Why did God order Abraham to sacrifice his son? If God is a God of love, how could he reward Abraham’s willingness to slaughter his only son? This sounds barbaric. This sounds evil. How could this be right?
In this article, I will deliver a perfect answer in regard to this question.
The answer begins with God’s covenant with Abraham. God had promised Abraham:
Genesis 15
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
But the story gets more involved from there; because Abraham eventually had two sons: Ishmael who was born by Hagar, and Isaac who was born by Sarah.
Is not Ishmael a son of Abraham according to the flesh? Why is it that God made Isaac the son of promise, but not Ishmael?
The reason for this is at minimum two-fold:
The first reason why the promise is through Isaac, is because this entire story serves as an allegory.
Ishmael was born after the flesh (works). We know this because instead of patiently waiting for God to give him the promise, Abraham turned to his own efforts to bring God’s promise to fruition. Much like how Adam hearkened unto his wife Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:17) Abraham hearkened unto the reasoning of his wife:
Genesis 16
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Just like the lie of the serpent in the garden, Sarah spoke to Abraham out of the imagination of her own heart. Which was a lie, because what she said goes against God’s word. God did not restrain her from bearing. It was merely not yet time for Isaac to be born. But Abraham hearkened unto his wife, and Ishmael was born as a result.
Later, Isaac was born according to the original promise of God:
Genesis 17
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
God’s promise was to make Abraham the father of many nations through Isaac, and Isaac specifically. Not Ishmael, or any other possible child.
This is because Isaac represents the grace of God, which is made effectual by faith. And Ishmael represents the works of the law, which is always unsatisfactory.
Let us quickly look at Galatians for the official explanation of this allegory:
Galatians 4
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Hagar is the bondwoman, and her children are born into bondage (works). Which is also why she is an Egyptian, because Egypt is a symbol of works and bondage. This is also true because Ishmael was born after the works of the flesh. He was born because Abraham doubted God’s ability to bring the original promise in Genesis 15 to fruition. And we know that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). And so, Abraham’s attempt to “help” God is sin, because it is rooted in doubt; and Ishmael’s conception is the fruit of that doubt.
But Sarah is the free-woman, and her children are free. Isaac was born by promise through Sarah. And the promise was 100% by grace. This is because Abraham and Sarah could never bear children in their old age, even if they tried. Even with their best efforts and strategies (their best works) and even when they finally resorted to using a surrogate mother, the result was still unsatisfactory (Genesis 16:5). Our best works amount to nothing. It was only when God did the impossible that Isaac was born. Isaac’s conception was physically/literally a miracle, made by grace through faith in God’s promise.
And this story is not about merited favor or moral superiority either. There is nothing good about Sarah. In fact, she was the one that doubted God, and provoked Abraham to doubt God’s initial promise in the first place (Genesis 16:2). And when Ishmael was born through Hagar according to Sarah’s desire, Sarah turned around dealt harshly with Hagar (Genesis 16:6). And then in Genesis 21, she demanded both Hagar and Ishmael be cast out.
Genesis 21
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
And God allows this to happen because he using the events in their lives to preach the gospel. The gospel which is by grace through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Galatians 3
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
And grace is mutually exclusive to works. They cannot coexist.
Romans 11
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Isaac represents grace. Ishmael represents works. These two are contrary and they cannot both receive the same inheritance. Therefore, God suffered Sarah to put out Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21:12.
Galatians 4
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
And even though God uses these people as object lessons, God still showed mercy to Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness:
Genesis 21
17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
God cast them out not because he wanted to deal treacherously with them, but primarily because God is preaching the gospel: Salvation is by grace through faith in God’s promise. Not of works. Their lives merely served as object lessons for that gospel.
Romans 4
1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
But those under the curse of the law are children of Hagar; Ishmaelites, because they have not believed the promise of God.
