1. What was the character of Abraham? "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." (Genesis 26:5)
2. Were his early associations favorable to the formation of such a character? "And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor; and they served other gods." (Joshua 24:2)
3. For what reason was Abraham counted righteous? "For what says the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3)
4. What will true faith do? "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love." (Galatians 5:6)
"For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:4)
5. What did the Lord do to test Abraham's faith? "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Behold, here I am. And He said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of." (Genesis 22:1)
6. How did Abraham obey? "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him." (Genesis 22:3)
7. How long did they travel before they came to the place? "Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off." (Genesis 22:4)
8. What did Isaac say to his father as they were going together to the place of sacrifice? "And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said, My father; and he said, Here I am, my son. And he said: Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (Genesis 22:7)
9. What was Abraham's reply? "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together." (Genesis 22:8)
10. When they came to the place what did Abraham do? "And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood." (Genesis 22:9)
11. How far did he proceed toward slaying Isaac? "And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son." (Genesis 22:10)
12. How was he prevented from completing the sacrifice? "And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here I am. And He said, Lay not your hand upon the lad, neither do any thing unto him." (Genesis 22:11-12)
13. What did the angel of the Lord say was now proved? "For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me." (Genesis 22:12)
14. How were Abraham's words, that God would provide himself a lamb, fulfilled? "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." (Genesis 22:13)
15. What promise did the Lord make because Abraham had done this? "And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, for because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son; that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice." (Genesis 22:15-18)
16. What made this a peculiarly strong test of Abraham's faith? Isaac was Abraham's only son (Genesis 22:2); there was no earthly hope that he could ever have another; and more than all, God had promised that his numerous seed should come through Isaac. (Hebrews 11:17-18)
17. What did Abraham believe that God was able to do? "Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." (Hebrews 11:19)
18. What did this act prove concerning Abraham's faith? "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Do you see how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" (James 2:21-22)
19. What wonderful title did Abraham thus gain? "And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called the Friend of God." (James 2:23)
20. Who may share this blessing? "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Galatians 3:9)
The question that troubles many people is, How can it be true that: "A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law, " (Romans 3:28) and also that: "By works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24)
This question is answered in the case of Abraham, as cited above. In the first instance he was justified by simple faith, without works. Works could not have entered into that justification. Afterwards when he offered Isaac, he was justified by works, but, let it never be forgotten, that work was the outcome of his faith; it was the evidence of perfected faith. If it had not been for Abraham's faith, he never would have performed that work.
"Faith wrought with his works." (James 2:22)
That is, faith made use of works, to show that it was not dead, but was in active existence. So faith is necessarily first. There cannot be works that will justify, without underlying faith. A man is justified by works, and not by faith only, simply because "faith without works is dead." (James 2:20)
And so if he has "faith only," unaccompanied by works, it is not real faith at all. Yet whatever good works are manifested in a man's life, must be the result of faith; and thus it is true that: "The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17)--Signs of the Times, March 23, 1888--Lesson 14 - Sabbath, April 7--Genesis 22:1-18.
E.J. Waggoner