Abraham's Testing with Isaac (Heb. 11:17-18)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 06-04-03

 

My Worship Time      Focus:  Abraham’s testing with Isaac

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Hebrews 11:17-18

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,

18 even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’  19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”  (NIV)  “17 By faith, being tested, Abraham offered up Isaac; and he receiving the promises was offering up the only begotten, 18 as to whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your Seed shall be called;’ (Gen. 21:12) 19 reckoning that God was able to raise even from the dead; from where indeed he obtained him in a parable.”  (Green’s) 

            I would say that this event in the life of Abraham, that is described here, (the entire story is in Genesis 12), is, in my opinion, one of the greatest descriptions of faith that is found in the entire Scripture.  It surely fits the description of faith that Warren Wiersbe has in his book, “Be Confident.”  “True Bible faith is confident obedience to God’s Word ins spite of circumstances and consequences.”  God has previously told Abraham that he would bring the true Seed through Isaac, who was indeed the miracle child, and now God tests Abraham by asking him to offer up his “only begotten” as a burnt offering.  Abraham’s tremendous faith in God and His Word that He has spoken to him gave him the confidence to do as God instructed him to do.  Strong’s says of the “only begotten” the following:  “1) single of its kind, only 1a) used of only sons or daughters (viewed in relation to their parents) 1b) used of Christ, denotes the only begotten son of God” 

            I want to move to verse nineteen and talk about the word that is translated figuratively in the NIV, and is translated parable in the Greens LIT.  The word in the Greek is “parabole par-ab-ol-ay'” for which I can see why Green’s uses the English word parable.  This word as described in the Strong’s Concordance has many meanings, and one of the is parable.  Here are some of them:  “2) metaph.

2a) a comparing, comparison of one thing with another, likeness, similitude

2b) an example by which a doctrine or precept is illustrated

2c) a narrative, fictitious but agreeable to the laws and usages of human life, by which either the duties of men or the things of God, particularly the nature and history of God's kingdom are figuratively portrayed

2d) a parable: an earthly story with a heavenly meaning

            The point in all of this to me is that Isaac was surely a picture of Jesus Christ, for Isaac was the one whom the promised Seed was to come through and Jesus Christ was the promised Seed, and it is said of Isaac that in fact, God did in a sense raise him from the dead, and of course God did raise His only begotten, Jesus Christ from the dead.

 

            2.  Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I can see some principles of this section of Scripture that portray in the storm that I am going through.  I see a tremendous example in Abraham as he believed God’s promises pertaining to his son Isaac, and standing on those principles in spite of circumstances and consequences.  I see God honoring His Word and also honoring the faith of Abraham in believing God in this circumstance, or storm of his life.  This section of Hebrews has been a tremendous help in my life as I go through this storm.

 

The Word of God was a wonderful blessing to me as I read it this morning and it has also been a challenge to my heart to have faith in God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:   To believe God will see me through this storm that He has led me into, and that He is praying for me as I go through it, and that He will come to me in the storm as He has already through His Word, and that He will cause me to grow and become more like Jesus Christ because of this storm, and that He will see me safely through this storm.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:14-16

 

14.  Let those be ashamed and humiliated together who seek my life to destroy it; Let those be turned back and dishonored who delight in my hurt.

15.  Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me “Aha, aha!”

16.  Let all those Thee rejoice and be glade in Thee; Let those who love Thy salvation say continually, “The Lord be Magnified!”