I love my children. If you're a parent, you know what I'm talking
about when it comes to the feelings you have for the kids. Even when
they're causing your blood pressure to rise significantly because they
painted a picture of Spongebob on the wood paneling in the dining room
or because they gave the cat a haircut. You would die for them if it
means that they would live. I know I would do that.
So it makes the story of Abraham and Isaac that much more moving to
realize that Abraham was ready to kill his own son because the Lord
commanded it.
"After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said,
“Here am I.” 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 of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey,
and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood
for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told
him. On
the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the
donkey; I and the boy
will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire
and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he
said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where
is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham
said,
“God will provide for himself the
lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
When
they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there
and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar,
on top of the wood. Then
Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord
called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am
I.” He
said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know
that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from
me.” And
Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught
in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up
as a burnt offering instead of his son." - Genesis 22:1-13 (ESV)
There are so many things about that story that jump out at me. The
first is how Abaraham didn't hesitate to do it. God said to go and he
did it. Now, the Bible doesn't say Abraham's state of mind or that he
was definitely as bold and strong all the time as it appears from that
passage. Abraham was human and I'm sure like all of us even though he
knew God's will it still hurt him to think he was going to have to kill
his own child. Yet he also knew that serving God no matter what God
commands of us is the most important thing in our lives. It's a
command we still have to follow today.
I think also of Isaac and what had to be going through his mind. Isaac
had not spoken to God so he didn't know what was going on. All he knew
is that the one he loved more than anyone in the world...his
father...had bound him and was preparing to allow him to be killed
without any reason. He couldn't get away. He couldn't see any way of
escape. Then God came through and delivered a blessing and saved his
life.
How often are we like that? We get into a situation where it seems
we're being laid on the wood and watching the flames and metal head our
direction and wonder where God is in everything? Why isn't He helping
us? Why is He letting us go through it? It's in those Isaac moments
where our faith in Him has to be the strongest and trust that no matter
what happens from it God is going to deliver to us the miracle of His
perfect plan.
