I'm sure we've all heard something about the real story of Abraham and Isaac in the Bible. You know...the one where God comes to Abraham at like 100 years old and says "Hey! You're about to father a son...and many, many, many, more family will follow!! So...Grab Sarah...throw on some Marvin Gaye and get it on!!"
So they have a son named Isaac...then one day, God comes to Abraham and says "Hey...about that son. Take him to a mountain and sacrifice him."
Yep...so Abraham packs up the horses...a few servants...his son...and they start walking until God reveals the mountain where it should take place. Once there, Abraham tells the servants that he and the boy are going up and that they will be back...all the while slipping a huge Rambo knife into his boot strap!!
As they get to the top of the mountain, Isaac looks over at his father and says...so where is the sacrifice?? Abraham replies that God will provide and builds an altar...then proceeds to lie Isaac down on it and raises the knife.
Just then the Angel of the Lord appears and stops Abraham!! He tells Abraham that because he trusted in the Lord, he will be blessed many times over through children that will inhabit all the nations!! Also...suddenly there is a huge ram that is stuck in the vines nearby...and they sacrifice it instead.
Okay...I'll say it...This is an odd story!! Kinda sadistic even!! I mean...really?? Go kill your only son that God gave you??
But then it starts to make sense...check it out:
0 - Not really a point to the story, but Abraham was freaking 100 years old before he even had Isaac...NEVER think you are too old to serve God in AMAZING ways!! You might be in the 4th quarter of your life, but remember...most points are scored during the last 2 minutes of a football game!!
1 - Notice that even though it was his only son, Abraham NEVER QUESTIONED God!! Also...I've always seen or just understood this to be some great dilemma for Abraham, but as I read the story, there is NO SIGN that concern, doubt, or sadness ever crossed Abrahams mind!! He simply said "Ok...let's pack it up guys...we need to find a mountain!"
2 - Genesis 22:5 is SO key to understanding this story...it hit me like a ton of bricks!! "He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."
Notice Abraham told the servants "...WE will come back to you." I read this and thought to myself...Did Abraham lie?? He knew he was there to kill Isaac!! But you see...that's the whole point!! Abraham trusted in God so much that he KNEW God would handle the situation!!
3 - Not convinced?? How about when Isaac asked where the offering was and Abraham said: "Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together." Genesis 22:8
"God will provide the lamb..."!!! Abraham is not lying...or shuffling his feet!! He is trusting FULLY in the Lord to handle the situation!!! AND HE DOES (umm...Ram in vines...hello!!!)
Look...I don't know about you, but I LONG for the same type of relationship these OT guys had with God!! I know it is possible...He's the same God as back then!! But...in order to have that type of relationship, we must first have that type of faith...and WOW...that's a tall order!!
I think this story is so key because it shows us that, Yes! God will test us at times...and Yes! Those times can be tough and unpleasant...If we allow them to be!! If we try to handle the situation ourselves!! If we choose to stop trusting in God instead of relinquishing all control to Him!!
I see neither tough times nor unpleasant times in Abraham through this story...He had ABSOLUTE faith that God was in ABSOLUTE control!! That's awesome!!
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