The Obedience of Faith

By Toby Crowder

Mitchell County

Gen 22:9 “And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.”

Sacrifice… what comes to mind when we hear that term? Many of us will automatically think of our great country and the sacrifice of so many for the freedom that we enjoy today. Others will likely think of the Bible, and perhaps the example of God’s love for mankind in sending His Son to be the sacrifice for our sin. Regardless of what immediately comes to mind, the idea of sacrifice usually involves the giving of something, at a great cost to the giver. If you were to look at the Merriam-Webster definition of sacrifice, you would find that it is described as: “an act of offering to a deity something precious.” Scripture affords us a great example of this in the account of Abraham’s sacrifice in Genesis 22.

I hope that you will take time to at least read verses 1-14, of this remarkable chapter which gives an account of Abraham’s journey. We are told in verse one, that the Lord chose to tempt Abraham. The Hebrew word used means “to test or to try.” We might say that the Lord chose to “put Abraham to the test.” Of course, we have all been tested, with various things, but not to this extent. Some tests are major, some are minor and the consequences range in severity. Perhaps God has “tested” you to try your faith. This chapter is also interesting in that we see several “firsts” in Scripture. Notice the following list of terms, that are mentioned for the very first time in Scripture: Tempt (v.1), Lovest (v.2), Offer (v. 2), Worship (v. 5), Lamb (v. 7.) It certainly becomes evident to us that Abrahams sacrifice was an act of worship! 

In this chapter, we see Abraham, a man of faith, doing what seems impossible, but we must also remember the words of Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” In this story, we are shown something of the nature and character of Abraham. The Lord called Him, and he did not run, hide, or quit. Abraham did not ask for a substitute or ask God to look elsewhere. We know that Abraham obeyed God, but we are not told of his internal struggle to obey…surely it was a heart-wrenching thought to sacrifice his beloved son!  Warren Weirsbe has said: “Our faith is not really tested until God asks us to bear what seems to be unbearable, do what seems unreasonable, and expect what seems impossible.”  What was the basis of Abraham’s unwavering obedience? His faith was based on a sincere desire to worship God. This is what he told his companions in v.5 “… I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” Abraham’s act of obedience didn’t only affect himself, but his people. Not only was Isaac his son, but he was also the heir that was promised. God’s covenant with Abram in Gen 15 declared that his descendants would be innumerable. So not only was Abraham sacrificing his son, but also seemingly the promises to his people.

Why did God ask Abraham for his son? Abraham LOVED Isaac, and as his father, he would have been willing to be the sacrifice in his place. But God did not necessarily want Isaac; God wanted more of Abraham!  God will often use the things closest to us to try and test our faith. Abraham knew that his worship was going to cost him something, and this worship caused Abraham to surrender both himself and his son. In faith he trusted God as he took his son… the wood… the knife… and the fire and started towards Mt. Moriah. There, Abraham learned in a very real way, that that God would provide for all his needs because Abraham was exactly where God wanted him. Moriah means “chosen by Jehovah” but Abraham called this particular place Jehovah Jireh in v. 14… which means “the Lord will provide.” If Abraham had not gone through this, he would not have known God as “Jehovah Jireh.” Are we willing to worship through obedience and faith in God’s abundant supply?

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Toby Crowder serves as Pastor of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Spruce Pine. He and his wife Leslie have been married for almost 30 years and have two daughters, Emilee, and Katy. Feel free to contact him at MCfamilyforChrist.org or mtcarmelsprucepine@gmail.com

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Read more from Toby Crowder here.