Sunday, October 20th

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Hebrews 11: 17-19

 

After waiting nearly 25 years for God's promise to come to fruition, Abraham and Sarah finally had their boy---their prayed-for, beloved son.  I can't imagine just how precious this little boy must have been to his parents.  He was their EVERYTHING.  As a mother, I remember how special each baby was to me and how proud I've been of each and every milestone they've reached.  Even though I've had eight children, their special moments were special to me, too.  Imagine how Sarah must have felt when Isaac spoke his first word...took his first step...prayed for the first time.  This little boy was their pride and joy, and the reminder that their God had been faithful.  With a heart overflowing with joy for this child, surely Abraham's heart clenched at the Lord's Voice one day. 

...Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

 
 

  Can you envision the anguished Abraham as he considers what the Lord has just said?  Take my son...the son I've waited 25 years for, Lord??  Offer him as a sacrifice??  If Abraham doubted God, we are not told that in Scripture.  What we know is that Abraham obeyed.   When Abraham's emotional state subsided, his faith took over.  He knew that God had promised a multitude of generations from Isaac, so if offering him as a sacrifice was God's plan, it must also be God's plan to raise him from the dead.  So, he rose in obedience and went to the mountain that God would show him.  As the two walked up Mt. Moriah, surely Abraham's heart shattered with each step.  He would be required to give up the one thing that was more precious to him than the very breath within his body.  Yet, that sacrifice never happened.  It was never going to happen.  The offering of Isaac as a sacrifice was never God's plan, but to test Abraham's obedience was.  And, here's the thing:  God already knew that Abraham loved Him supremely, but did Abraham know that of his own self?  Did Abraham need the reminder for his own peace of mind that when asked to choose between faith and family, he would choose to love his God with his whole mind, body, strength, and spirit?  We can rest assured that whatever lesson Abraham needed to learn in this test was learned. 

When faced with the same decision---faith or family---would you or I have the courage to choose the Lord?

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 20
Romans 1