Genesis 22:1-14
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 shall show you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt-offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.’ Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘Father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together.
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 called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He 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.’ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’
Reflection
It's hard to imagine such obedience to the will and the word of God. Abraham took the commands of God and obeyed them, completely trusting in God for direction. To be able to put your own emotions aside and to follow God's commands without an argument or discussion is amazing to me. How many times, when I am told to do something that I really don't wish to do will I try to talk about it first. I will try to rationalize my way around the situation just to get out of doing what I have been told to do. Abraham does not do this in this passage of scripture. There surely are other times that this is done in scripture and even by Abraham but not here.
How like this situation is like the situation of the Father and the giving of Jesus his son to die upon a cross as a sacrifice. How obedient Jesus is to the Father's will in his death upon the cross. See the contrast of what happened with Jesus. God rescued Isaac from the knife of Abraham and substituted his son Jesus instead as the sacrifice. Yes, Abraham had great faith but Abraham is not God. God took on the responsibility of the sacrifice. God took this upon himself in the form of Jesus. Now it can only be said that we live through Jesus, not the obedience of our own actions.
Yes, we are called to be obedient. We are called to the obedience of Abraham but God has provided the sacrifice and the life. Yet some of us are called also to stay back. Some of us are like the young men and called to stay with the donkey. Some are called to the altar and others are called to the care of things while others serve God at the altar. Both callings are needed. Both callings are ordained. Both callings are acts of faith.
Imagine how the young men must have wanted to go along to worship too. Imagine how the young men were curious. In faith they obeyed the commands of Abraham to stay and watch the donkey. In faith they were called to wait on the return of Abraham and Isaac. Yes, in faith they stayed back.
So, as we turn to God to listen for God's will and God's command in our daily lives, may we too have the obedience and the discipline and the respect to stay or go and obey and trust in God's will and God's way. Yes! God will provide. God provides the wood and the sacrifice and the love and the obedience in the life of Jesus and in our lives as well. God will provide the Spirit and the spark that creates that wonderful flame of love and obedience deep within our hearts. It's not easy but who said any of this discipleship would be easy?
Song
Lord, how you come to each of us just at the right moment and intervene in our lives and spark us with faith, love and obedience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tadZ8nCLBsI
Prayer
Lord, as I read your Word, as I ponder and listen for your calling in my daily situations, as I seek the place your would have me take in life; keep me obedient and faithful and trusting in all you say... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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