Gen 22:1-2 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him,
"Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son,
Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a
burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
Abraham
is called the Father of the Faithful because he had a faith that was a living
faith and a tested faith. Our faith is proven by the relation with God and
the obedience we have. There is a false faith and there is a true faith. True
faith is not one that merely demands the benefits from God, it is one of
submission & love which yields to God's demands. True faith gives our
entire being to the Lord - our full obedience, our possessions, our emotions,
our time and even (in this case), our own son. One of the great trials of faith
is when God places great demands on us. As we meditate on Abraham's faith,
let's pray that the word of God imparts this same faith to us. (Rom 10:17)
The greatest demand
Your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love .. Gen 22:2
Every
good and perfect gift comes from the Father God (James
1:17) and so it was with Isaac. A miracle baby who came to this blessed
family after a long wait, yea, even many years after their bodies had become
unable to produce a heir. In Gen 21:6, we learn
that Isaac was named laughter, because he indeed became their joy. Over a
period of time, God saw that it was time to test Abraham with regarding Isaac,
because God cares about what holds our affection. We need to inspect our own
hearts to see if there is anything in our lives which we hold more precious
than God (Even nearly so!). It may be our family, children, job, even ministry.
If so, it's time to mentally place it on His altar.
And
when God demands Abraham's sacrifice, He specifies 3 times - Your son, your
only son, whom you love! It may be easy for us to give our money or something
which we don't hold so dear. But when it comes to the delight of our heart, are
we willing to place it on the altar of God? Remember, it is He who gave us all
these things in the first place.
The faith that goes at a command
Go to the region of Moriah - Gen 22:2
Obedience
to God is shown in small and subtle ways. There is a lukewarm way to obey Him
and there is a zealous way! There is a difference between merely obeying His
commandments and delighting to obey His commandments (Psa
40:8). While the task before him was unpleasant, yet, look at the zeal
of this man of God. He wakes up early next morning and got up and saddled his
donkey. He took 2 servants and Isaac and he himself cut the wood for laying
Isaac. Such a precious task cannot be entrusted to mere servants. The disciple
of Jesus is one who pays the price of Discipleship. There is something costly
about Abraham's offering. It's not a half-hearted sacrifice - it is loving God
with all your heart, and your soul and your strength. Can you imagine the pride
and joy that wells up in our Lord's heart when He sees His dear child joyfully
zealously fulfilling his demands ?
In
all this, Abraham doesn't pause to consult with his wife. There is no place for
human emotions while performing God's will. Because of her tender and genuine love for Isaac, Sarah
is not going to aid Abraham in this sacrifice. If anything, her desperate love
for her son will be a hindrance to the sacrifice. Like Paul says: I conferred
not with flesh and blood. (Gal 1:16-17). This
is why James says: faith without works is dead. (James
2:17). Abraham's actions were proof that he had faith. He climbs the
mountain, builds the altar and lays the wood in order and binds the son to the
altar.
The Word of Faith
We will worship and then we will come back to you - Gen 22:6
As
Abraham climbs the peak of Moriah, he leaves his servants behind. These are
times that you must gird up the loins of the mind and leave many things behind
(the donkeys and the servants) to go and worship the Lord. Here is a key -
Abraham perceived this sacrifice as worship to the Lord. He viewed it as
reverential - giving God what he demands and what is due to Him.
Look
at the words of faith that come forth from this patriarch. 'We will worship and
then we'll come back to you.' At this point, I believe Abraham remembered the
covenant that God gave him. (Gen 17:19 - where
he promises the covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham and in Gen 17:21, He names Isaac as the partaker of the
covenant blessing.) So long as that covenant is there, Abraham realized that
even if he had to kill Isaac, The Lord is able and faithful to restore Isaac (Heb 11:17-19) because the Lord doesn't alter the word
that has proceeded from his mouth! And faith in his
heart overflowed and became the word of faith in his mouth- “We will come back”!
And
when Isaac asks him about the sacrifice animal, Abraham says: the Lord will
provide. Oh for a faith that doesn't crumble even at the highest pressure of
testing, or in the last hour!!
The obedience of Faith
While
focusing on the faith of Abraham, It would be sad if we missed out to observe
the submission and obedience of the young man Isaac. One who could easily
overpower the old father - Yet, he chose to be fully submissive. He chose death
to himself. He chose the will of his father. In this, I see a clear pattern.
One who was submissive to God sets forth a blessed example which his
generations would want to imitate.
Secret of faith - fear of God
Now I know that you fear God,
because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son - Gen 22:12
The climax of the story is the proven faith - a hand that is lifted
upon the sacrifice, a heart that is ready to do His will. And at the moment
comes the Word of God to stop! And the Lord gives a certificate to Abraham. Now
I know you fear God because you didn't withhold the son from me. What is the
Lord's testimony regarding us ? We talk the talk. But may the Lord give us a
faith to walk the talk.
Jehovah Jireh
So Abraham called that place
Jehovah Jireh. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it
will be provided" Gen 22:14
On
that day on Mount moriah, there was a ram that was caught in the thicket and it
was provided by God as a substitute for Isaac. The whole episode was a test for
Abraham's faith. There was no use for humanity if Isaac is sacrificed. God's
provision was given to bring Isaac back from death. Yet, this serves as a
powerful foreshadow of the redemption plan of God for mankind. (Instead of
Abraham, consider God the Father. Instead of Isaac, consider Jesus) Travel a
few centuries down and see God sending His son Jesus to the earth - as the Lamb
of God who take away the sin of the world. He Himself had given Jesus - His
son, His only son, whom He loved. John 3:16
reminds us of this truth. Rev 13:8 says: Jesus
was the lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. The only difference
was, Jesus had to die to bear our sin and to bear the punishment for our sin. Isa 53 says: the chastisement for our peace was upon
him. and by His stripes, we are healed. For all the above stages of Abraham's
life, there is a corresponding parallel from Jesus' life. Indeed on the mount
Calvary, the Lord provided a fountain of life for us for our cleansing. and
because of the love of our God and obedience of our Lord Jesus, we are redeemed
from death to eternal life.
