The story of Abraham and Isaac is a powerful one, a sobering one. It is a story of faith.
The details are familiar: God calls a righteous man, and asks him to give up his son in the most appalling way imaginable. Abraham accepts, and obediently embarks on a three day journey with Isaac (3 days - no detail is left to coincidence in our story of salvation). As they approach the site, Abraham asks Isaac to carry the wood which is to be the means of his own death.
We are told that Isaac was bound in place and his father was about to deal the death blow. An angel of the Lord intervened, preserving Isaac's life.
Abraham had earlier told Isaac, "God will provide" and indeed He did, for in a nearby thicket was a ram, which Abraham used to make an offering to the Lord. That detail gets me every time: God overlooks nothing, and He provides everything.
Reading this passage again yesterday morning, I wondered what Isaac's story is. Hearing the account emphasizing Abraham's heroic demonstration of faith and trust, the lesson for us is clear. But what does Isaac have to tell us?
I have ALWAYS thought that - about Isaac. I mean sure there's the great Abraham, but there's something to be said for a child who trusts his father to incredibly that he doesn't fight when he raises the knife. That whole thing could be seriously misconstrued by people who harm others...but if we take it in context, I suppose we are to be just as docile to the workings of the Father, even when they mean to do us "harm".
ReplyDeleteI find it very very difficult explaining Abraham's actions of faith to those that ask me incredulously: "How can you have faith in a God that would ask you to kill your own child?" Yeah...you can explain faith, love, trust and all those other attributes when it comes to our faith, but seriously...how do you answer their question? Our faith is full of contradictions to the world and this one is no small matter.
ReplyDelete