Abraham's life is one of the most fascinating in scripture. His journey of faith involved some painful twists and turns. Isaac's story must be the most difficult for every parent. Here, God tests Abraham by telling him to offer up his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice, and Abraham nearly goes through with it!
It's an unthinkable request to ask Abraham to offer up his own son. After all, this was the son of promise. The one through whom God promised to bless the nations of the world. This command likely made no sense to Abraham. Isaac was God's great gift. But now it seemed that this gift was to be given back to God. Could Abraham let go of his son? The one thing that meant more to him than life itself? And what about God's promise to bless the nations through him? It now seemed a long way away.
Today, as I look at the request from God to kill Isaac, it was surely a challenging, excruciating test of Abraham's faith. But he had learned to trust God enough to provide a solution. He even told Isaac, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." At times our faith may be tested too. Will we trust God to keep his promises, however challenging it may be to obey? Through Jesus, God's only Son who laid down his life for our sake, we can trust God for a positive outcome.
God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and . . . sacrifice him . . . as a burnt offering." (Genesis 22:2).
Let's Pray
Yahweh, give me a deep trusting faith in you. Father, help me to know that you will see me through every trial, and you keep your promises. In Jesus's name, Amen.