Letter to the Hebrews Volume 133

 God Test Abraham's Faith Part 2

Hebrews 11:18-19 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. KJV

We learned in the last study/commentary, that in Abraham's mind (as he obeyed the Voice of the Lord God) he had already offered up his only son Isaac to God even while he was just beginning his long three (3) day journey to the land of Moriah. It was surely in the plan of God to deliver this command to Abraham at the specific time and place where he was physically located in order that his journey would take the three (3) days and nights that it did, for it was a Word Picture of the future time that our Lord Jesus Christ's (the true Lamb of God) body would lay lifeless in a tomb where He was laid by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus, as it is written by the Apostle John, "Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." (John 19:40-42) (KJV). During Abraham's long three (3) day journey, he had plenty of time to cower in faith and devise an alternative plan than the one God had commanded of him, for he had been disobedient to God before and if there ever was a time once again to do so this would be that time. However, Abraham had learned from his past disobedience to God that the consequences in so doing were always bad, for example when he journeyed into Egypt and lied to Pharaoh about Sarai not being his wife but only his sister and this got Sarai his wife taken by Pharaoh and God had to send a plague upon Pharaoh and his house to make him release Sarai back to Abraham.

"And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had." (Genesis 12:10-20) (KJV). Abraham did not trust God for protection, instead he devised his own plan and it almost cost him the life of his wife Sarai, but God could not allow Sarai to be stripped from Abraham at this time because she and he had to come together in sexual relationship much later on to produce their miracle son Isaac. Now Abraham is faced with the toughest test of his 'faith in God' and his obedience to God in his entire life, but as it is written here in these next two verses by the writer of Hebrews Abraham had learned well from his past sins and acts of disobedience to the Lord God and he trusted that just as He preserved Sarai from kidnapping, so would he preserve Isaac his miracle son, that in him Abraham's descendants would be as numerable as the stars in the heavens and as the sand upon the seashores (Genesis 15:5), so here is what the writer of Hebrews declares of the innerman of Abraham, "Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." (Hebrews 11:18-19) (KJV).

Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 11:18-19, "A numerous posterity had been promised to him. It was there said expressly that this promise was not to be fulfilled through the son of Abraham, by the bondwoman Hagar, but through Isaac. Of course, it was implied that Isaac was to reach manhood, and yet notwithstanding this, and notwithstanding Abraham fully believed it, be prepared deliberately, in obedience to the divine command, to put him to death. The phrase 'thy seed be called' means, that his posterity was to be named after Isaac, or was to descend only from him. The word 'called' in the Scriptures is often equivalent to the verb 'to be;' see Isaiah 56:7. To 'name' or 'call' a thing was the same as to say that it was, or that it existed. It does not mean here that his 'spiritual' children were to be called or selected from among the posterity of Isaac, but that the posterity promised to Abraham would descend neither from Ishmael nor the sons of Keturah, but in the line of Isaac. This is a strong circumstance insisted on by the Apostle to show the strength of Abraham's faith. It was shown not only by his willingness to offer up the child of his old age - his only son by his beloved wife, but by his readiness, at the command of God, to sacrifice even him on whom the fulfillment of the promises depended. And that He would do it; for so Abraham evidently believed, and this idea is plainly implied in the whole narrative. There was no other way in which the promise could be fulfilled; and Abraham reasoned justly in the case. He had received the promise of a numerous posterity. He had been told expressly that it was to be through this favorite child. He was now commanded to put him to death as a sacrifice, and he prepared to do it. To fulfil these promises, therefore, there was no other way possible but for him to be raised up from the dead, and Abraham fully believed that it would be done. The child had been given to him at first in a supernatural manner, and he was prepared, therefore, to believe that he would be restored to him again by miracle. He did not doubt that He who had given him to him in a manner at first so contrary to all human probability, could restore him again in a method as extraordinary. He, therefore, anticipated that He would raise him up immediately from the dead. That this was the expectation of Abraham is apparent from the narrative in Genesis 22:5, 'And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you;' in the plural - 'and we will return;' that is, I and Isaac will return, for no other persons went with them, Hebrews 11:6. As Abraham went with the full expectation of sacrificing Isaac, and as he expected Isaac to return with him, it follows that he believed that God would raise him up immediately from the dead."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…