Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
This passage of scripture brings something very rare to the table of obedience as far as faith in God is concerned, for it speaks of Abraham's ultimate test and the prospects and possibilities that were consequently opened up to him, as he steadfastly sought to carry out the singular command of God. When the word of God came to Abraham saying that he must take his only son Isaac and offer him up for a burnt offering, he was obviously taken aback, for the law of God explicitly says "Thou shalt not kill". Furthermore, Isaac was confirmed by God to be the only son of the promise, and therefore the command from God may have seemed to be very illogical at best, judging from a merely human standpoint. But many of the commands and instructions from God often seem to go contrary to our logical modes of thought, and that's why it's necessary for us to walk by faith and not by sight.
There must have been a very terrible conflict in Abraham's mind as he pondered with a heavy heart the potential loss of his son, and satan was there to drive the nail in the coffin, by tempting Abraham to believe he was under a heavy delusion. But old, faithful Abraham went against his own grain and decided to obey the word of God. This decision then caused him to think of the many ways God's promise would otherwise be fulfilled, and one of these possibilities was that of a resurrection, something that had never before taken place in human history. Enoch was translated without seeing death, but no one had ever been resurrected on this planet. We will therefore now focus our attention squarely on the limitless possibilities which arise out of nowhere, when a living faith in God is exercised. Let's read:
Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
In our own personal walk with God, there are times when we are straddled with seemingly insurmountable problems which appear to have no resolution, and try as we might, we just can't seem to shake the difficulty from us. It is at these instances that satan tempts us severely, and suggests to us that God has either forsaken or forgotten about us, and it's at times like these, when like Abraham, we must walk in obedience to God's commands, even if they seem illogical at the moment.
When Elijah the prophet was sent to the woman of Zarephath, the request given to her by God through his servant, for her to share her very last meal may seem illogical and even unfair to the casual observer, and if such a situation was brought up for review in the court of public opinion, most people would say that the request was unreasonable at best. But the woman obeyed any way, and the result is history, for she and her household was well-fed throughout the rest of the devastating drought, whilst many logical thinkers and learned men were dying of hunger. Let's read:
1st Kings 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks" .... 11 And" .... "he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
It's therefore of critical importance that we walk by faith and not by sight, so that if any law, command, or instruction, given in the Bible seems difficult to fulfill, we would do it anyway, for a living faith in God always opens up before us, unlimited possibilities that are hidden from the view of the cautious, logical, or philosophical mind. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to exercise faith in the commands and promises of God, for all of our victories, successes, and accomplishments are done through faith in God alone. Let's read:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night' and God bless!