Abraham is considered the Father of the Jewish nation, and the father of faith. Hebrews 11 spends more time on what Abraham did than any of the others faith heros. He is a tremendous example of faith.
However, Abraham had his faults. When told to leave his family, he still took Lot along. When visiting Egypt, he was so afraid that someone would kill him because of the the beauty of Sarah that he lied about his wife (he later did the same thing to King Abimelech) and made a profit of his lies, basically meaning he pimped out Sarah (that may be the reason it took so long to have a son, she was probably pretty mad about it...). He, with the advice of Sarah, tried to find his own way to accomplish God’s plan by marrying Hagar and having Ishmael. Then when Sarah became jealous, Abraham gave her up and sent her away, and it was the Lord that protected her.
Abraham had his strong points. He left his land not even knowing where he was going. He allowed Lot to have the decision on which land to choose for his own. When Lot was captured, he gathered his men and freed him, but he was unwilling to take the spoils of war because they were from Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham wanted no part of their evil. When he was blessed by Melchizedek, Abraham gave a 10th of all he owned. He pleaded for the righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah (there was just Lot). Abraham was a generous man.
Abraham had difficulty waiting, just like most of us, but the Lord was faithful and the son of promise, Isaac, finally arrived. This was the hope of Abraham and Sarah, and the promise of God fulfilled. Perhaps this event solidified his faith, because when Abraham is called to do one of the most ridiculous thing God called anyone to do, he obeyed.
The Lord had proven Himself to Abraham, and so when called upon to sacrifice his only son, as Genesis 22 describes it, he goes without hesitation. Hebrews tells us that Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham fully trusted. He went, and he believed the Lord would provide.
I don’t know the reasons God called Abraham to do such a bizarre thing. Perhaps Abraham started to love Isaac more than the Lord and needed to be reoriented. Maybe Abraham needed to know how strong his own faith was. But what struck me the most as I read this passage this week was the phrase “his only son.” God is calling Abraham to give up his only son. The father of faith is being called to do what God is going to do through Abraham’s line. Abraham learned to have the love and faith in God to give him all, even his own son. God has the love for us to give up His only Son for our sake. Abraham shared in the character of God in a profound way. As Abraham did not withhold his son Isaac, believing he could be risen from the dead, God did not withhold His only Son from us, and through resurrection, Jesus is alive and reigning. Abraham did by faith what only God Himself could have the love to do, give up everything for the sake of everyone, and through it we gain all.
Posted while listening to Hallal "Faithful"
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Isn't it amazing that Abraham was willing to make such a sacrifice when most of humanity (myself included) has a hard time donating a few hours a week to something bigger than ourselves? But something else that I see in Abraham is that despite his faults, he is a man of tremendous faith -- as he proves over and over. And it is because of that faith that God uses him in so many ways. I see a great hope in that because even in our faults and flaws, God loves us and will use us according to His purpose.
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