The Biblical Account of Isaac and Abraham - Essay Example

Religion paper The biblical account of Isaac and Abraham is an inspiring illustration of faith and obedience to God. It shows the readiness of an individual to give up everything that he loves in order to please his Maker. Christians can learn that God requires them to have total and unwavering faith in Him. By asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son, God was testing the faith of Abraham to see if he was willing to sacrifice that which he loved the most. Abraham was ready to obey God at any cost. Abraham had lived to a very old age and had been childless for many years. He had unwavering faith that God would give him offspring and his belief and trust in God was rewarded. God instructed Abraham to go up the mountain with his son and then lay him on the altar and sacrifice him. This story clearly illustrates to believers the importance of faith and works. Many of the believers claim to have faith in God, but they are required to prove it in actions. As human beings, God tests us in different ways, but ultimately we have to overcome the test by focusing our faith and trust in God. This story also teaches believers that God wants them to make Him their priority and focus on obeying all His commands. Abraham understood all this because he knew that God had given him a son at his advanced age of over 90 years. With the same faith, he was ready to sacrifice that one and only Son in order to please God (Roshwald 15). Abraham was ready to obey God because he knew that God had made a covenant with him. He knew that it was important to trust God with his whole life. He treasured Isaac more than everything else and God knew that this was where his strength and hopes all rested. When God instructed him to offer his one most treasured possession as a sacrifice, He knew that this was the very one thing, which Abraham loved. Abraham did not question God; rather he obeyed the command of God. This shows believers that obedience to God must come first without questioning. Abraham taught believers the importance of reverence to God. Total respect and surrender to the Creator to the point of surrendering everything they have to Him. God validated His covenant with Abraham because he knew that Abraham had totally surrendered his life to Him. This story also reveals to believers the divine providence of God. When Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son, God stopped him as he was about to kill him. This happened just after he tied and took a knife to slay his son (Roshwald 17). However, the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven and called him by his name, which Abraham then replied back. The angel instructed him not to do anything to the boy. The angel proceeded to tell him that his fear of the Lord had been demonstrated. After these words of the angel, Abraham saw a ram tied in the thicket. The recording of these accounts is in Genesis 22:10-13. When God told Abraham not to kill Isaac, he was perplexed because he had no sacrifice to offer. Abraham had shown faith in God and was rewarded for a sacrifice in the form of a ram. This clearly illustrates to believers that God always provides for those who obey him and have faith in him. God always provided for Abraham because he valued his relationship with Him. Whenever God asked Abraham to do something, he obeyed without questioning. In turn, God provided for all the needs of Abraham. This story also reveals to believers how God uses those who totally trust him and obey all his commands. God elevated Abraham to be the Father of Nations because of His relationship with him. All the promises, which God gave Abraham were linked with the relationship that they had. When Abraham passed the test, which God had put for him, then all the promises that God had given Abraham became effective in his life. God’s fulfillment of His promise was linked to Abraham’s obedience to the covenant. When God needs to use a person for any reason, he will put that individual through trials and tribulations in order to test his faith. Abraham’s faith was tremendously tested by God’s demand to him to sacrifice his only son. Abraham chose to obey God and through his obedience, he opened the doors for the blessings of God in his life. The ultimate test of sacrificing his son was meant to see if Abraham was ready to receive the abundant blessings, which God had prepared for him. When Abraham obeyed and trusted God, the promises of God became effective in his life, and the doors of blessings opened. Through the story of Isaac and his father, Abraham, believers learn that God wants to take complete control of their lives. Abraham loved and feared God, and he was prosperous because he let God control every aspect of his life. This story shows any believer the importance of letting God take control of his or her life. God explains the good plans that he has for those that obey and respect his commands. The recording of the mentioned account is in verse eleven of Jeremiah twenty-nine. Thus, prosperity comes when believers let God control their lives. Abraham understood that God would give him all that he needed if he put all his trust in him and obeyed him. That explains why he did devote his life to obeying God’s commands. Through his willingness to sacrifice his son in order to please God, Abraham demonstrated his total surrender to God’s will. Even when his wife Sarah repeatedly questioned his faith in God and doubted the credibility of his actions, Abraham chose to ignore this and focus all his attention on following the commands of God (Roshwald 20). The life of Abraham is a clear illustration to believers how obedience to God and faith in Him will lead to the fulfillment of His will in their lives. Work Cited Roshwald, Mordecai. "Two Dialogues of Abraham with God." Modern Age 55.1/2 (2013): 13-21. Professional Development Collection. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. Read More