I would like us to stop and ponder today on one of the most profound and most mysterious passages of the Holy Scriptures: that of the sacrifice of Isaac.
Gen 22:1-14, “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." 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. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."
After these things: That is after God had requested that he should get rid of Hagar and Ishmael. Now, God puts Abraham to test. In other words, chasing his first son away, his very flesh and blood, without knowing whether he was ever going to see him again was not considered as a test as yet from God’s point of view. The real thing was just about to start…
God calls Abraham and asks him to go to the land of Moriah [i.e. ‘‘seen of Jah (God)’’, ‘‘gazed of Jah’’ or, ‘‘chosen by Jah’’] and offer his son as a burnt offering there. But it was not just any son; it was his ‘‘only son,’’ to emphasize the fact that Abraham really had to forget Ishmael; he was no longer counting: he now had one son only. So God asks him to sacrifice that only son whom he loves and knowing that Abraham loved his two boys –hence his reluctance to let Ishmael go- and could have gone to seek for the elder; but in order to remove any possible doubt on his mind, the Lord adds: Isaac.
So, here is a man who is about to see everything that was very dear to him disappear in no time. Abraham had resigned himself to die without children; He had even made arrangements to make his most faithful servant, his heir. It was fine until the day God came to 'disturb his peace' by promising him an heir out of his loins. Abraham then became father of two sons. And now, only a few years after the birth of the long-awaited son, God asks Abraham to kill him! I don’t think that he even thought for a moment that it was the devil who was tempting him; because he had heard God’s voice many times before then and knew it. But like Jeremiah, he could have said: “O Lord, you have deceived (enticed) me, and I was deceived (enticed); you (have laid hold of me) are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. » A French version has: “You have persuaded me O Lord, and I was persuaded…” (Jer. 20:7) In other words, “I should have never got myself involved with this business. If I had refused, I would not be going through the pain of losing two sons. You have flashed something sublime at me and now, You are taking it away.” And many of us would have added: “What have I done to deserve this?”
But this was just the beginning. Abraham obeyed and took the child and for 3 days, he had to behave normally and pretend that everything was fine in order to guard against any suspicion. During those 3 days, he had to behold and enjoy the company of the one that he was going to sacrifice, certainly visualizing the future scene over and over again in his head. Many would have turned and gone back home. I can neither imagine the moral torture that was his; nor can I help admiring his exceptional strength of character and his extraordinary self-control.
After departing from his servants, they went both of them together: they communed. Indeed, « Can two walk together unless they are agreed? » (Amos 3:3, MKJV) They went both of them together: but in reality, they were more than two; for where two or three are gathered in His Name (they were going to worship Him), He is in the midst of them… (Mat 18.20)
They went both of them together and Isaac says: “My father!” and Abraham answers: “My son…” Simple words, but filled with an inexpressible love and tenderness. Simple words which had often transported Abraham with joy, but which are now hurting as deep as the nails of the crucifixion.
After reassuring Isaac that God was going to provide a lamb for Himself, Abraham binds him, lays him on the altar and is about to cut his throat when the Angel of the Lord stops him from heaven. Abraham would have gone through because “He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead.” (Heb 11:19) Indeed, he had already had to hope against hope, believe without weakening in his faith and had seen God resurrect -so to say- his fertility and his wife’s (Rom 4:18-19).
In any case, after presenting God with the perfect burnt offering of a sacrificial obedience, the Angel (and not God) told Abraham: “Now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” At another time, another angel (a fallen one this time) who thought Job’s love for God was not free of interest, received the permission to harass him; but after taking away his wealth, his children and his health, he had to yield to the evidence that Job as well, feared the Lord.
The Bible encourages us to imitate the faith of our father Abraham and do his works (Rom 4:12, Jn 8:39). What does it mean in practice?
To be continued…
God bless you!
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