Genesis 22:1-5
Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”
There is joy to be found in serving God. There is peace and there is comfort. But sometimes God will call us to do hard things. He will call us to step outside of the things we find comfort in. These times are harder than we ever imagine they will be. They are trying. Most of all, they can be painful.
Put yourself in Abraham’s shoes and imagine, for a moment, your reaction to God commanding this of you: Take your only son, whom you love, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Would you cry out in anger? Would you curse God? Would you be done with God? I know you’re thinking times have changed and this is a different world and in some ways you’re right but the tremendous pain of losing a child has been the same throughout history. Couple that with having to kill the child yourself and we’re talking about a pain that (I hope) none of us here in 2012 have ever encountered.
Now notice Abraham’s reaction when God asked him to carry out the seemingly unthinkable. Like with Noah, there’s a common theme here:
God spoke. Abraham listened.
Imagine for a moment how excruciatingly painful this trip must have been for Abraham. Enjoying the company of his one and only child Isaac knowing what he was to do. Even still, Abraham knew God and trusted God as he faced the most painful situation he would ever have to face.
We’ll continue this conversation tomorrow.
