Hebrews 11:13-16 contains our next Live By Faith story:

“By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from the dead.”

Backstory

The birth of Isaac was a miracle, plain and simple. God clearly waited until there was no possible way that Abraham and Sarah could conceive and bear a child — and then Isaac was born. That miracle is vital to understanding one of the main faith lessons of Abraham and Isaac.

The story is found in Genesis 22:1-19. It is very difficult to read. God’s command to sacrifice a child must have seemed completely out of place to Abraham. Throughout the Old Testament there are many passages that reflect God’s great displeasure in child sacrifice. Sadly, it wasn’t unusual in pagan practices. And on occasion, the Israelites also participated, igniting God’s wrath.

Frankly, we don’t need supporting Scriptures to know that sacrificing a child in worship to a god is an unspeakable act of evil. If you need a law to determine your behavior on that front, then clearly there is evil involved. And that’s all that needs to be said about that.
The Test

As is often the case in Biblical stories, we can’t even begin to imagine the full gravity of the action Abraham was about to take. Not only was there great personal loss involved, but how on earth would Abraham ever explain to Sarah that he had taken the life of her only child — and their miracle child? It was a decision immersed in staggering consequences.

The story reveals that Abraham did not hesitate to obey. He doesn’t offer a single word for clarification or argument. He simply got up early the next morning and saddled his donkey, and loaded the wood, the embers and the knife. With everything in place, he took Isaac and headed for the mountain. It must have been an awful three-day walk. Imagine Abraham soaking in as much of Isaac as he possibly could. It breaks my heart.

Isaac, at thirteen years old, was adept enough to realize that something was missing for the sacrifice. His line of questioning could only have added more angst for Abraham.

Angst, according to the Encarta dictionary, is a feeling of dread arising from an awareness of free choice. There are two basic questions that surround the story of Abraham. (1) Was God testing Abraham to see what he would do? Or (2), was God testing Abraham to prove to Abraham what he would do? The fact is, we don’t’ know, and neither did Abraham. Again, we know the outcome of the story, but Abraham did not. If I had room in this article, we could have some fun running into a rabbit-hole debate regarding the free will of mankind and the sovereign will of Almighty God. Instead, here is a quote we can reflect on:

The saints are those persons–ordinary persons–who dare to involve themselves with God unreservedly. They perceive that God has gambled eternal love on them, so they in turn gamble wildly on God. Faith says that this is a safe gamble, because we can count on the character of God. But every saint has had times on the holy journey when he or she wondered if the gamble was badly chosen. Since our vision is limited, we don’t always see all that God is about.” J. Ellsworth Kalas, Longing to Pray
The Main Takeaway

It seems that the main teaching point of this story when it comes to faith actually involves the process by which God builds our faith. The Hebrew writer seems to reflect this when he says, Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead. In other words, Abraham had already experienced a top-tier miracle. If God could bring a child through barren and old Sarah, God could do anything! Period. End of story. Faith established.

That’s how faith works. God gives us miracles to build our faith. So before He gives us some big, hairy and audacious command, He first reveals His faithfulness through a series of seemingly lesser events. Moses stood before a burning bush before he stood before Pharaoh. Young David killed a lion and a bear before he took on Goliath. Miracles build our faith.
Something Bigger?

Have your received a miracle? If so, be grateful and give God the glory. Afterward, don’t be surprised if God asks something bigger of you. The first miracle was far more than just giving you what you wanted — it was likely a down payment on a future calling and a bigger ask. God rarely calls us to less — never forget that. He’s building your faith for a reason that is bigger. Don’t be so short-sighted as to think the miracle was just about you. Previous miracles are investments that God has made in you to build you and your faith so that you will be ready when He calls again. Keep your heart open and your faith bold — it is possible that God is about to ask something bigger of you. And when He does, your faith will pass the test.