Exemplified in Abraham’s Faith

“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen” (Genesis 22:14).

— Micah Hess

Divine Wisdom is Everywhere

We see the testimony of God’s wisdom everywhere in His creative work. We stand in awe and observe the vast, unending loveliness of earth, our beautiful home. We consider our own experiences and are touched by the extent of God’s providences and mercies. The depth and breadth of God’s wisdom are proclaimed and revealed. While our experiences sometimes confound and perplex us, the perfect results of His interventions always become evident in His due time.

Spiritual Over Temporal Blessings

Abraham is a beautiful example of God’s wisdom at work in the life of a man brave enough to trust God’s wisdom over his own. His faith and trust in God were anchored in his hope for the fulfillment of God’s promises. Trusting in God’s wisdom developed an unshakeable faith. Like us, his faith was forged and tempered by standing up to trauma.

When God tested Abraham, he already had years of experience walking with God and learning about His character (Genesis 22). Throughout his sojourn, Abraham’s faith was the basis for his discernment of the Lord’s will.

Abraham resisted the temptation to take spoils of battle from the King of Sodom. “I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet” (Genesis 14:21-24). Abraham’s refusal was due to his respect for God rather than respect for the King of Sodom. If he took the spoils of war, men could claim Abraham’s success was from earthly gain. He would not let his wealth be associated with his own doing.

Abraham’s actions showed that he valued his relationship with God above all else. He credited that relationship as the source of all good things in his life. His relationship with God was worth more to him than all the wealth of the King of Sodom.

Through a deep and abiding relationship with God, we may enjoy the same peace that Abraham enjoyed. Abraham’s long-standing trust in God empowered him to reject earthly desires in favor of spiritual blessings. Abraham’s example shows us that spiritual blessings fulfill our deepest longings far beyond material wealth.

Just as Abraham was materially blessed, we find ourselves at the end of the Gospel Age in a society of material abundance. As a result, we, too, must recognize that however much the Lord has allowed us to prosper materially, He is the only source of our most prized possessions.

Our material blessings are not comparable to the spiritual blessings He provides. Like Abraham, we must be diligent about our priorities. We must focus on valuing our relationship with God over our relationship with the world.

The Purpose of Divine Testing

Considering Abraham’s great faith, why would God severely try him and ask him to sacrifice his only son? The answer is that God tests his followers to discern their true loyalty. In our lives, it is easy to confidently proclaim our loyalty to God when we pray to Him and receive the blessing of peace. It is another thing to remain at peace and faithful to God while the tumults of life toss us about.

As an example, we take comfort in knowing that God, in His wisdom, had a specific purpose in testing our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul notes, “Though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Jesus’ New Creature was being perfected through suffering. Jesus showed us the value of our faith by showing us how to pay the price of prioritizing our faith, even through great suffering.

Jesus proved he could love and obey the Father when that obedience was met with the hostile scoffing and jeering of sinners, just as he loved and obeyed the Father as the Logos in the glory of His heavenly courts. We, too, have opportunities to prove our willingness to endure suffering. Faithful obedience focuses on God, even when it costs something — or everything.

We gain greater insight into Abraham’s obedience when we remember that Isaac was Abraham’s most valued gift from God. Without God’s miraculous intervention, there would be no Isaac. After all, the fleshly bodies of Abraham and Sarah were so old they were considered as good as dead as far as having children (Hebrews 11:12). And yet, Abraham still believed in God’s promises despite the limitations of his flesh (Romans 4:18-21). Abraham’s faith was rewarded with a new richness of life when he received the miracle of that beloved son. He would be faced with a familiar temptation in this gift from God. Would his relationship with God prove more valuable to him than his love for His great gift?

Cultural Influences on Abraham

Another component to consider is that in Abraham’s culture, a father had total control over the lives of his children. As gruesome as it is to us, child sacrifice occurred in the ancient world of Abraham’s time. That cultural practice, however, illustrates just how powerful a father’s control was over his children’s lives.

“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 ’ ” (Genesis 22:2). In testing Abraham, God was not asking him to sacrifice Isaac in some paganistic ritual. Instead, God was testing Abraham to confirm his heart’s obedience. Would Abraham yield up to God the authority over his only son Isaac, an authority that his culture deemed his by right? Abraham’s difficult response exhibited his willingness to submit to God’s wisdom over his own, even in the most trying circumstances. The strength of that demonstrated faith explains why Abraham is revered in scripture as the father of faith!

Abraham’s Faith in Action

Abraham’s example is humbling. Not only did he carry out God’s request, but he did it with care and forethought regarding the provisions required to fulfill God’s command. Abraham wasted no time, arose early in the morning to gather the necessary provisions, and prepared himself and his son to travel (Genesis 22:3).

We see Abraham’s commitment to fulfilling this command, even as he and Isaac neared the sacrifice site. When Isaac observed that they had brought the wood and fire for the burnt offering, he asked, “where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham replied, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8).

It is impossible to know Abraham’s thoughts at that moment. Some believe Abraham knew that God did not intend to have him sacrifice Isaac. If we take that view, the severity of this trial is greatly diminished. Instead, we should seek to understand Abraham’s response in a way that preserves the gravity and intensity of the situation.

Consider how Isaac was brought to life. Abraham could not produce an heir for God’s blessings to flow through. Isaac’s existence resulted only from God’s sovereign mercy. It is more likely that Abraham referred to Isaac as the intended sacrifice God provided in his response to Isaac. In addition, we should not discount the willingness of Isaac, who, as a young man of 16 years old, could have easily resisted Abraham tying him to the altar.

