Hebrews 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promise was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
The story this verse is referring to is quite an amazing one. You see, God had promised Abraham a child from which a great nation would come, there was just one problem: Abraham and his wife Sarah weren't getting any younger. Eventually there reached a point were it seemed impossible for God to keep His promise (Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90), but even then, they kept faith in what God had said. But miraculously, even though Sarah was well past her age of bearing children, she gave birth to Isaac; he was truly a miracle child. It isn't hard to see how Abraham and Sarah would cherish him greatly and would want to protect him from any danger - after all, Isaac was going to become a great nation! But as if this weren't already crazy enough, something even more shocking happened. One day God asked Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord. As an extreme understatement, Abraham must have been confused. But whether he was confused or understood, he packed up his bags the next morning and took his son Isaac up to the mountain to sacrifice him. Eventually they reached the top and Abraham set up the wood under his son. As Abraham raised up his knife, an angel cried to him, "Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." The Lord then provided a wild ram for the burnt offering in Isaac's stead.
Long story short, God asked two great things from Abraham: Firstly, God asked him to give up his most priced thing in the world - his son through whom he would be the father of a great nation. Secondly, God asked him to trust Him no matter how ridiculous His plans may have seemed. You see, this plan of offering Isaac (the one through whom the prophesy was to be fulfilled) didn't make sense to Abraham. He didn't obey God because he thought it was a dandy idea, he obeyed God because he trusted that God knew how to make it all work out. Abraham thought to himself, "God will make this work. Even if He has to raise Isaac up from the dead, He'll make this work." You see, the master-servant relationship isn't one where the master suggests something and the servant chooses whether or not it's a good idea or not; it's one where the master mandates and the servant humbly trusts and obeys. Abraham well understood this, and he was greatly rewarded for it.
In the same way that Abraham just submitted to God and trusted Him to work out all the details, when we don't understand why God would want us to do something, we should still do it with all our devotion. When God tells us to be charitable even when we have not the funds, we should obey. When God tells us to go to an unknown or dangerous place, we should obey. When God tells us to spend time with Him even when we're exhausted from a hard day, we should obey. God doesn't promise to tell you why He wants something or even how He's going to provide you with the resources to do what He's calling you to do, but there is but one way to be fully happy in Jesus, that is to trust and obey. We serve not a God who leaves us up to our own means, but a God who provides for all that which He calls us to do.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promise was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
The story this verse is referring to is quite an amazing one. You see, God had promised Abraham a child from which a great nation would come, there was just one problem: Abraham and his wife Sarah weren't getting any younger. Eventually there reached a point were it seemed impossible for God to keep His promise (Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90), but even then, they kept faith in what God had said. But miraculously, even though Sarah was well past her age of bearing children, she gave birth to Isaac; he was truly a miracle child. It isn't hard to see how Abraham and Sarah would cherish him greatly and would want to protect him from any danger - after all, Isaac was going to become a great nation! But as if this weren't already crazy enough, something even more shocking happened. One day God asked Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord. As an extreme understatement, Abraham must have been confused. But whether he was confused or understood, he packed up his bags the next morning and took his son Isaac up to the mountain to sacrifice him. Eventually they reached the top and Abraham set up the wood under his son. As Abraham raised up his knife, an angel cried to him, "Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." The Lord then provided a wild ram for the burnt offering in Isaac's stead.
Long story short, God asked two great things from Abraham: Firstly, God asked him to give up his most priced thing in the world - his son through whom he would be the father of a great nation. Secondly, God asked him to trust Him no matter how ridiculous His plans may have seemed. You see, this plan of offering Isaac (the one through whom the prophesy was to be fulfilled) didn't make sense to Abraham. He didn't obey God because he thought it was a dandy idea, he obeyed God because he trusted that God knew how to make it all work out. Abraham thought to himself, "God will make this work. Even if He has to raise Isaac up from the dead, He'll make this work." You see, the master-servant relationship isn't one where the master suggests something and the servant chooses whether or not it's a good idea or not; it's one where the master mandates and the servant humbly trusts and obeys. Abraham well understood this, and he was greatly rewarded for it.
In the same way that Abraham just submitted to God and trusted Him to work out all the details, when we don't understand why God would want us to do something, we should still do it with all our devotion. When God tells us to be charitable even when we have not the funds, we should obey. When God tells us to go to an unknown or dangerous place, we should obey. When God tells us to spend time with Him even when we're exhausted from a hard day, we should obey. God doesn't promise to tell you why He wants something or even how He's going to provide you with the resources to do what He's calling you to do, but there is but one way to be fully happy in Jesus, that is to trust and obey. We serve not a God who leaves us up to our own means, but a God who provides for all that which He calls us to do.