Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 16:22:03 -0600
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (Jan. 8); BP: Heb. 11; RBTTY: Mt. 6:19-34; Gen. 20-22
January 8 “Faith’s Hope”
“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac. And he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘That in Isaac shall your seed be called’—accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure.”
Hebrews 11:17-19
Resurrection faith is not a “hope in the sky-by-and-by” faith; it is “taking God’s Word to the bank” and resting in Who He is and What He has promised (Heb. 11:6).
Abraham was no banker. He was a nomadic Pilgrim, going where God led, even though he didn’t know where that’d lead (Heb. 11:8). Yet, today’s Manna reminds us that he knew the importance of depositing your trust in the One Who created Heaven and earth. . .which is “anointed accounting.” Hallelujah!!
You have to be living by faith if you’re going to pack up everything and move to a “strange country” (Heb. 11:9) when you’re 75-years-old (Gen. 12:4). Likewise, even though your faith will be tested along the way. . .and at times you’ll still succumb to fleshly doubts and plans (Gen. 16:1-14; 17:17-18). . .ultimately your faith will remain strong because you know your Friend is faithful (James 2:21-23).
There’s no doubt that Abraham was walking by faith that day when the Lord God told him to take his son—his “only-begotten son,” the “child of promise” (Gal. 4:21-31)—and offer him up as a sacrifice (Gen. 22:1-18). Other cultures practiced such child sacrifice on a routine basis as offerings to their pagan gods.
But, why would the one true-and-living God demand such of faithful Abraham?
We can only answer, “Because He is God” and leave it at that.
Plus, today’s Manna also sheds some much-needed light on the situation and shows this was a time of testing for Abraham. The Greek word “peirazo” is used here for “tried” and basically means “to test (objectively), to thoroughly examine, scrutinize, prove, assay, pierce, etc.” It’s the same word used in I Pet. 1:6 for “temptations” and represents the “fiery furnaces” we go through in our faith’s transformation into 24-karat status (I Pet. 1:7).
In Abraham’s case, we find the reason why he’s referred to as “the father of faith” and used as the primary example (other than Jesus) for us to follow (Gal. 3:6, 10-14). He knew God had promised to “bless all nations THROUGH ISAAC” (Gen. 21:12). Thus, through “righteous reasoning” and “spiritual speculation” he concluded that God would “raise Isaac from the dead” if he was sacrificed as an offering to God. Talk about “resurrection hope”! Glory!!
Oh, dear Pilgrim, do you operate in that same hope? When you can’t see which way to go, do you remember to “see that which is not and call it so” (Heb. 11:1; II Cor. 4:16-5:8)? If so, then you, like Abraham, know that our journey here is but “shadows” compared to the eternal Reality that awaits us in His Presence. We shall not fear—not even in the “valley of the shadow of death” (Ps. 23:4a), for “He is with us” (v.4b) and a shadow reminds us there is a Light somewhere. So, live in hope, dear Pilgrim—always “pressing on” and always “looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith” (Phil. 3:10-13; Heb. 12:1-2).
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