The Apostle Paul offers additional insight into Abraham’s faithfulness. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure” (Hebrews 11:17-19).

The Apostle Paul indicates that God’s promises to Abraham were to come through Isaac. Abraham never doubted God’s goodness or His ability and willingness to follow through and make those promises a reality. Instead, Paul indicates that Abraham was convinced that Isaac would not remain in death. Abraham once experienced the blessing of receiving Isaac from the Lord. He believed he would also receive Isaac back from death because of his faith in God’s promises! That is the trust in God’s wisdom we must seek to attain.

Faith Enough to Withhold Nothing

When Abraham and Isaac reached the mountain where the sacrifice was to be offered, Abraham’s faith and Isaac’s obedience were on full display. They dutifully prepared the site for the sacrifice, and then Isaac allowed himself to be bound by Abraham and laid upon the altar. “And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” (Genesis 22:10). Here we see Abraham’s commitment to doing God’s will. As complicated and painful a future without Isaac must have seemed, Abraham’s faith in God’s wisdom over his own guided him through this experience.

As soon as the act was committed in his heart, not the cessation of life, but the relinquishing of control, the angel stayed his hand. “He said, ‘Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me’” (Genesis 22:12). The test to Abraham was not to determine if he would slay his son, but to see if Abraham had the faith to hold nothing back, even his only remaining son.

Abraham passed the test, and his commitment to God was proven. There would be nothing Abraham would hold back from God, not even his only son. The events recounted in scripture make it clear that Abraham credited everything good in himself to God. In His wisdom, God was joyfully able and willing to provide whatever was needed to ensure His promises would come true.

Broader Implications

While it was a severe test upon Abraham, this episode is the first hint of how costly the gift of our redemption would be to God (Genesis 22). The father-son relationship enjoyed by Abraham and Isaac pictures the close relationship between God and His only Son, Jesus. The Heavenly Father faced the same difficult choice as Abraham — a father with only one begotten and much-loved son.

The entire creation of our Heavenly Father declares His glory. Mankind, made in His image, should have been the crown jewel of His creation. But Eve was deceived, and Adam disobeyed willingly. In doing so, under the penalty of God’s justice, Adam condemned not only himself but all future generations who would suffer under the curse of sin. As heavy as that burden was, God’s justice cannot be violated. His righteous laws are not trespassed lightly. With Adam’s disobedience, our right to life was forfeited. So it stood for thousands of years. A sinful race destined to return to the dust it was created from after a few weary days of suffering and toil under sin.

Thankfully, God was active in providing salvation. But how would He fulfill the demands of justice upon an insurgent and rebellious human race? The divine law of justice would require no less than the original price of sin (Genesis 2:17). The cost of lifting the curse from the shoulders of humanity would require no less than the death of a perfect human life to take the place of Adam. But who would be able and willing to give up something as dear as life itself to absorb the blow of sin and death? The answer is, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). In His wisdom, God saw that to redeem mankind, no less than His only beloved son would suffice. What God has offered up to justice on our behalf was no less costly or painful than that experienced by Abraham.

However, there are essential differences between how Abraham offered Isaac and how God offered His Son. For instance, God did not hand Jesus over to a trusted friend who was loyal and gracious and would treat him kindly. Instead, He sent him into an ungrateful and unruly crowd of sinners. Additionally, when Jesus was on the cross, there was no angel to stay the hand of the judgment acted out by the angry mob as they shouted, “Nay give us Barabbas, crucify Him, crucify Him!” Lastly, after the sacrifice was offered, there would be no solemn assembly or respect for the sacrifice being made. Instead, God’s son was whipped, beaten, spat upon, and even mocked. In no way was the death of Christ any easier to bear than the potential death of Isaac. Yet it was God, His Father, the architect of the divine plan of salvation, who endured the painful experience.

The Lord Will Provide

How much more faith should we have with our advanced spiritual eyesight while living during tremendous spiritual abundance of meat in due season? Knowing that the Lord in His wisdom has provided His only son to be the Lamb which taketh away the world’s sin, should inspire us to deeper faith (John 1:29).

Though it was costly, the ransom price beautifully illustrates the wisdom and love of God. “Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19).

With the ransom sacrifice of Jesus in mind, it is encouraging to read that Abraham proclaimed Jireh! (Genesis 22:14). God knows our every need. The example of Abraham’s faith reaches down through the ages and instructs us even today. We strive to follow Abraham’s example of faith and credit every good thing in our lives to God.

Conclusion

Among the many blessings we enjoy from our wise Heavenly Father, let us take a moment to consider the blessing of justification. Abraham’s experience teaches us the tremendous price God paid for our justification. He sent His dearly beloved son to die on the cross for our sin. When God tests our hearts, how could we answer any differently than Abraham? When we survey the wonderous gifts we receive from God, what could we possibly withhold should God require it from us?

Therein lies the great victory of Abraham’s faith. Let us make it our victory as well. The irony is that, for Abraham and for us, the fulfillment of our greatest hope comes only when we can let go of all our material blessings and earthly hopes. Only then will we find a faith that knows, and trusts, that God’s ways are higher than ours and His plan is best. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1-5).

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). Knowing of God’s plan and this beautiful type of the ransom sacrifice, it compels us to pray before our Heavenly Father and proclaim Jehovah Jireh confidently! Even in our darkest, most difficult experiences, we may be confident that our God is the God who sees our trials and will provide. He has already provided His only begotten son to justify us, proving that He will withhold nothing from us. May we prove faithful and offer up our little all so that we, too, can say “Abba Father, I will hold nothing back!”