Hebrews 11:17

"By faith Abraham, when he was tried, (or tested) offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son," Now let's go back and look at it. That's in Genesis chapter 22, because a lot of these little things I think the average reader or even student, overlook, and they're pertinent, they're important. Now we've already stressed in the earlier programs this afternoon that Abraham was fifty years waiting for the promised son.

Of course, he and Sarah took things into their own hands, you remember, back when he was about 86 and they had Ishmael by way of the slave girl, Hagar. But see, God never recognized Ishmael as the promised son, because he wasn't. God had nothing to do with the birth of Ishmael. That was strictly in the flesh between Abraham and Sarah and the girl Hagar. But, the promised son wouldn't come for another fourteen years, which made a total then, as I said earlier, of about 50 years that Abraham was waiting for the son of promise, Isaac.


All right, but now Isaac is a young lad himself. And now after waiting 50 years for the lad to be born, enjoying his companionship for 17-18 years, now God tells him what? "Give him up to Me, as a sacrifice." That must have been horrendous. But remember, God was doing it for only one purpose. And what was it? To test Abraham's faith. My, you wouldn't think God would have had to test Abraham anymore - he'd already been tested for 50-some years. But, nevertheless, God is going to test the faith of this man of faith, Abraham, once again.


Genesis 22:1-2

"And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt (or test) Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. (now look at verse 2. Watch this carefully.) 2. And he said, Take now thy son, thine (what's the next word?) only son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; (present day Jerusalem) and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Goodness sakes, Ishmael is fourteen years older. But see, God never recognized Ishmael as a son. He was not the promised son, but rather the promised son was Isaac.