The Blessings of Obedience

Brother Neff’s Collections – March 23, 2015

August 1, 2026

Genesis 22:16-17 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven…;

The faith of Abraham is the attribute that he is best known for. By faith, he left his home in Mesopotamia to settle in the Land of Promise. By faith, he and Sarah were blessed with a son when he was one hundred years of age.

Then, God commanded Abraham to take his miracle son, Isaac, and offer him for a burnt offering.  This is one of the great acts of obedience in the Bible and pictures the sacrifice of God sending His Son to die for our sins.  Abraham promptly obeyed, and just prior to his carrying out the order, an angel stopped him, and Abraham was directed to offer a ram instead.

In referring to Abraham’s obedience, we have a part of God’s response in our text.  God said, “because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, That in blessing I will bless thee.”

There is great reward to those who obey. We will never know the full blessing of God in our lives if we are not willing to obey Him. God’s commands for us are for our good and for His glory—though some things are easier to obey than others.

Undoubtedly you can think now of many areas in your life where you have been walking in obedience to God. Thank God for that.  Whether we recognize it or not, God will certainly bless the obedience of His children.

Reflection—Acts 5:29 … We ought to obey God rather than men.