Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
Hebrews 11:19
I don’t how or where it started, but there’s an idea out there that says you either are a thinking person or a person of faith. Everyone’s a person who uses reasoning to live their life or not. You’re one or the other. There’s nothing in between. You either use facts, logic, and reasoning or you don’t.
And oh, by the way, if you don’t use reasoning, then you’re not very smart. You’re not an intelligent person like everyone who uses reasoning. You’re less important and valuable then the thinking people.
Just so you know, some of the smartest people to ever live believed in God. Albert Einstein believed in the God “who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists[1]. God is a "lawgiver" who sets the laws of the universe[2]. Sir Isaac Newton, who is often called the father of physics said, “God is the same God, always and everywhere. He is omnipresent not virtually only, but also substantially, for virtue cannot subsist without substance.[3]”
So, when the writer brings up Abraham and his faith, he’s not talking about some country bumkin. Abraham was an intelligent and successful man. Because Abraham had faith in God, he took that faith and thought about it. He had choices to make about what God said and how he was going to respond.
God’s nature. Abraham knew who God was. He’s the creator of not just the universe somewhere out there, but also his personal creator and savior. This is a whole lot more than just a list of facts he picked up on a Google search. He looked at creation and saw God in it all[4].
God’s actions in the past. Remember that Abraham wasn’t looking for God. He wasn’t some spiritual thrill seeker who was searching for spiritual truth. God showed up all on his own and spoke to him about starting a whole new life together.
God was faithful. From the time that God first spoke to Abraham, God was faithful. Through all the ups and downs of life. Through all the victories and failures, God never left him. God never abandoned him. God kept all his promises for all those years.
God will be faithful. Because God had never let him down, Abraham was willing to trust God with this great big ask. While the test was huge, Abrahem was willing to put everything on the line. He was willing to risk his family and future on God being exactly who he said he was.
With this test, Abraham was faithful even before he offered Isaac on the altar. In Abraham’s mind, he’d already sacrificed his only son. We know this through his obedience of God in the preparation and trip. And there’s his answer to Isaac about where the lamb for the burnt offering was coming from.
God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.
Genesis 22:8
The test of Abraham’s faith started before there was any visible evidence of God’s faithful answer. Think of it like this: Abraham went forward in faith, fully expecting to offer Isaac. And with the same faith, he fully expected God to raise Isaac from the dead. In Abraham’s faith, there was no difference between God giving them Isaac as a baby and God raising him out of the burnt sacrifice ashes.
Abraham had God’s promised that he would give him a family through Isaac. And that family would become a great nation[5]. Ther would be so many people in his family that they would be as numerous as dust[6]. And as numerous as the stars in the sky[7]. So, the logical answer is to have faith in God.
Think of it like this. We’re driving along in our car and a traffic light turns yellow. What do you do? Do you bow your head and ask God what to do? No. Because you already know what the yellow light means, you make a decision. If it’s safe, you keep going through the intersection. If there’s any question or doubt, or if there’s a police car behind you, you always, always, always slow down and stop.
Faith was never meant to be thought of as jumping off a cliff. Abraham didn’t jump off a cliff. Instead, he trusted the God who had been faithful. The personal God who made and kept his promises. The great creator God who not only made the universe, but personally filled our deepest need through the death of Jesus on the cross. Because he paid for all our sins, we can run to him as our loving Heavenly Father. This is the ultimate example of reasoning and faith.
Noodling Questions
Why do people think that we have to unplug our brains to have faith?
Give three examples of God’s faithfulness to you.
How can we increase our life of faith each and every day? Give examples.
[1] The Ultimate Quotable Einstein. Princeton University Press. p. 325
[2] Einstein and the poet: in search of the cosmic man. Brookline Village: Branden. p. 60
[3] Isaac Newton’s Twelve Articles on God and Christ, Kings College, Cambridge
[4] Romans 1:20
[5] Genesis 12:2
[6] Genesis 13:16
[7] Genesis 15:5
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