Abraham paced in his tent thinking about that day’s events before he went to sleep.
God’s voice was clear. “Abraham.”
Abraham looked around, then up. “Yes, God. I’m here.”
“Take your son, Isaac, whom you love.
Abraham smiled at the thought of Isaac, his miracle son. Laughter was such a fitting name for him.
“Go to the land of Moriah to a mountain I will show you.”
Abraham quickly tallied the supplies he’d need to gather for such a journey.
“Offer Isaac to me as a burnt offering.”
Abraham dropped to his knees. His next breath failed to come for almost a minute. “A child sacrifice? But, he’s nearly a young man now. Surely You don’t expect me to kill the son You promised to carry on my legacy. Do You?”
The silence was deafening. How could this God who brought Isaac to life from a “dead” uterus ask for such a thing?
The night was spent asking that and similar questions until the only sensible conclusion was left. If God brought this life from the dead He would bring Isaac back to life after he was physically dead, too.
As dawn broke Abraham gathered the essential wood for the sacrifice.
****
Abraham was grateful Isaac trusted him enough to obediently lay on the altar as the sacrifice. The teenager could easily have fought off the old man. The knife made an eerie hiss when he pulled it out of it’s sheath. Abraham took a deep breath.
“Abraham, Abraham.”
Abraham stopped and looked up. “Yes, God.”
“Don’t do anything to Isaac. Now I know how much you fear Me since you were willing to give up your only son to Me.”
Isaac was staring behind Abraham. “Abba, look.”
Abraham spun around and saw a ram caught in the bushes by his horns. He untied his son. Then they prepared the animal for the burnt offering. “We shall call this place “God will provide.”
God’s voice was clear again. “I swear by Myself that I will bless you for being willing to give your son to Me unconditionally. Your descendants shall be as numerous as the stars and the sand. They shall live in the place of their enemies. All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your seed because you obeyed Me.”
********
That’s always a hard scene to write for me. The most extreme request God ever demanded was followed by the most willing acceptance by both participants.
Isaac had heard of this God his Abba followed to an unknown land promised to him many years ago.This would be the moment God became real to Isaac.
Abraham’s obedience had been built over several decades to prepare him for this test. This would be the trial God used to confirm His promise to Abraham.
God chose the precise place where He would ceremonially meet His people for several generations at this spot. This would be the sacrifice God would ultimately fulfill in the course of time.
Yes, God’s only Son would die to appease His wrath for sin.
The Holy of Holies would be built on the rock Isaac was on that day.
This was all a foreshadowing of Jesus’s death for us so many centuries later.
And here you thought this was just a test of Abraham’s faith. Didn’t you?
That ‘s the typical application of this Bible story. It just isn’t the complete application.
Point of view is an important aspect in writing. Each character in any story will see things from their perspective. That’s just the normal way of things in real life.
Each character learns their own lessons from the same event. The earthly son here, Isaac, trusted his earthly father to know what he was doing would end well. Even if it all appeared like a hopeless cause.
The earthly father here, Abraham, trusted his heavenly Father to fulfill His promise to carry on his line through this earthly son, Isaac. Even when death was required before the next generation came to be.
The heavenly Father tested both humans to show future generations the extent God requires His followers to take in obedience.
So, what do you think God would ask you to relinquish control over to get your attention on Him to this extent?
Don’t be too quick to answer that question. It’ll be a different answer for everybody. Do some soul searching to come up with your response.
God has ways of getting our attention and testing our priorities. It could be an accident, a diagnosis or even a death.
God wants total obedience and unadulterated commitment from every follower.
Fortunately His love balances this side of Him with a great deal of grace today. His wrath for sin was appeased on the cross.
He’s also building a kingdom of servants who will rule with Jesus.
This earth is our testing ground and bootcamp.
This life is our discipline building into conquerors.
Each test is designed to make us more like Jesus.
So, don’t fight the process. God knows what it will take to strengthen you into the ruler He needs you to be in the kingdom to come.
Don’t doubt the outcome. You can ask God why, but temper your demand to know with a trust that sees the ultimate end result.
Don’t deny God’s sovereignty. He calls the shots, not you. He doesn’t clear His plans with anybody. It’s all for your good in His kingdom.
Isaac could have walked away from this whole fiasco, but he didn’t. The result is his name listed as one of the patriarchs of the Jewish nation.
Abraham could have decided to not ever mention God’s absurd request to anybody. His obedience has been held up as the ultimate faith.
God could have taken it easy on everyone involved. Just look at all these lessons we would have missed out on if He had.
That ordeal you’re going through now, God allowed that in your life.
I hope you see there’s a higher reason for it.
I’ll see you later. Wade
