After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, Here I am. He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you…. When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. he bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood… Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the LORD… said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.” Genesis 22: 1, 2, 9, 11-13, NRSV.
Gracious God, how grateful we are, that You are willing to lead us into all truth in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Yesterday, we saw, that in spite of all of Abraham’s mistakes, God said, “I know him…” He’s O.K! Once again, Abraham feared for his life; and because of this, endangered not only Sarah’s life, but also caused problems for Abimelech and his household (20: 3, 7, 17, 18). He is grieved as he sends away Hagar and Ishmael (21: 9-14).
Today, let us climb to the top of Mount Moriah with Abraham. God has asked him to offer an extraordinary sacrifice. Abraham is accustomed to building altars and offering animal sacrifices in worship to the true and living God. Today, that worship is going to cost him a price that most parents would not be willing to pay; and some would not pay: the “son whom you love;” the son of the promise, is to become the sacrifice.
God has promised to make Abraham the “Father of the faithful;” therefore, he must lead by example. So far, in the opinion of human beings; he has failed most of the tests. But the beauty of God’s dealing with His children, is that God does not see as human beings see. Hallelujah! Human beings see what we were, and what we are. God sees what we were created to be; and what we will become, by His grace! On Mount Moriah God says to Abraham: Abraham give me what you love the most. Offer upon my altar the son I gave you. Abraham, do you love me more than you love your son?
When Isaac said, dad, I see the fire and the wood, but the lamb is missing; I can just imagine the pain that gripped his father’s heart! Oh my son! How can I tell you that, you are the sacrifice? I believe it was then that Abraham reached deep down into the recesses of his soul and laid hold on a faith that perhaps he was not even aware he possessed! He believed for dear life, that, if he killed his child; the same God who gave him a child in the first place, when it was humanly impossible for him and Sarah to procreate, could raise Isaac from the dead, and give him back to them (Romans 4: 18-21; Hebrews 11: 11, 12, 17-19)!
God knew what He was talking about when He expressed faith in Abraham leading his family in the way of His commandments! Have you ever thought, that at Abraham’s age, Isaac could easily have resisted his father’s attempt to tie his hands and lay him on the altar? Abraham had to have done an extraordinary job as a father, for that young man to have been willing to surrender his life into the hands of his father, and become a sacrifice! He must have internalized the faith of his father! At the end of the day, when all was said and done, faith had triumphed! “When faith [demanded] a sacrifice,” Abraham, by God’s grace, was O.K., after all!
Fathers, take heart! God is able to do the same for you and your family! Be blessed, and have a very, Happy Father’s Day!