Hebrews 11:17-19

Hebrews 11:17-19

[17] By faith  Abraham,  when he was tried,  offered up  Isaac:  and  he that had received  the promises  offered up  his only begotten  [18] Of  whom  it was said,  That  in  Isaac  seed  be called:  [19] Accounting  that  God  was able  to raise him up,  even  from  the dead;  from whence  also  he received  him  in  a figure. 

What does Hebrews 11:17-19 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Here the writer began to develop the idea that he expressed in Hebrews 11:3, that faith should be the way the believer looks at all of life and history. He did so to help his readers see that continuance in faith is the only logical and consistent attitude for a believer.
"A new movement, the author"s exposition of the life of faith, begins here. In a multiplicity of varied experiences faith remains the constant factor by which these experiences are met and understood. Faith constitutes a Christian"s true "world view" (cf. Hebrews 11:3)." [1]
It is the belief that God could and would raise the dead that is the key element in these verses. From Abraham"s perspective God"s promise and His command seemed to conflict.
"We are apt to see this as a conflict between Abraham"s love for his son and his duty to God. But for the author the problem was Abraham"s difficulty in reconciling the different revelations made to him." [2]
Abraham was willing to continue to trust and obey God because He believed God could even raise Isaac, his unique (Gr. monogenes) Song of Solomon , from the dead to fulfill His promises of an heir. Similarly we need to continue to trust and obey God even though He may have to raise us from the dead to fulfill His promises to us. Isaac"s restoration was a type (Gr. parabole, parable, figure, illustration) of the fact that God will give us what He has promised if we continue to trust and obey Him. When Isaac arose from the altar, it was as though he had risen from the dead.