Abraham and Isaac Hall of Faith Bible Story

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In the Bible God is often referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Have you ever wondered why that is?

I know for some people its a turn off. It feels exclusive. They think, If God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and my ancestry doesn’t connect to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, why should this matter to me?

Well friend, it does matter! And you’re not as disconnected as you think!

In this article you’ll learn the short story of Abraham and Isaac and why it matters today for both Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Jesus. Bible history has greatly impacted the way we live today, especially the Abraham story.

What does the story of Abraham and Isaac teach us today? Keep reading to find answers!

Where Is the Story of Abraham In the Bible?

Abraham is referenced many time throughout the Bible; Old Testament and New.

The majority of the Abraham story can be found in Genesis, beginning in Genesis 12.

You’ll also find the short stories of both Abraham and Isaac are mentioned in the “hall of faith” in the New Testament (Hebrews 11).

What is the short story of Abraham in the Bible? Let’s dig into it. Print the study questions here!

10 Interesting Facts about Abraham in the Bible

Here are 10 interesting facts about Abraham that are going to help us unravel his story. I’ll list them here and we’ll go into more detail on each in a moment.

1. Abraham was raised in Ur an idolatrous and pagan society established by the Nimrod.
2. God called Abraham out of his home country to a new land to begin a new nation established by God and set apart from all the wicked kingdoms of the world.
3. Abraham and his wife struggled with infertility.
4. Even so, God promised Abraham that he and his wife would have an heir and descendants as numerous as the stars.
5. God also promised Abraham that through his descendants all the families and nations of the world would be blessed.
6. Abraham was a warrior.
7. In addition to being a physical warrior, Abraham was an advocate for the righteous.
8. Abraham was 90 years old when his son Isaac was born
9. Abraham and Isaac are two of the first few people mentioned in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11
10. God used Abraham and Isaac’s story to foreshadow the coming of the Messiah (you know Him as Jesus)

The Call of Abraham Story In the Bible

Maybe you’re wondering, what did Abraham do in the Bible that was so noteworthy?

The short answer: Abraham said yes to God when the rest of society turned a blind eye to Him.

Abraham is a descendant of Shem. We learned from the story of Noah and the flood that Shem was the son chosen to receive Noah’s family blessing. Shem’s descendants were God-fearers. Shem’s brother Ham however, was not. He utterly rejected God and many of his descendants chose to do the same. Still Ham’s descendant’s managed to become kings and rules over a pretty large amount of territory including Babel (as in the tower of Babel) and Nineveh.

Ham begot Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan….

Canaan begot Nimrod…

And the beginning of his (Nimrod’s) kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Ninevah, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Ninevah and Calah…

Genesis 10:6-12

Abraham grew in the lands under the pagan influence of kingdoms built by Nimrod. We don’t know much about how Abraham conducted himself while he was there. Did you go along with society or reject society? Did he walk the tight rope in between? The Bible doesn’t tell us for sure.

What it does show us, is that when God reach out to Abraham and asked Him to, “Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you… “ (Genesis 12:1) Abraham answered “yes.” This is where the Bible begins the story of Abraham.

God’s Promise to Abraham

God’s covenant with Abraham is mentioned for the first time in Genesis 12 but the details of it are sprinkled all throughout Genesis. Here’s a brief look at some of the promises God made that shape the story of Abraham and Isaac (read the rest here).

• Abraham would inherit the land of Canaan and it would be an eternal inheritance.
• Abraham and Sarah would conceive and have descendants as numerous as the stars and the dust of the Earth.
• God would make a nation out of Abraham’s descendants.
• God would always be the God of Israel.
• Through Abraham all the families and nations of the earth would be blessed.

Read this post to learn more about covenants in the Bible.

Infertility and the Short Story of Abraham and Sarah

One of the first promises God made Abraham was the He would make him a great nation (Genesis 12:2); implying Abraham would once day have a child. Which is interesting because the first conflict we see Abraham and Sarah having in the Bible comes from the issue of infertility.

God promised to make Abraham’s family into a nation, yet his wife couldn’t conceive? If you and I were in Abraham and Sarah’s shoes I bet we’d all be thinking the same thing. This doesn’t make sense…

I believe that God was setting them up to know Him in a totally new way. While surrounding nation had multiple gods and idols they made sacrifices to; none of them could honestly say they serve a god who does miracles. So they are Abraham and Sarah, holding onto the promise of a family large enough to become a nation, knowing only a miracle could make it happen.

The God of miracles is about to make Himself known. Continue the Abraham and Sarah story summary here.

