Lesson 242: “We Need Faith Like That"
“By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice” (Heb. 11:17)! After reading this passage I turned back to the Old Testament to check out the story of Abraham and his only son, Isaac. God told him to take his son, whom he loved, to the Moriah region and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains. Without question or hesitation, Abraham saddled his donkey, took two of his servants, enough cut wood for the offering and his son and set out for the place God told him about. It took three days to arrive at the foot of the appointed mountain; “and Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance” (Gen. 22:1-4). At no time, according to the written Word, do we find that Abraham grumbled, cried out or thought about turning back from where God was leading him. While searching intently to find a reason for such great faith, I came across a phrase that I had missed. He told his servants to stay with the donkey while he and his son went over yonder to worship. And then “WE” will come back to you. We, as in Abraham and his son! He knew that he knew that he knew that he would bring his only son back down the mountain with him! Now that is faith! Some might call this blind faith, but I don’t believe that for one second. Abraham had hind-sight, going back to the time when he was known as Abram and the Lord called him out of his own country. God had made a covenant with him and had not failed him yet and Abraham would not fail God. Ahhhh! To have a faith like that!
In contrast to the faith of Abraham is the disobedience and pride of the Shinarites. Genesis 11:1-9 explains how the nations came to be scattered across the face of the ancient world. It is a message of judgment. What they prided themselves in (unity) became their downfall and what they feared the most (separation) came on them. Everything that mankind proposed in the first half of Genesis eleven was disposed of in the second half of the chapter. What happened? “The Lord came down”! The sin of the Shinarites appeared to be immense pride. They said; “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves”. This was open rebellion against God, an independence of God. Humility is often equated with trust and obedience and pride is related to independence and disobedience. Here the people came together to strengthen themselves and in pride to make a reputation for themselves lest they be scattered over the face of the whole earth. This appeared to be in direct opposition to God’s command to spread out and fill up the whole earth (Gen. 9:1). What they would NOT do in obedience (scatter across the earth) God did for them in judgment (scattered them across the earth). What people considered their greatest strength (unity) He quickly destroyed by confusing their language! Ironically what they desired the most (a name for themselves) came about because they became known as “Babel” (meaning to mix). God’s plan WILL be accomplished, if not with man’s obedience, then IN SPITE of man’s disobedience. Wouldn’t it be better to have faith and let God have His way the first time around?
In Paul’s writings, Hebrews, the importance of faith was made apparent; however the thought of the writer is not complete until its value and worth are more fully considered. In concluding the previous warning section (Heb. 10), Paul touched on the theme of living by faith. Now he would explain in terms that his readers (and we) would fully appreciate, because it is faith that underlies the experiences of the heroes of Old Testament history. Since these people lived by faith then how much easier should it be for his readers and us today? Faith is being sure (rendered “being” in reference to God) and certain (from the verb “to prove or convince”) about unseen hopes and realities. Faith is also a way of viewing all experience since it is the way in which believers see the universe (the ages) for what it is; a creation by God. Faith wins acceptance and reward from God. Abel represents the righteous man whose acceptance before God was based on a superior sacrifice. Like Abel, the readers found acceptance before God on the basis of the better sacrifice of the New Covenant. Their unbelieving brethren, like Cain, found no such divine approval. Even death does not extinguish the testimony of a man like Abel.
Enoch, on the other hand, led the kind of life that pleased God since he walked by faith as should we. God does reward those who seek Him as proven by Noah, who became an heir of righteousness by faith. What he inherited was the new world after the flood and we might inherit “the new world to come”. Paul introduces a heroine of faith, Sarah, who was able to overlook the physical handicap of her age to become a fruitful mother. Since “she considered Him faithful who had promised” so should we (Heb. 10:23). Paul pointed out all the people that were still living by faith when they died, even if by that time they did not receive the things promised. By faith the old saints saw the promised from a distance and looked longingly for a country of their own (11:16), refusing to return to the land of bondage they had left. So too, we should turn our backs permanently on the worldly life we left, and refuse the opportunity to go back to any form of earthly pleasure. These words Paul spoke to his readers apply as well to Christians today. If we do this, like the patriarchs, we will be people with whom God would not be ashamed to be associated. We are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken! We are looking for the City that is to come! We will live with God eternally (Rev. 21:1-3)! The faithful saints are there and with a faith like theirs we too will enter into the Kingdom (Matt. 25:31-46). Like the song says; I’m working on a faith like that!