The Faith of Abraham, Sarah, and Those Who Died in Faith

As a result of the enduring faith of our forefathers, God was not ashamed to be called their God. The implication of this is that God is ashamed of some people—namely, those who did not die in faith. God was ashamed of those who did not demonstrate belief that he could do what he promised. But for those of whom he is not ashamed, he has prepared a city. God promises a heavenly city—a heavenly kingdom—to those who endure in faith, even unto death. We are guaranteed this city in Christ.

Hebrews 11:17-19

In Genesis 21 God told Abraham that the covenant promises would continue through Isaac, not Ishmael. In Genesis 22, when Isaac was probably around the age of twelve or thirteen, Abraham faced an excruciating test:

God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

“Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about. (Gen 22:1-2)

Genesis 22 is one of the most important and also one of the most infamous passages in all of Scripture. God tells Abraham to take Isaac—the son he loves and the son who will continue the line of promise—up to the land of Moriah and to sacrifice him there as a burnt offering. We know what a burnt offering is. A burnt offering happens when an animal is slain, its blood is drained, and its carcass is burned. Any father told to do this to his son would be tested beyond anything he could possibly imagine, and this is how Abraham was tested.

Remarkably, the text tells us Abraham obeyed the Lord:

So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. (Gen 22:3-4)

Though the Lord’s instructions seemed to run counter to his promise to Abraham, the man did as God commanded.

Yet in the end we see that God’s command did not run counter to his promise. Abraham believed God was able to raise Isaac from the dead if he was sacrificed. This is the commentary the author provides in verse 19. Abraham’s own words in Genesis 22:5 show that he believed Isaac would return alive: “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” Therefore, because Abraham responded in faith to God’s command, God reiterated his promise to Abraham: “I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies” (Gen 22:17).

In a sense, Isaac did die. This is what the second half of Hebrews 11:19 points out. He didn’t die physically, but he did die in a figurative sense. He was taken right up to the point of death and then brought back to life. So in a sense we can say that Isaac died and was resurrected. In this way, this story and Isaac’s role in particular anticipate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our great high priest.

Abraham passed God’s test because he was committed to God’s promises. He showed faith in God through his willingness to obey God’s command and sacrifice his son. He trusted God to deliver Isaac, and he may have even perceived that doing so would be the greatest display of God’s glory. That’s the story of the gospel. God has determined to save sinners and has done so in a way that brings him the greatest glory possible. This explains why God, who loves his Son to an even greater degree than Abraham loved Isaac, sent his Son to die for us. God’s word is true and his promises always come to pass, even when we can’t envision how he will do what he has promised. Nevertheless, we are called to obey him and follow him—by faith.