Abraham the Warrior

For years I thought of Abraham as a plump old man with a gray beard who lived in the desert and had occasional conversations with God. While reading through Genesis I realized, Abraham was not the boring old man I thought He was.

In Genesis 14 tells a tale of war between nine kingdoms. This war affected the kingdom of Sodom and Gomorrah, the land where Abraham’s cousin lot dwelt. As a part of their war efforts Lot was captured and his goods were taken (see Genesis 14:12).

When Abraham heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against him by night, and he and his forces attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah (which is north of Damascus). So he brought back all his goods and brought all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

Genesis 14:14-16

Abraham was a warrior.

Not only was he a warrior he we a war leader. He lead armies, negotiated treaties, established allies, met with kings, and made a trained army out of his own household servants. He was a steward of great wealth and influence.

Abraham: The Advocate

Abraham had favor with people but more importantly, He had favor with God. When Abraham talked, God listened. In fact the Bible actually tells of a time when Abraham actually reasoned with God.

In Genesis 18 God is having a conversation with Abraham and two angels. He’s discussing the condition of Sodom and Gomorrah. He starts by saying, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (Genesis 18:17)

Just a few verses later we see God chose to keep Abraham in the loop. He tells him about his plans to observe Sodom and Gomorrah, how the outcry against them is great because of the sin that entangles them, and how it needed to be dealt with.

When Abraham heard this he came to God on the behalf of the innocent in Sodom.

Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose thee were fifty righteous within the city; wold You also destroy the place and not spare if for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the judge of all the Earth do right?”
Genesis 18:23-25

Those are some pretty gutsy words to speak to the Judge and Creator of all creation. But Abraham in his obedience had earned favor with God and welcomed into intimacy with God that few in that day experienced. Abraham used that trust to advocate for the righteous.

Why would Abraham worry about Sodom and Gomorrah? Two reasons. First, Lot resides in Sodom. Second, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah are allies of Abraham’s.

“What about fifty righteous?.. Forty-five? Twenty?…”

With each appeal God responded favorably all the way down to ten. If there were ten righteous people in Sodom, God would refrain from destroying them. Abraham advocated for the righteous even when it meant extending mercy to the wicked.

Isaac: The Son of Promise

It can be hard to hang onto a promise when the you’re circumstances make it seem like an impossible matter. The space in between the promise and the fulfillment is a really uncomfortable. If we aren’t careful we’ll cave to the temptation to manufacture the outcome ourselves. Which is exactly what happened to Abraham and Sarah.

Instead of waiting for God to give them their “son of promise” they tried to force the matter themselves. It created a really messy situation for everyone. Read all about that in this lesson on Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar or in Genesis 15-16.

Despite all that, God was faithful to His word and at the tender age of 90 (for Abraham) Sarah conceived and Isaac the son of Promise was born.

Abraham and Isaac would together steward the blessings of God and carry the responsibility of preparing to be a nation set apart for the glory of God. The same covenant God gave to Abraham He passed down to Isaac, ensuring Isaac knew God had plans to expand his family also.

God fulfills this promise through the birth of Jacob and Jacob’s 12 sons. This nation would be known as Israel. And the people of Israel would be known as the ones who serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

A Test of Faith | Abraham Sacrifices Isaac

The story of Abraham and Isaac is usually broken into two climactic moments; Isaac’s birth and that awkward moment where Abraham sacrifices Isaac. Well, almost. Let’s look at the story in full in Genesis 22.

Genesis 22 tells us that God’s instruction for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac was a “test of faith.” Most people thing God was testing Abraham’s willingness to give up his most precious possession. There may be some truth to this, but I think this is a two sided coin. The other side of the coin poses the question, “Do you take me at My word? Do you trust me?”

Remember, Abraham had already given up much for God. He left his country, his family, his father’s house, past customs; he left behind an entire life to serve the willing God. I don’t think God really questioned what He was willing to give up (although it could have been). I think it was more a matter of “do you trust me now?”

So what IS the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac? Does it read like most people think it does? Let’s find out.

Abraham… take now your son, your only son Isaac whom you love and go the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.

Genesis 22:1-2 (paraphrase)

Yes, this was God’s request.

And yes, Abraham took the actions necessary to be obedient. At first glance, this request seems outrageous, but Abraham and Isaac knew a couple things that drastically change a person’s perspective about this story. It’s what they knew and how they responded that makes this story hall of faith worthy.

