For instance, there was Abraham, who lived about 2,000 years before Jesus walked the earth​—long before the Bible began to be written. He trusted Jehovah to fulfill His promises. Likely, Abraham learned about the Creator from his faithful ancestor Shem, who was taught by Noah. So when God told Abraham to move out of prosperous Ur of the Chaldeans into the unfamiliar and dangerous land of Canaan, that patriarch knew he could trust Jehovah, and therefore he went. (Hebrews 11:8) In time, Jehovah told him: “I shall make a great nation out of you.”​—Genesis 12:2.

10, 11. Why was Abraham willing to offer up his only-begotten son, Isaac?

¹⁰ What happened after Isaac was born to Abraham? Jehovah indicated to Abraham that it was through Isaac that his descendants would develop into a great nation. (Genesis 21:12) Thus, it must have seemed to be quite a contradiction when Jehovah told Abraham, as a test of his faith, to sacrifice his son Isaac. (Genesis 22:2) Yet, with full trust in Jehovah, Abraham took steps to comply, actually taking up his knife to slaughter Isaac. At the last moment, God sent an angel to restrain Abraham.​—Genesis 22:9-14.

¹¹ Why was Abraham so obedient? Hebrews 11:17-19 reveals: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, as good as offered up Isaac, and the man that had gladly received the promises attempted to offer up his only-begotten son, although it had been said to him: ‘What will be called “your seed” will be through Isaac.’ But he reckoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead; and from there he did receive him also in an illustrative way.” Romans 4:20, 21 similarly states: “Because of the promise of God [Abraham] did not waver in a lack of faith, . . . being fully convinced that what [God] had promised he was also able to do.”

12. How was Abraham rewarded for his faith?

¹² Abraham was rewarded for his faith not only by the sparing of Isaac and by having a “great nation” come through him but also in another way. God told Abraham: “By means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves due to the fact that you have listened to my voice.” (Genesis 22:18) How? The King of God’s heavenly Kingdom would come through Abraham’s line of descent. That Kingdom would crush out of existence this evil world under Satan. (Daniel 2:44; Romans 16:20; Revelation 19:11-21) Then, in a cleansed earth under Kingdom rule, Paradise would be developed globally, and from “all nations” people who do God’s will would enjoy perfect health and life forever. (1 John 2:15-17) And though Abraham possessed only limited knowledge of the Kingdom, he trusted God and looked forward to its establishment.​—Hebrews 11:10.

[Picture on page 18]

Abraham put his trust in Jehovah’s ability to resurrect the dead