I have read the book of Genesis a number of times, but
yesterday, I think I began to really understand why Abraham is listed in the
“Faith Hall of Fame” in Hebrews 11. I don’t know, but the words just seemed to
jump off the page at me. God spoke to Abraham and told him to offer up his son,
Isaac, as a burnt offering. Genesis 22:3
(ESV) says, “So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took
two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the
burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him”. As
crazy as that may have sounded to him, Abraham obeyed. Here are a few
observations I made (and questions I asked myself) when reading the account of
the offering of Isaac:
1 Abraham
knew it was God talking to him. Do I recognize God’s still small voice
every time He speaks?
2 Abraham
rose early to do this “crazy thing” that God told him to do. Do I obey God’s
voice immediately? While God encourages us in His Word to pray (without
ceasing) and fast, I think it is important to notice that it does not say that Abraham fasted and prayed.
While seeking wise counsel is also advised in the Bible (Proverbs 11:14,
12:15), this portion of Scripture does not say that Abraham consulted with his
wisest advisors on whether that would be a good move make. The Word does not say that Abraham developed a 30-day strategic plan to
accomplish this task. The Word says in
Genesis 22:2 “He said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac . . .’, and in the
next verse, Genesis 22:3, it reads, “So, Abraham rose early. . .”
3 Abraham
obeyed regardless of his feelings. While the Word does not tell or even
imply how Abraham may have felt when God told him to offer up Isaac, in verse
2, it does say, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love. . .” With
that said, I think it is safe to say that Abraham was not tickled pink about
this whole thing, but he did what God said. I must ask myself, “Do I grapple
over how I ‘feel’ before I even think about obeying God?” While He loves us
with this unfathomable love, He expects us to obey Him, period.
4 Abraham’s
obedience brings new meaning to Proverbs 3:5, 6 (ESV), which says, “Trust in
the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths”. You see, as we follow Abraham down this path
of obedience, we see Isaac wondering where is the lamb for the burnt offering.
Genesis 22:8 says”Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for a
burnt offering, my son.’ So they went both of them together.” This is my
opinion, but I do not think Abraham had a clue as to what God was going to do,
he just obeyed and trusted that God with the rest. God did provide. I have to be honest, while I desire to obey
and have the faith of Abraham, as one who is always planning and looking ahead,
I struggle with just trusting and obeying. What about you?
What I have learned is that this
kind of faith comes by walking closely with God. As we spend time with God in
His Word (reading, studying, and applying), we get to know Him. We learn of His
love for us. We learn of His power, His sovereignty, His promises, and His All-Around
Awesomeness. We begin to know him as Abba or Father or most affectionately, Daddy.
Think about God’s idea of the relationship between a Father and his child. You know that they love one another and the
child always wants to please his daddy without argument. The child trusts his
daddy and knows that Daddy will always protect him and would never tell him to
do anything that would harm him or others. May we all be encouraged to draw close
to Our Father in Heaven.
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