Why Abraham Sacrificing Isaac Is In the Hall of Faith

When I was studying this passage I realized there are a couple things we absolutely wrong about this part of Abraham and Isaac’s story.

1 | We assume that Isaac and Abraham actually anticipated an absolute death.

In Hebrews 11 Paul describes Abraham as having confidence that even if Isaac died God would raise Him up again. Where did this confidence come from? Abraham knew that God was faithful and that He could do the impossible. He witnessed this reality first hand through the Isaac’s conception. Abraham knew Isaac was going to live a good long life.

When Isaac asked Abraham where the lamb for the sacrifice was and Abraham answered, “…My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering..” (Genesis 22:8) these weren’t just words of comfort. Abraham wasn’t just hoping God would provide; He was sure God would provide.

2 | We assume Isaac feared death.

Yet Isaac willingly laid down his life instead of fighting to keep it, which makes me wonder; maybe he was on the same page as his Dad. He knew what God had promised them and He trusted God to make on his promise.

3 | We assume that the lamb God provided was more like a coincidence instead of as an act of God’s faithfulness.

When we look at the character of God can we honestly believe God would have Abraham shed the blood of an innocent boy as an act of worship? Hadn’t God already condemned this behavior in Ur (Abraham’s hometown)? I think Abraham recognized that and knew a righteous God wouldn’t demand an injustice like that to take place.

When we consider these things and then go back to the story of Abraham and Isaac and read it again it reads a whole lot differently.

Connecting Abraham and Isaac to the Hope of the Gospel

One of the things I love about the history in the Old Testament is how it connects to the history of the New Testament. We see this in the story of Abraham and Isaac sacrifice as well. It’s not just a story, its a shadow of the gospel; a glimpse of God’s sacrificial love for us and the love of our Messiah (Jesus). ‘

As the story unfold we watch a loving father lead his son to the slaughter knowing full well that death will not hold him.

We watch Isaac, an innocent son willingly lay down His life knowing that God could (and if necessary would) raise him up again. This is a foreshadowing of the sacrificially love of Jesus.

But why would Jesus need to lay down his life?

The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

In the Abraham and Isaac sacrifice God doesn’t actually take the life of Isaac. He provided a sacrificial lamb. In this same way, God doesn’t require us to face an eternal death. Because Jesus atoned for our sins, eternal death is no longer required of us.

The Bible teaches that if we believe in this Messiah we are adopted into the family of Abraham by faith and become part of the kingdom of people who serve the living God; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

This is how God uses Abraham and his descendants to bless all the nations and families of the world.

Lessons from the Story of Abraham and Isaac In the Bible

What does the story of Abraham and Isaac teach us? The moral lesson in the story of Abraham has multiple focuses. It encompasses themes like: repentance (learn more about repentance here), covenant, faith over perfection, and even salvation.

The most important lessons we can learn from the story of Abraham and Isaac have to do with the character of God. In these stories we learn that God is faithful to His word. Compassionate. Loving. Merciful and just.

He corrects. He guides and Shepherds (Psalm 23 in action) and protects.

Side note: If you’re planning an Abraham and Isaac Sunday School lesson, these themes are a great place to start.

I come out of the story of Abraham and Isaac knowing that God is trustworthy and reliable even when I don’t understand the details of His movement. When I realize that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the same God who came to us in the flesh in the New Testament (Jesus) that brings a whole other level of awe to the picture.

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Abraham and Isaac Reflection and Study Questions

I hope you enjoyed this short summary of the story of Abraham!

Below are a list of study questions you can use as you work through the Bible passages about Abraham and Isaac for yourself. Click here to print them out for free!

1. How does the topic of repentance fit into the story of Abraham and Isaac?
2. Where did Abraham come from? What do we know about the place?
3. What big ask did God have for Abraham?
4. What promise did God make Abraham? Why did this promise seem impossible to keep?
5. Describe Abraham and his character.
6. How did other nations view Abraham?
7. How does the story of Abraham and Isaac relate to the gospel?
8. How does the story of Abraham’s wife (Sarah) and her handmaid (Hagar) relate to the gospel. Find the answer in this article about Hagar and Sarah.
9. Why was Abraham mentioned in the hall of faith?
10. Why do you think God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?
11. Why didn’t Abraham or Isaac show any concern about God’s request? What does that teach us about the character of God?
12. How many sons did Abraham have?
13. What makes Isaac different than the rest of them?
14. What promise(s) did God make to Isaac? How are they similar or different from what God promised Abraham?
15. What does the Bible teach us about Abraham being the father of faith (for both Jewish and non Jewish believers)?