WHAT FAITH BRINGS (PART 8)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

Hebrews 11:17-19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

God will test those who are faithful to Him. It’s a truth the scriptures affirm.

For example, think about the story of Job. He was a man who was upright and obedient in the way he lived before God. In return, God blessed him with a family and great life filled with abundant blessings.

And yet, when Satan proposed to God that the only reason Job was faithful was because he was well off, adding that Job would change if he were made to suffer, God allowed Satan to test His servant. As we know, it wasn’t just some mild challenge. Job lost everything and was left afflicted with painful sores all over his body. Yet despite the physical and mental anguish, Job remained true to God, even when he didn’t understand why he was going through such incredible hardship. In the end, we know that God rewarded Job by restoring him, not just to where he was but well beyond that.

Through faith, Job passed his test and we can learn a lot from his story. This is what makes the book that bears his name such a valuable part of the Old Testament scriptures.

As we turn to today’s passage and our continuing study of what I like to refer to as the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, we find another example of amazing faith that preceded Job. Look again at these words from verses 17 through 19:

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

You’ll recall that a couple of messages ago we looked at the improbable conception and pregnancy of Sarah through her sexual relation with her husband Abraham. Both were so advanced in years that no one, including themselves, believed it could happen, even when God pronounced it would.

We know God never breaks His promises and He had assured Abraham that his offspring would be more numerous than the stars in the night sky. Before that could happen, Abraham needed a child and God delivered that child in the way of a son named Isaac.

A deep blessing had come from God to Abraham and Sarah but then we read that a heart-wrenching test followed. For God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering, an order that Abraham never once questioned. Instead, he took Isaac to the place on the mountain designated by God and there built an altar where he first placed the wood to burn and then laid a bound Isaac on the wood. Drawing a knife, Abraham was ready to carry out the sacrifice when an angel of the Lord intervened, demanding that Abraham not lay a hand on his son. God had seen the depth of his servant’s faith and it ran so deep that he was willing to give up his only son so to remain obedient to his Lord (Genesis 22:1-18). And as we see in today’s passage, part of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son was because he “reasoned that God could even raise the dead”. It was that astounding faith that led to Isaac being spared at the last minute, sparing Abraham the anguish of killing him.

Now, our testing from God may never reach the levels of Job or Abraham but rest assured they will come in some form or fashion. I don’t know about you but I pray that when that time comes, my faith will bring me the ability to pass the tests that God imposes. Through His strength, I am confident I (and we) can do just that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.