itsawonderfilledlife

“Then God said,

“Take your son,

your only son, whom you love

—Isaac—

and go to the region of Moriah.

Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.””

Genesis 22:2

Those emboldened words make my heart skip a beat. That a loving God, Creator God, would ask such a thing of a father who has been told for so many years that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky?

I was reminded of the story of Abraham the other evening, as I was catching the first part of the Bible mini series (a five-part mini series, shown on Sunday evenings on the History Channel … but I watched it on YouTube).

Although the Bible does not give an emotion-filled account of Abraham’s choice to listen to, and obey the message from God, I can only imagine the agonizing that he felt, that he experienced when God commanded him to sacrifice his son, through whom Abraham had believed God would fulfill his promise to make him the Father of many nations.

Abraham was an old man when this story enfolded. He probably appreciated the blessing of awakening each morning, still able to watch his son grow and still able to teach him how to be all that it is to be ‘man’. The son through whom Abraham’s name would continue to live, long after his earthly end.

To have put this hope for the future of his name upon his son might have caused Abraham to forget where his hope really was … in El Shaddai  … ‘God Almighty’ or ‘God the All-Sufficient One’. Maybe, as he was looking to the end of his life, Abraham was looking more to Isaac as the All-Sufficient One?

Whatever the reason for this ‘test’, God knew what Abraham would choose to do when He said,

“Take your son,

your only son, whom you love

—Isaac—

and go to the region of Moriah.

Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

God was not looking for Abraham to shed the blood of his son … blood that was his (and Sarah’s) . God was looking for Abraham to prove his commitment … to put his money where his mouth was.

What a test!

Reading this account of Noah and Isaac reminded me of 1 Corinthians 10:13:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.

And God is faithful;

he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

But when you are tempted,

he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Although God’s instruction to Abraham was not a temptation, the principle is still the same;

God will allow us to have struggles, temptations, testings … but never more than He knows we can handle (sometimes I wish He did not have so much faith in what I can handle) … and He IS faithful … He will provide a way out!

*This is a re-post, of a re-post, from a few years ago. The story of Sarah, Abraham and Isaac have always captivated me.

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“Then God said,
“Take your son,
your only son, whom you love
—Isaac—
and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.””
Genesis 22:2

Those emboldened words make my heart skip a beat. That a loving God, Creator God, would ask such a thing of a father who has been told for so many years that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky?

I was reminded of the story of Abraham the other evening, as I was catching the first part of the Bible mini series (a five-part mini series, shown on Sunday evenings on the History Channel … but I watched it on YouTube).

Although the Bible does not give an emotion-filled account of Abraham’s choice to listen to, and obey the message from God, I can only imagine the agonizing that he felt, that he experienced when God commanded him to sacrifice his son, through whom Abraham had believed God would fulfill his promise to make him the Father of many nations.

Abraham was an old man when this story enfolded. He probably appreciated the blessing of awakening each morning, still able to watch his son grow and still able to teach him how to be all that it is to be ‘man’. The son through whom Abraham’s name would continue to live, long after his earthly end.

To have put this hope for the future of his name upon his son might have caused Abraham to forget where his hope really was … in El Shaddai  … ‘God Almighty’ or ‘God the All-Sufficient One’. Maybe, as he was looking to the end of his life, Abraham was looking more to Isaac as the All-Sufficient One?

Whatever the reason for this ‘test’, God knew what Abraham would choose to do when He said,

“Take your son,
your only son, whom you love
—Isaac—
and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

God was not looking for Abraham to shed the blood of his son … blood that was his (and Sarah’s) . God was looking for Abraham to prove his commitment … to put his money where his mouth was.

What a test!

Reading this account of Noah and Isaac reminded me of 1 Corinthians 10:13:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
And God is faithful;
he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Although God’s instruction to Abraham was not a temptation, the principle is still the same;

God will allow us to have struggles, temptations, testings … but never more than He knows we can handle (sometimes I wish He did not have so much faith in what I can handle) … and He IS faithful … He will provide a way out!

*This is a re-post, of a re-post, from a few years ago. The story of Sarah, Abraham and Isaac have always captivated me.

Read Full Post »