Religion and Theology

    In short, faith is best described as blind belief in what cannot be seen as though it were perfectly clear.  It is also the believing in a justification of actions, such as Gods requirements of mankind.  In Hebrews 11, a description of faith is asserted though a list of historical events that occurred through faith alone.  Even in an extreme situation when God tested Abraham and commanded him to sacrifice his son, Abraham was willing.  Abraham accepted sacrificing Isaac because he had faith enough that God would raise the child back from the dead.  In essence, faith is believing in the word and understanding that there is reason for Gods command, despite any apparent cruelty it may evoke.  In addition to this, faith is described through various persecuted Jews.  These people did not receive what was promised by God, but still they persisted.  In spite of the lack of reward, faith is continuing to believe in something better that will eventually come.
    God decided to test Abrahams faith by demanding a sacrifice of his offspring.  That the son of Abraham, Isaac, was to be judged in order to fulfill Gods satisfaction.   The fear comes from the unknown.  Curiosity of divine wisdom is something to take very seriously.  After all, it is not a small thing to sacrifice ones own son in the name of faith.  Understanding why God may make such a request and how it can benefit anyone is something difficult to comprehend.  Condemning Isaac in Abrahams name can certainly be a mystery to the untrained faith.  The reason behind such a punishment onto Isaac is tragically unknown to Abraham and the outcome devastatingly painful, but only having faith in such a sacrifice would allow Abraham to pass Gods test. 
    In accordance with the unknown comes uncertainty.  Abraham is called to wonder into a desert that would become his inheritance from God.  Yet, he did not know where to travel or what to do with the land.  Still, he went and Abraham made a home of such an area.  The livelihood could not have been too pleasant, sleeping in tents for the rest of ones life.  Still, the land was promised to Abraham and he endured to make it his home no matter how foreign or wild the territory seemed. 
As he wandered in the desert he realized that it was the land God had created for his benefit.  No manmade city could come close to the prosperity of the physical land. The Old Testament proclaims that he was the first patriarch to make the land into a mighty nation for the Jews.   As Abrahams faith grew, so was the award promised by God. 
In his belief, Abraham was able to do the impossible.  Promised by God, Abraham was able to become a father despite his sterility and his wifes barren womb.  God had considered the man faithful enough to change the laws of nature in Abrahams favor.   This exposes the power behind such faith.  As long as faith in Abraham existed, he would receive the works of divine intervention to fulfill his dreams.  Without it, he would have just withered away as a fruitless man without a legacy to bestow onto the Promised Land.  Of course having faith is a cruel matter and the Lord demanded that his miracle of a child be sacrificed.  This was to test Abrahams faith.  Despite Gods momentous stipulation on fathering a child, Abraham had the foresight to understand how God could make things right.  He believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead in order to reward the sacrifice.  Such faith allowed for the entire sacrifice to be replaced by God and Isaac never had to enter deaths realm.  Instead an angel delivered a ram and both Abraham and Isaac saw that the Lord did provide the merciful sacrifice in exchange for their obedience. Consequently, Abraham was again rewarded with more seed to his clan, making this patriarch the father of Israel in essence.
By the end of Hebrews 11 there is a montage of wretched events that caused significant suffering for those faithful.  Not because the people of biblical proportions had too little faith, but because they were faithful enough to sacrifice all.  So many were tortured and put to death because of their faith.  They were persecuted and did not receive what was promised to them.  This did not make the Jews of old waiver.  The idea is that they persistently believed in something better to come whether it be in this life or in the next generation.  For that, the world was not worthy to exist in their presence.  As such, the people of faith were ironically killed by the wickedness of the world.  Despite this, other faithful people survived the odds of a demonic world.  Such people were able to conquer kingdoms and armies without the might of military strength, but with only the might of their fortitude and belief in the word of God.  Faith is described as something that is had in both victory and defeat.