Art Toombs Ministries
Online Bible Commentary
God Will Provide
Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (NKJV)
The early Eastern Church (Dionysius and Clement, both of Alexandria), from the second century, claimed Paul was the writer of Hebrews. The Western Church later agreed.
Luke translated the letter to the Hebrews into Greek, according to Clement in the second century. Luke was with Paul during his second Roman imprisonment and was his amanuensis during Paul’s final days (2 Timothy 4:11).
It is likely that Luke was also Paul’s amanuensis for this letter. My conclusion is that this was Paul’s last writing, written in late 67-early 68 A.D.
In this letter, Paul is writing to Hebrews who have converted to Christianity from Judaism. Family and friends are likely pressuring them to return to Judaism, so Paul is writing to these Hebrew Christians to encourage them to remain steadfast in their faith and not to return to Judaism.
This chapter, Hebrews eleven, is known as the faith chapter. Paul runs chronologically through history and identifies those who are included in God’s “Hall of Faith”.
He is giving examples of great people of faith. He has already written of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah.
Previously, faith was accounted to Abraham because he persevered in his faith throughout his lifetime, even when he did not see the promises of God materialize. In this passage, faith is again accounted to Abraham because he passed another test from God.
God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. However, Abraham was already seventy-five years old, and childless, when God made this promise.
Abraham believed in this promise. Another twenty-five years passed before Abraham’s first, and only child with Sarah, was born.
We now fast forward seventeen years and Abraham still only has one child, Isaac. God is moving slowly with his promise to Abraham.
Now, God is throwing another curve at Abraham. The only child that Abraham has been given has been designated by God to be sacrificed.
Paul begins by writing “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac” (v. 17a). Abraham was about to sacrifice his one and only son.
Paul continues with “and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," (vv. 17b-18). God had previously promised Abraham that He would make a great nation from his descendants
It made no sense. However, in faith Abraham took Isaac up to Mount Moriah to offer him as a burnt sacrifice.
He took him to the very spot where God later appeared to David, on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, and where Solomon built the temple. The word “moriah” means chosen by Jehovah.
Abraham placed Isaac on the wooden altar and tied him as he would an animal sacrifice. He raised his knife to kill Isaac, but was stopped by an angel of God.
Abraham then saw the ram that God had provided as a sacrifice. God had provided.
But Abraham had prepared to kill his only son, and had begun to follow through with this task. He had demonstrated his faith in God.
Next, Paul writes “concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” (v. 19a). Abraham’s faith was so strong that he reasoned that God could raise the dead, and Isaac could still be the path to Abraham fathering a great nation.
Even though God had never raised anyone from the dead at this point in recorded history, Abraham had faith that he would raise Isaac. It would have been a first, but Abraham still had faith, he still believed in the trustworthiness of God’s promise.
Paul completes this passage with “from which he also received him in a figurative sense” (v. 19b). Figuratively speaking, Abraham did receive Isaac back from dead. The full account of this story can be found in Genesis 22.
God would never require from His children what he required of Himself. He sacrificed his only son, Jesus Christ, to be the sacrifice which would pay the penalty for all the sin of the world, past, present, and future.
But God did not require this same sacrifice of Abraham. God never has and never will approve of human sacrifice.
He proved this when He had His angel intervene with Isaac’s sacrifice. He tested Abraham’s faith and when Abraham passed the test, God rescinded His order.
Abraham proved his faith to God over a period of one hundred years. He never waned.
God made his promise to Abraham when he was seventy-five years old. He died one hundred years later, still looking for God’s promise to be fulfilled.
It was fulfilled, just not in Abraham’s lifetime. But Abraham kept the faith, anyway.
He kept living his life for God everyday, always believing, always trusting. He was a man of great faith, a member of God’s Hall of Faith.
How strong is our faith? Can we go to our graves knowing that we too can be a member of God’s Hall of Faith?
Can we persevere in our faith, even when we do not see God’s promises fulfilled? Can we pass any test that God may require of us?
The answer to all these questions can be yes. We have the power, the strength, to remain faithful.
It is a matter of being continually sold out to God. It is a matter of complete trust, even when we do not understand God’s ways. It is a matter of knowing no other way
God is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He still tests His children
We can pass His tests, but we must remain vigilant. We must persevere.
Abraham, being completely sold out to God, knew no other way. He had faith in God.
He believed that God was trustworthy, and put all of his trust in Him. He did not know what would happen, but he did know that God would provide.
And God did!