Romans 4
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Those that are of the law are bound to keep the whole law perfectly. For it is written:
Deuteronomy 27
26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
And again:
James 2
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
And so that is the first reason why God made the covenant with Isaac rather than Ishmael. It’s because Isaac represents the miraculous (perfect) grace of God, while Ishmael represents the unsatisfactory (imperfect) works of man.
The second reason why God fulfilled his covenant with Abraham through Isaac (and not through Ishmael) happens to also be the answer to the original question posed at the very beginning of the article:
Why did God order Abraham to sacrifice his son? And how could a good God command this abomination?
And child sacrifice is an abomination to God, for it is written:
2 Chronicles 28
3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.
And the answer is this:
God commanded Abraham to kill Isaac in order to perfect his faith.
WARNING: Be sure to read the rest of this article in its entirety before jumping to conclusions (Please try to set aside whatever baggage that you have against the apparent barbarism of sacrificing a child).
Just focus on the logistics:
When God demanded Isaac to be sacrificed, Abraham was immediately struck with a dilemma: How could God make him a father of many nations through Isaac (as promised) if Isaac were killed?
Because God said:
Genesis 17
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
And again:
Genesis 21
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Remember how particular God was with his covenant? His covenant is with Isaac, and Isaac alone. Not any other child of Abraham (because salvation is by grace alone; i.e. Isaac represents grace as established earlier).
But a few years later, God said:
Genesis 22
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
Is God a liar? How can this be? The answer is given to us in scripture: comparing spiritual things with spiritual (1 Corinthian 2:13).
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.
Verse 19 is the answer. Abraham believed God, so much so, that he accounted God able to raise Isaac up from the dead (if need be) in order to fulfill that original promise. We can see this because at this point, Isaac was Abraham’s only son. Remember Genesis 21? God honored Sarah’s request to have Hagar and Ishmael cast out. And so, by Genesis 22, Isaac was Abraham’s only possible heir.
And God allowed this so that Abraham could not, in his mind, resort back to Ishmael as a possible heir. So, there was no other solution in Abraham’s mind; no solution other than the gospel:
That if God would require this of his hand, God would be forced (by His Word) to raise Isaac up from the dead, in accordance with the covenant. There is no other option, because this word came forth out of God’s own mouth:
“And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.”
Therefore, God cannot lie. He has to raise Isaac up from the dead if Abraham were to follow through with this sacrifice. For it is written. “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips” (Psalm 89:34).
Hebrews 6
17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
The God that Abraham believes in is The Perfect God. The only Perfect God. He does not make mistakes. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).
Abraham always knew this, and he authenticates the voice of God by his “highness” (omnipotence). Look at how God introduces Himself to Abraham:
Genesis 17
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
I am the Almighty. Not a mighty, but the Almighty. Which is to say: I AM, that I AM (Exodus 3:14).
This means that He is the highest, the ultimate, He is the very definition, foundation, and benchmark of all good things. And as such, He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). This is the only God that Abraham acknowledges. And this ultimate God is the qualitative infinite, He is not at all personally affected by any of our actions.
Job 35
5 Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?
Nothing is the answer to each of the questions in Job 35 above. Our sins are nothing to God, and our best works are as nothing to God. If God wants to bless us, there is nowhere that we can go, and nothing that we can do that could get in God’s way. “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there” (Psalm 139:8). And if God were to set His mind to punish us, there is no where we could hide. You could build a tall tower of Babel, and it would all be for nought. “Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord” (Obediah 1:4).
We can’t build our way up to God in heaven, nor can we dig ourselves away from God in Hell. And if this perfect God were to respond favorably toward you, it’s out of sheer grace. You could never work your way up to a point where God must respect you, nor could you distance yourself so far away that He could not reach you.
Romans 10
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If you could somehow muster up an effort that could affect God, then that god that you have in mind is very fallible. Very low indeed. Very reachable. Very impressionable. And that means you “changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man” (Romans 1:23). But our God is not reached by the strength of men’s hands. Our God is the rock and is not im-pressed one way or another.
Deuteronomy 32
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
We have the Almighty God.
