Abraham and Isaac had now come to the place where God had
indicated for the sacrifice. Abraham built the altar and arranged the wood and
hoisted Isaac on to the altar. If we were at the scene, we would have noticed
the tears that would stream uncontrollably down Abraham’s cheeks as he lifted
his knife to plunge into Isaac. The son on the other hand trusted Abraham absolutely.
Otherwise we would have read of how he struggled with his father. One thing is
clear: Abraham trusted God absolutely and he would not withhold anything from
God, not even his own son.
Just as he was about to plunge the
knife into Isaac, God through the angel of the Lord called out from heaven,
“Abraham, Abraham!” He arm froze at the call of God. He was told not to lay a
hand on the boy. In verse 12, God said, “…for now I know that
you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son,
from Me.” This
gives the impression that God did not know that
Abraham loved and trusted Him until He tested him out. No, this is not the
case. We can be sure that God knows everything. But the test was more for
Abraham’s sake. God wanted him to come to the point of realizing how important
God truly was to him, that he would be prepared to give anything to Him, even
his only son. Like how He knew the heart of Abraham, God also knows each and
every one of our hearts. We are often also put to the test to bring us to the
point of realization of how important God is to us. He will bring us to a tough
situation in life where we will have to assess our relationship with God, and still
choose to trust Him despite the tough encounters.
Like Abraham, the issue confronting us
is “Do I love God for what He could do for me or do I love Him for Who He is?” Any
love based on what we can receive from God is not adequate. True love for, and
trust in God, is not based on what one can get from God, but on who we know God
truly is. People will serve God when things are smooth and the requests to
their needs are answered. But when their prayers seem unanswered, their love
for God will turn cold and some would even backslide and leave God. What about
us? Will we love God for Who He is and not for what He can give? Can we
continue to love and trust Him even when life’s toughest are hurled at us? This is the true test of our love for Him.
Worship always demands a sacrifice, not
just any sacrifice but an appropriate sacrifice. The Lord had never intended
for Isaac to be a physical sacrifice. For He had already provided one in the thicket.
So the ram caught in the thicket was God’s provision for the sacrifice. Just
imagine the joy Abraham and Isaac must have experienced when they saw that ram.
Abraham tears gave way to joy. Together, they caught the ram, killed it and
placed it on the altar of sacrifice. The
whole incidence must have impacted Isaac. He saw his father’s absolute trust in
God that made him willing to give up all things, yes even his only precious son.
This was an act that was close to God’s - for God so loves that He gave us His
only begotten Son. But Abraham so loved God that He was willing to give up his
only son. Isaac saw how unconditional
his father’s love was for God and was willing to lose all, yes even his only
son, to express his love for God. Could it be that Isaac’s pledge for life henceforth,
was to be like his dad? Fathers, our willingness to give all for God can leave
an indelible mark in the life of our children! Let’s seize every teachable
moment to leave a mark in our children’s life!
The
provision of God on the mountain was more than what Abraham could ever dream of.
He named the place: the Lord will provide. The future tense of this name tells
us that God wants to provide not just for our present needs but also all our future
needs. It was Abraham way of saying that God did not just meet his need then but
that He would be with him to meet all his needs for the rest of his journey.
What a promise! What happened to Abraham on that mountain became a prophetic proclamation.
Since that day, the by-word
has been: “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”
Mount Moriah was actually Mount Calvary. On it God has truly provided for all our
needs. On this mountain, God provided Christ Jesus, and through Him God gave
and gave. It is true that God has promised to supply all our needs according to
His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Praise be unto Him!
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