8It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
[11It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.]12And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. 13All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.
Hebrews 11:8-10, 12-19
I told you in the previous Gem, “You could almost say that Noah was the epitome of faith. But hang on; surely the next hero of faith on the list could lay claim to that accolade.” You will notice, I hope, three things about the block above.
- This is a long block of text. Far longer than the others we have covered. That shows this example of faith is very important.
- Verse 11 is bracketed as though it doesn’t belong.
- I have divided the text related to Abraham into two blocks. 11:8-10 and 11:12-19.
Why would I do a strange thing like that? Because I have simply followed the author’s lead with his introductory ‘by faith’ marker. “By faith” marks the beginning of each new example of faith but there is something interesting when we come to Sarah. However I will leave that for the next example of faith.
I hope you notice that the writer only focus on two aspects of Abraham’s faith.
- His leaving home by faith, not knowing where he was going.
- His willingness to sacrifice Isaac.
Leaving Home by Faith
This is an interesting section which emphasises the immediacy of Abraham’s obedience. The two main verbs, obey and go are linked to the participle ‘being called‘. The strength of that hints that the present participle is adverbial and qualifies both main verbs. Enough of the technical terminology. Put simply, there was no gap between Abraham obeying and going. Both happened at the time God called him; his response was immediate. Now that is impressive.
The writer then picks out a number of features of Abraham’s faith. He left his permanent home to go to land which he didn’t know where he was going to. He didn’t know where he was going when he left both Ur and Haran. Abraham was willing to keep walking until God told him to stop. Not only that but he was willing to live in tents like a nomad of no fixed abode in search of a land of inheritance that he did not get to see. He died without seeing the fulfilment of the promise God had made. Not only was that true, but Isaac and Jacob were in the same situation and are simply linked to Abraham’s situation. They came with him. Notice there is no ‘by faith’ marker with their names. The time for their example of faith does not come until 11:20 and 11:21. At this point they are simply implicated in connection with Abraham’s faith.
Abraham was willing to move from place to place in a foreign land living on land owned by another, while waiting for the moment he would receive the promised land; a land which he failed to see before he died. He lived as a stranger and a nomad here on earth. The two following generations did the same thing. They were caught up in Abraham’s faith journey as well, with the same outcome. No wonder they call Abraham ‘the father of faith’. Ultimately, Abraham (and his descendants by association) were confidently looking toward “a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God”.
Abraham’s Willingness to Sacrifice Isaac
The pinnacle of Abraham’s faith is then discussed in verses 17 to 19. As if the above indicators of Abraham’s faith were not enough, now we come to the apex of Abraham’s response to God’s instructions to him – the willingness to sacrifice his son. This is the son of promise. There is no other who qualifies. When God called Abraham in Genesis 22, Abraham’s response again was immediate.
“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
Genesis 22:2-4
Not only is the immediate nature of Abraham’s response emphasised but he is also willing to kill the only means he has of realising the promise that God has made. He only had one son of the promise, the others don’t count. Notice God’s instruction: “Take your son, your only son.” Abraham could have been forgiven for saying at that time, “But God I have two sons. God didn’t recognise the son of the flesh. There was only one son who qualified as the son of the promise and now he was willing without question to kill him. Why? How could he do that? The author spells it out for his readers – those in the 1st Century AD and those in the 21st Century AD, and all those in between right up to you and me.
Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.
Hebrews 11:19
But we haven’t yet finished with Abraham just as we haven’t finished with Sarah in verse 11. There is more to the faith story of Abraham, just as we have to return to “By faith Sarah” . . . In the next Gem I will look at the Flip Side of Abraham’s Faith Story.
I can’t fit it all into one Gem, there is just too much to draw your attention to.
A weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes, whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them. (Holocaust Survivor)
Victor Frankl
When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn’t solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.
Ian
Faith means believing in advance that which will only make sense in reverse.
Philip Yancey
To grow, faith must be stretched.
Ian