Members of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize another book of scripture
that contains additional stories from the life of Abraham. That book of scripture is called The Book of
Abraham and is contained in The Pearl of Great Price. Many of these stories help us know more about
the faith of Abraham, and I want to share a little of this history before going
into what I believe is the most famous example of faith Abraham gives us.
Abraham, who was
called Abram at the time, lived in Ur, the land of the Chaldeans, with his
family. He tells us his fathers turned
from God and started worshipping false gods.
This included offering up human sacrifices upon altars. Abraham knew the paths of God and decided to
pursue them. He sought for the
birthright blessing of the Holy Priesthood (the power of God given to righteous
men to serve the disciples of Christ).
He refused to worship the false gods of the land.
Because of this
Abram was taken to the altar to become a human sacrifice. He tells us that three virgins were offered
as sacrifices upon this altar at one time because they also refused to worship
the false gods. This alone shows the
faith of Abraham (and the three virgins).
He was willing to die because he loved Christ and believed it would be
better for him to die on the altar of false gods than to turn from Him.
When Abram was
bound and placed on the altar for sacrifice, he cried to God for help. Abram probably didn’t know God would deliver
him. In fact, he probably thought
chances were God wouldn’t deliver him, unless he had been given a blessing or
some other indication he wouldn’t be slain at this time. After all, for whatever wise purpose He had,
God had allowed the three virgins to be slain.
Why should He preserve the life of Abram?
But Abram knew
God had the power to deliver him, and he undoubtedly hoped God would. So he cried out in faith and hope to
God. This demonstrates great faith to me
as well. He wouldn’t deny God, but would
instead call upon Him when bound by those who would harm him because of his
faith.
God had plans for
Abram that didn’t include death, however.
So the heavens opened and Abram beheld a vision of Jehovah and the
angels of God. These angels released
him, and God gave to Abram great promises and covenants. Abram’s faith would carry him to even greater
covenants with God, and God would rename him Abraham.
If this was the
only story of faith Abraham would have to teach us, it would be enough. But Abraham lived a life of faith that gives
us so much more. He demonstrates faith
as he travels to foreign lands and faces kings and rulers. He demonstrates faith when he bargains with
Lot for a place to dwell. He
demonstrates faith when he later delivers Lot from foreign rulers. And he demonstrates faith when he pleads for
any that might be righteous in the forsaken lands of Sodom and Gomorrah.
But what appears
to be the most famous story of faith from the life of Abraham comes after Sarah
bears him her first child. Abraham had
longed to have children with Sarah, but none had been forthcoming. God finally sent angels to Abraham and Sarah
to promise them a son. Sarah, in her old
age, would give birth to that child and name him Isaac.
Then God asked of
Abraham the greatest sacrifice He could have asked. He asked Abraham to sacrifice his son
Isaac. Abraham had prayed, probably with
a great deal of fasting and pleading, for children from Sarah. God had finally given him one. And then God asked Abraham to sacrifice that
child.
Keep in mind that
we just talked about how Abraham was nearly offered to a false God as a human
sacrifice. He knew what it was like to
lie on an altar contemplating your death at the hands of another person. Now the One True God had asked Abraham to
place his son in the same position. But
it would be worse for Isaac, for his own father would be the one performing the
sacrifice!
Abraham would
have known this. He was no doubt torn
with heartache by this terrible request.
And he no doubt didn’t understand it. Our Heavenly Father was not a god of human
sacrifice. How could He ask for a human
sacrifice now? And why did it have to be
his son Isaac while Abraham performed the terrible task? This was the most difficult thing God could
have asked from Abraham.
Abraham knew God
well, however. He knew God wouldn’t ask
this of him without a reason. So there
had to be a purpose. This is why Abraham
prepared to sacrifice his son, a son he loved very much. He built the altar, bound Isaac, and lifted
the knife to slay him.
Now the truth is
God didn’t want Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
He has never been a god of human sacrifice, nor would He ever be. All God was doing was giving Abraham an
opportunity to prove to himself just how much he would give up for the Lord
God. God was building the character and
faith of this great man.
So when Abraham
had gone to the brink of slaying his son as commanded, God intervened and
stopped him. He commended Abraham’s
faith and provided an animal sacrifice for him.
Then God blessed Abraham for his great faith.
I can’t help but
marvel at this incredible faith. Abraham
was willing to sacrifice that which he loved most, the son he had waited years
for, because God asked him to do so. He
was also willing to do so in a manner he undoubtedly abhorred. This was because of his faith in God.
So this is the
lesson for us to learn. We should be
willing to sacrifice anything the One True God asks of us. Are you willing to give up that which you
hold most dear should God ask it of you?
For that matter, are you willing to give up the things that don’t matter
that much to you when God asks you to?
If the answer is no to either of these questions, what can be done to
help your faith grow so the answer becomes yes?
It’s time for you to find out and make the change.
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