Abraham Offered Up Isaac Hebrews 11:17

The people of faith who considered themselves as “strangers and pilgrims on the earth”, according to the writer of Hebrews ,“desire a better country, that is, an heavenly”, and because of this, “God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city”. In chapter eleven and verse seventeen of Hebrews, the writer shares how “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac” where we read:

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac:

and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

The verse begins, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac:”. The writer began with the words, “By faith” which means “through the conviction of the truth of anything and belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ which springs from trust in the same” “Abraham” whose name means “father of a multitude” and was “the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation”, “when he was tried” which refers to “made trial of and tested for the purpose of ascertaining his quality, what he thinks or how he will behave himself”, “offered up” or “brought to, put forth and presented” “Isaac” whose name means “he laughs” and was “the son of Abraham and Sarah”. Abraham was “tried and tested” when God told him to “offer up” his son “Isaac” as a sacrifice. (See Genesis 22)

The verse goes on to say, “and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,”. The writer continued with the words, “and he that had received” or “and the one who took up, undertook, assumed and entertained” “the promises” which means “the announcements of good and blessing” “offered up” or “brought to, put forth and presented” “his only begotten son” which means “God's only and sole born male child”. Abraham had “received” God's word and promise and “offered up” his son even as God instructed him to do.

When we meditate upon these words in Hebrews, we see the full commitment Abraham had to God. Abraham believed God's promise that he would multiply his seed as the stars of the heavens and the sands of the sea, and this multiplication was to come through Isaac. If Isaac was “sacrificed”, how was God going to produce multitudes through him? Abraham knew God would be faithful to His word even if he sacrificed his son, and therefore, Abraham “offered up his only begotten son”. God “offered up” His own Son Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins, and this enabled us to “everlasting life” with Him. Abraham “offering up” Isaac as a sacrifice, therefore, became an example of that which God Himself would do, and because He did, we may now be saved eternally.

Next time the writer shares how Abraham was told, “in Isaac shall your seed be called”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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