God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.
(Read the text of Genesis 22 here.)
In the story of Abraham almost sacrificing his son Isaac, God examined Abraham’s faith through a series of commands. God tested Abraham “some time afterward” (v. 1) – a phrase which recalls everything that had happened from the Lord’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 up to that point. God’s test was not simply testing Abraham to simply see if he believed in Him, but rather He was knowingly pushing Abraham beyond his limits and evaluating the extent of his faith in Him. Abraham blindly responded with complete trust as a servant, prepared to do whatever God wished when he said, “Here I am” (v. 1).
The wording of the God’s command was also significant. The specifications for the sacrifice became more dramatic and most assuredly required an increasing amount of resolve with each word. When God said, “Take your son,” Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (v. 2). When God said, “Your only son,” Abraham had to have been taken aback, because he had two sons (v. 2). God likely made this request because Ishmael had been sent off into the desert. When God said, “Isaac,” Abraham’s heart must have sunk, for Isaac was the promised son for whom Abraham had waited so long and through whom the future of the covenant would be fulfilled. This challenge could have left Abraham, as a loving parent, questioning how God would possibly fulfill His promise without his beloved child. Instead, Abraham at all times maintained his trust in God.
God’s request to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to Him would be disconcerting for any parent, but it was also troubling for him as a believer in God since historically God was not known to demand child sacrifices. Still, Abraham obeyed. He gathered the resources to make the three-day journey. That he took two servants and a donkey revealed this was not a minor request. Further, that Abraham cut wood for the offering showed the labor he put into responding to God’s request. Also, that the excursion would take three days highlighted the extraordinary nature of this command, as the time would have been long and arduous. It surely provided ample time to doubt God’s demand for the impending sacrifice. Yet, Abraham arose early for the journey to Moriah. That he got up early in the morning suggested Abraham was so confident in God that he slept soundly the night prior. Indeed, all of Abraham’s remarkable efforts exhibited exceptional faith in his mind and heart.
When Abraham reached the place of sacrifice, he consoled his two servants that were with them. He said, “We will worship and then come back to you” (v. 5). This reassurance illustrated the unusual nature of God’s request, as the servants were aware that no animal had been brought for the sacrifice. Abraham also truly believed that even in the face of sacrificing Isaac, God would do something extraordinary to uphold his covenant so that they would be able to return. When Isaac called on his father, Abraham responded with the same phrase he had when God called him, saying, “Here I am” (v. 1). This again signified his readiness to obey. While Isaac inquired where the lamb for the offering was, Abraham replied, “God will provide,” which was the ultimate key to God’s test and Abraham’s monumental faith.
Abraham further proved his trust in the Lord by building the altar. After all was prepared and the wood was laid, Abraham bound his only son to the altar. He raised and “took the knife to slaughter his son” (v. 10). The word “slaughter” was harsh; Abraham did not consider the Lord to be like other gods, e.g. the Canaanite gods, who historically demanded child sacrifices. Rather, this term illustrated once more Abraham’s total confidence in God. He was prepared to obey Him even though he knew Isaac’s death would be abhorrent to God.
All of the above laborious acts undertaken by Abraham spanned a number of days and showed great efforts to please God. The first set of tasks commenced well before the trip and involved preparations and a whole night to think about God’s great request. The second stage when Abraham undertook the three-day trip was no less harrowing and likely difficult, again, with a child and a donkey. Instead of giving up, though, Abraham plodded on and went up the mountain upon getting to God’s requested location. Despite being exhausted, Abraham partook in more onerous labor, which culminated with the final act of raising his knife to murder his precious child. Clearly, each and every one of these actions embodied Abraham’s essence and utter faith in God. And, as the passage ultimately revealed, God promptly rewarded him for these efforts.
Dylan
Astoria, NY