…”

**For more reflections on the Old Testament with personal application, you might want to download a free Bible study ebook!**