All through my years of schooling, there was one thing that I just didn't like —tests! Whether they were disguised as just a 'quiz' or something that 'didn't really go towards my final mark', they might as well have been the serious end of school examinations! Butterflies in my stomach would be accompanied by sweating palms and shaky hands! I was eager to do my best. I wanted to pass the test!
Abraham had obviously been delighted with the arrival of his son Isaac but he was about to be tested in a most challenging way! God was testing his faith:
"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, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided." The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba."
Genesis 22:1-19 NIV
I think that if God had asked me to sacrifice my only child, I would have questioned Him straight away but Abraham's faith could be seen right from the start. He was sensitive to hearing God's voice and answers 'here I am!', as soon as God calls his name. He didn't question God but just goes about making preparations as instructed, 'I will show you'. Notice how God points out that this is his 'only son', the 'son he loves' showing that He knew the depths of what He was asking. Did Abraham hesitate? There is no evidence of any delay at all, in doing what God asked.
How agonising was that journey to Moriah? Each of those hours spent travelling were bringing Abraham closer to having to give up his own child. I wonder if he told his servants who accompanied them on most of the journey, what God had required him to do? I would have wanted to talk it over and try to make sense if the situation but there doesn't appear to be any evidence that this was the case.
The difficulty would have been that this test contradicted the promise God made about Abraham being the father of many nations. Here Abraham had to put all his faith in the Promiser instead of the promise! Abraham needed to keep on trusting the Promiser despite everything else and allow God to take care of the promise.
Abraham trusted God even when he didn't understand. He walked by faith, he didn't rely on his feelings! We see Abraham and Isaac leaving the donkey with the servants to go and 'worship' the Lord. This is the first use of the word worship in the Bible and in Hebrew, shachah means to simply bow down. This was the posture of Abraham's heart toward the Lord. I love Abraham's faith as he tells the servants that 'we will come back to you'. He knew that there was no way God would break his previous promise so perhaps he thought God would raise him from the dead!
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death." Hebrews 11:17-19 NIV
Another amazing aspect of this situation is the way that Isaac submitted to his father, although quite old enough to object and run away! It appears that he had great faith like his father!
Abraham shows his willingness to give up his only son in a way that in the future God would give up His only son for us. In this intention of his heart, God could see that Abraham loved Him. In a similar way, we know how much God loved us:
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
1 John 4:10 NIV
Imagine the utter relief for both Abraham and Isaac when God provides a substitute! The test was completed— a ram was provided for the sacrifice! I love the name that Abraham gave that place, 'The Lord Will Provide' and indeed He did!
God also restated the promise He had given Abraham adding that He would bless him and make his descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore and 'Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me'.
What a wonderful promise! We are blessed as a result of Abraham passing the test!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for this incredible blessing that You gave Abraham so long ago and yet allow me to receive today! Lord please help me to keep on trusting You even when I can't see. Help me through the tests that come up throughout my life, those that involve my health, family, finances and job. May I keep my eyes on You and trust in Your Word, just as Abraham did. May I have faith to believe every promise of Yours and leave the rest to You! I choose to live by faith!
"For we live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
"For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see."
Psalms 36:9 NLT
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Light and Life for Today
SpiritualA daily devotional for your time alone with God. In an increasingly dark world, more than ever, we need to look beyond what we can see, past our present circumstances. In order to see the light and experience life as our Heavenly Father intended, I...