1 Timothy 6
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
That is why when Abraham thought to assist God by having a child through Hagar, he dishonored God. Because He is God, He does not need our help, nor does He need our simpleton ideas and solutions. Any attempt on our end to try to help Almighty God is oxymoronic, a contradiction in terms, and is also blasphemy. And to consider our sin so filthy that God Almighty himself is not able to wash us clean is even more blasphemous.
Therefore, God is the ultimate.
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
God is the absolute. That is why David said “according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies” which are everlasting. When God does things, he does them thoroughly, perfectly, and absolutely.
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
That is why when God offers us redemption, it is a perfect redemption that never changes.
James 1
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Jeremiah 17
12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.
13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.
14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
Any other “god” that requires things from our hand could not possibly be the Almighty.
Because the Almighty God is the greatest conceivable being. And a God that requires nothing from us (Jesus Christ) is more perfect than a god that is lacking, and that desires things from our pauper hands.
This understanding is formally recognized in academia as the ontological argument for the existence of God:
(1) God is a being greater than which none can be conceived — or, for short, the greatest conceivable being or the most perfect conceivable being (from the meaning of the term ‘God’ even as atheists use it)
(2) Suppose, then, for the sake of argument, that this greatest conceivable being existed only as a concept in the mind and not in reality (assumption for reductio ad absurdum)
(3) In that case, we could conceive of a greater being, namely one that existed both as a concept in the mind and also in reality (premise)
(4) But then the being we began with (the greatest conceivable being) wouldn’t be the greatest conceivable being after all — a contradiction (from 2 and 3)
(5) Therefore, if a being is (to qualify as) the greatest conceivable being, it must exist not only as a concept in the mind but also in reality (from 2, 3, and 4)
(6) Therefore, the greatest conceivable being exists in reality.
(7) But the greatest conceivable being is God (from 1)
(8) Therefore, God exists (from 6 and 7)
Abraham apprehended all these things of God. Abraham grabbed hold of the Almighty by faith. And Abraham contemplated these things as he went up to the mount to offer up Isaac.
Genesis 22
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Amen Abraham. God really did provide a sacrifice, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 John 2
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Just as Abraham offered up his son, his only son, which he loved, so would God with Jesus Christ.
John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And because God is the greatest conceivable being, He had already provided all things. Even a sacrifice. Therefore, God withheld Abraham’s hand from slaying the boy.
Genesis 22
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
And just as Abraham said to Isaac, God provided for himself a sacrifice.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
And God still did not lie to Abraham. Because Abraham did, in fact, offer up his son that day. That ram which was caught in the thicket was Jesus Christ, the seed of Abraham.
Galatians 3
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
And Abraham was the first man to lift “up his eyes, and looked, and behold” the ram which was already there behind him. Because Jesus Christ is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). And every person who is spiritually born into the family of God follows in his footsteps. Even in the book of Numbers, Moses made a brazen serpent such that “every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live” (Numbers 21:8). “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). This is because God “hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore is that mount called “Moriah,” because if you look, you will live.
Psalm 123
1 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
A ram is a male lamb, matured with horns; which symbolizes the body of Christ.
Hebrews 10
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
And just as the ram’s horns were caught in the thorny thicket, so was Christ’s head pierced with a crown of thorns.
Isaiah 53
5 …he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
After Abraham was finished, God spoke to him:
Genesis 22
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
That seed of Abraham is Jesus Christ.
Acts 13
23 Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
30 But God raised him from the dead:
31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.
32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Jesus Christ rose from the dead the third day, being perfect.
Hebrews 5
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Hebrews 10
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
And when we believe on Him, we are made partakers of his inheritance.
Ephesians 1
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
That is why “Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” (Genesis 22:14). And God has provided us a ram, not just a lamb, but a fully mature ram. Which is to say, our salvation is fully complete. Consider it as good as done, even if we cannot yet presently see it with our eyes. Jehovahjireh: In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
Ephesians 4
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Hosea 6
1 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord:
And so that is the end of the second reason as to why God would bless Abraham through Isaac, and not Ishmael. It is so that God could present a seemingly impossible scenario that would test Abraham’s faith to the max. So that Abraham would have perfect knowledge of Christ.
