When Faith Costs Everything
Genesis 22:15–19 (NASB95)
15Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” 19So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba.
This was a hard commentary for me to write. That is for a few reasons. I will share two. First, I think that this will be a new realization for many, and you might at first say, “No way! That can’t be right!” If that is your response, I invite you to reread the verses. What do the verses actually say? Second, it brings up pain from my own past.
God spoke to Abraham after Abraham demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice Isaac. The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time and confirmed the covenant with an oath. God promised Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars and the sand. He said Abraham’s offspring would possess the gates of their enemies. Through Abraham’s line, all nations would be blessed. This promise was not just for Abraham’s family. It was for the whole world. God’s blessing would reach every nation through Abraham’s obedience once the Messiah arrives.
But there is a more powerful lesson in these verses that I want to share with you. And the lesson is this: faith can be costly.
Did you note where Abraham settles after the binding of Isaac? He travels to and remains at Beersheba (22:19). Why is this significant? Because Sarah is not in Beersheba. Sarah is in Hebron (23:2), about a 30-mile walk from Abraham. After the binding of Isaac, the next major narrative we will read in chapter 23 is the death of Sarah. As we will see, Abraham has to travel to Hebron upon the death of his beloved wife Sarah (23:2). The Torah/Old Testament seems to point to the fact that Sarah could not take what Abraham did to Isaac, and they lived separately after that event until the death of Sarah.
Faith can be costly. Obedience to our Lord can be costly. This is the lesson. And the lesson is recorded for us.
This separation points to the deep pain that followed Abraham’s obedience. Sarah had once asked Abraham to send away Ishmael, an action that greatly disturbed Abraham (21:11). But when Abraham was willing to offer Isaac in obedience to God’s command, Sarah could not forgive him. Even though God stopped Abraham and saved Isaac, the wound remained. Sarah’s faith had limits. Her forgiveness had boundaries.
This story reminds us that even the greatest heroes of faith had troubled families. They were real people with real problems, the same as you and I. Abraham and Sarah struggled to trust and forgive each other. Their family was marked by distance and pain. This pattern repeats in the generations that follow. Isaac and Rebekah will have their own struggles. Jacob’s family will be torn by jealousy and betrayal. Even David’s household will know conflict and sorrow. God’s people are not perfect. Their families are not perfect. But He stays true to us and continues to work with us and through us despite the brokenness.
If your family is troubled, you are not alone. If forgiveness is hard, you stand with Sarah. If obedience to God has cost you relationships, you walk with Abraham. The heroes of faith were human. They faced the same struggles we do. God’s faithfulness does not depend on perfect families. His promises remain true even when our relationships are broken. God’s blessing flows through imperfect people. When faith costs everything, God’s grace is enough. His covenant stands firm.
While we were reading Sodom and Gomorrah, I quoted the words of our Lord found at Luke 14:26, 27 – “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Again, as with Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis helps us understand what Christ meant by these words. There is no doubt that Abraham did not literally hate his beloved wife; this is not what Jesus meant. But was Abraham willing to lose that relationship for faith, for obedience? This is the meaning of Jesus’ words.
Faith can be costly. Are you an Abraham, or are you a Sarah?
The words in Luke 14:26-27 can be difficult to accept. But here is the Good News. Our Lord also says this, “And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Luke 18:29,30) Sacrifice is hard. But the blessings God promises those who walk the path of Abraham are as many as the sands that are on the seashore.