Read
17It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18though God had promised him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19Abraham assumed that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.
20It was by faith that Isaac blessed his two sons, Jacob and Esau. He had confidence in what God was going to do in the future.
21It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.
22And it was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, confidently spoke of God’s bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt. He was so sure of it that he commanded them to carry his bones with them when they left!
Reflect
Have you ever been so certain of something even to the point that everyone else thought you were crazy? I have had that experience on more than one occasion. One time was when I met my wife. I knew, from the moment I met her that she would be my wife. We went separate ways, we didn’t really stay in contact but yet, I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that she would be my wife. Eight years after we met, we married through very unusual circumstances that neither of us can quite explain except that I always knew we would get married.
Abraham knew that God didn’t lie yet here he was preparing to sacrifice his only son because God told him to. If Isaac was the son through whom his descendants would be counted, Abraham just assumed that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Any rational person would think Abraham was crazy but his faith in God allowed him to find joy in serving God even if it meant sacrificing his only son.
Respond
Have you ever had to sacrifice something to please God?
Have you ever questioned something you knew God wanted you to do?
Are you as confident in your future as Joseph was?
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