Jeremiah 17
10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Malachi 3
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
Abraham is a branch in the Lord, because he had already believed God’s promise to have a son. And knowing that it is impossible for God to lie, Abraham had to abandon his doubt when he was tested. He took hold of perfect faith that is rooted in The Perfect God; against all apparent odds.
John 15
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
And this pruned him, so that his faith increased. Abraham now knows that even if Isaac were killed, God would still raise up children through Isaac.
John 11
25 …I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
God’s command to sacrifice Isaac was to the ultimate end that Abraham’s faith might be made perfect.
James 2
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
We too should do the works of Abraham. We too should believe God with the impossible. We should all believe that we are saved, no matter what.
Think of our perfect God. Think of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the express image his person (Hebrews 1:3). This is the God that is utterly perfect. How could a finite being such as ourselves (that are prone to sin in the flesh) take hold of this God? He is perfect, we are imperfect. He is eternal, our bodies are temporal. He is without spot or blemish, we are filthy. He is omniscient, we are ignorant. He is omnipotent, we are weak.
John 8
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
How could a worm ever take hold of this God? It is impossible by our earthly strength. Can finite dwell with the infinite? That is impossible, it would be a contradiction in terms.
James 3
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
Isaiah 41
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
And it is impossible for God to “help” in vain. When the Lord Jesus Christ does something, it is to the uttermost.
Hebrews 7
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
The only way to take hold of God is by perfect strength. And there is only 1 source of “perfect anything,” and that is from God. That is why God prepared for himself a perfect way. A perfect sacrifice. Which is by pure grace through faith, and not by works.
Malachi 3
1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.
6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore you are saved, and can never perish. Jesus Christ is the God of the unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost, all that come to him.
Luke 12
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
Remove from yourself any consideration whatsoever of your own flesh. When you do this, you are purged and refined.
Be like Abraham, who did not even consider the deadness of his aged body, nor the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. He hoped against hope that he would be made a father of many nations according to the word of God:
Romans 4
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
And once Abraham had fully trusted God, in this manner, his work was done. Our work is the same assignment given to Abraham. Our work is to really believe God, no matter what. Do not even consider the sins of the flesh, they are of no consequence.
As it says in John 6:
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
What about Jesus should we believe?
John 5
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 6
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Because I have the Almighty God, I could never sin so bad that God would fail to deliver on his promise; to think otherwise is blasphemy. Once you have believed on God, you are saved and there is nothing that could undo that. Because this is God’s doing, and God is mighty.
Zephaniah 3
17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
1 Peter 1
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 John 3
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Revelation 21
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Revelation 22
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Closing Thoughts
That is why God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It’s so that we may know that:
Whosoever believes on God, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes on Him shall never die.
It’s as if Isaac’s death isn’t even possible.
Even if Abraham could shoot himself in the foot, so to speak, and slay Isaac; even then, it is impossible for God to fail to deliver on His promise. There is nothing that Abraham could do, that could stop Almighty God. Likewise, it is impossible for us to get in the way of God saving us, once we have accepted Christ.
We should always trust the word of God above everything else, even our own clumsy and limited apprehension of morality. Do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because it brings forth death. I will be posting another article on the purpose of the law, God’s seemingly arbitrary commands in Deuteronomy/Leviticus, and the effects thereof through time.
In particular, I will continue to prove how no matter what, we are saved. And that no matter what God commands, it is rooted in His perfect character; being the greatest conceivable being that exists, necessarily.
Trust the Almighty above everything else.
Proverbs 3
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Jude 1
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Noah lived 950 years. I disagree that Abraham and Sarah had any valid reason to believe that Sarah was barren. In fact, Noah’s son Shem was alive during much of Abraham’s life. Furthermore, Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born. I assume that Eve was also 130 years old.