By: Obed Pineda
It is curious how often nature lends its voice to reveal truths about life. For example, when we fix our gaze on the waves of the sea, we learn about the unpredictability of life. Like the tides of the sea, life is full of highs and lows experienced by all of human existence. In several instances, in a blink of an eye, everything can change. Sometimes for the best; sometimes for the worse. What is certain is that one can never truly be prepared for life’s unpredictable surprises, but that does not mean that one must be negligent. The wise man that is constantly aware of how quickly life can turn is always diligently watching, preparing to adjust adequately for what may come. His wisdom is reflected in his use of foresight, properly analyzing the possible outcomes of whatever journey he embarks on. He weighs his options well and makes the best of time and resources. Irrefutably, a precious talent gained through many experiences in his life. Indeed, the inspired James concurs with this assessment as he exhorts, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:3-4, emphasis added). It is wise to understand that James is referring to endurance and steadfastness when he speaks of patience. Thus, what the inspired penman is teaching, is that life’s trials solidifies a man’s faith. It makes it stronger through knowledge and durable through wisdom. The knowledge stemming from the memory of a past experience, but the wisdom by learning how to appropriately apply that life lesson at the moment. A man whose faith has grown in endurance will not easily be shaken when life’s trials arrive. This was, indeed, the Master’s promise in His conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount as He promulgated, “whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25, emphasis added). It cannot be denied that Holy Writ has truthfully exemplified this in the life of Abraham. Verily, Abraham has survived a great famine, the threat of a king, a civil war, and the destruction of the cities of the plain. In every circumstance, the Bible has shown us how Abraham has grown and matured spiritually. For this reason, when the time came that God determined to test Abraham, James’ words are proven true in the most excellent of ways. We have learned that the Lord’s purpose for testing Abraham one final time was to confirm if his trust was still fully on God or not. Let us recall that Isaac was not the promise that God made to Abraham, but rather the instrument that would be used for that purpose. The apostle Paul verifies this as he explains, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16, emphasis added). It is undeniable that Isaac was not the Christ since the promise He was to fulfill was “In you all the nations shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, Galatians 3:8). Therefore, Isaac was solely a vital part of the path that led to Jesus, Who is the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham. We mentioned in the previous treatise that one must carefully consider what the sacred text is saying concerning Isaac. Once more, observe that it was told to Abraham, “In Isaac your seed shall be called” (Genesis 21:12, Hebrews 11:18, emphasis added). Therefore, it was made clear to the father of faith that Isaac was not the completion of the promise, but a means to reach that promise. For this reason, it was vital to test if Abraham understood this by removing from him the one in whom his seed would be called. In other words, would Abraham’s faith in the promises of God crumble once Isaac had been removed? Had his faith been solidly forged to where He trusted in God’s promises regardless of whether Isaac lived or died? Holy Writ unveils, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense” (Hebrews 11:17-19, emphasis added). When comparing Abraham’s reaction in this trial to the many that came before it, it is unquestionable that his faith was truly complete. It is imperative to notice that the Bible is teaching us that Abraham’s faith had increased and developed so well, that he now was able to believe in the impossible! Not that resurrection is impossible, but that it was unheard of in the lifetime of Abraham. Never prior to Abraham had any of his forefathers ever even considered the possibility of bringing the dead back to life. Yet, Abraham was sure that God could achieve this. His faith and reliance upon God were so deeply rooted, that the Hebrew scribe makes it a point to illuminate that in Abraham’s heart, he had already sacrificed his only begotten son. His determination to give to the Lord that which He had asked prompted God to use His angel to stop Abraham before it was too late (Genesis 22:11-12). It is fair also to mention that Sarah’s faith had fully developed as well. Although Scripture does not mention anything directly about her in this instance, it does so by the reality that Abraham took with him the lad. In other words, she did not oppose Abraham in taking Isaac to Moriah to be sacrificed and thus proving her trust in God as well. A typical expression that is usually used to demonstrate how much one trusts a person is, “I trust him with my life.” Incredibly, Abraham and Sarah have one better because their trust in Jehovah God radiated the moment they did not hesitate to offer Isaac’s life upon the altar, per God’s command. A faith that had been forged so well because Abraham learned to have “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Witnessing the insurmountable trust that Abraham was able to gain in the Lord God, it becomes abundantly clear why the Almighty calls this man His friend.