Faith and Obedience

Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar.  While living there as a foreigner, Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.”  So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace. [Genesis 20.1-2]

It appears here that Abraham's deception about Sarah was of his own doing.  And, in his defense, the test with Isaac was not at all Abraham's idea but God's.  So, while Abraham certainly had something going with this repeated presentation of Sarah as his sister, it can in no way be grouped together (as crazy) with the offering of Isaac as a sacrifice.

Although this still really clears nothing up, it does leave room for a huge object lesson about obedience.  The fact is, had Abraham failed the test, Isaac would have not been killed (as that in itself would have been Abraham's failure).  God knew all along what His own intentions were - He knew all along that He Himself would indeed provide a lamb.  But He needed to see what level of obedience Abraham would display - and instructing Abraham to offer his only son was the only way to determine that level of obedience ...and faith.

I still have no idea how to absorb all of this in contemporary times, because, well... number one, I am not THAT sure I hear God's voice and instruction.  Secondly, even going through with such an ordeal partially would land a person, at best, in an insane asylum.

What I get from all this is that I need to be sure I am hearing God.  Then, subsequently, I need to be sure I am willing to obey no matter what it could potentially cost me (and therein lies faith).

THEN...

In the NT reading today this verse struck me:

Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. [Matthew 7.20]

There you have it.  Abraham's actions (in the incident with Isaac) identified him as a man of unfaltering obedience and unwavering faith.

Ironically Jesus goes on to say in Matthew that the actions people 'think' identify them and the actions that 'actually' identify them are two separate things.  Good deeds - even mighty miracles - do not identify a person as God's.  KNOWING GOD identifies a person as God's!

Back to Abraham - he knew God!  He knew God so well in fact that he even told Isaac, "God will provide the lamb."  Abraham's later actions were prefaced with faith!

Whoa.  Wow.  Amen.

Father, when people look at my life can they see that I know You (that question is not really for You but for me)?  Are my actions prefaced with faith?