Let’s continue looking at that elephant in the room. Last week I noted that Chuck Swindoll nailed it when he said, “Sometimes people and things can become too important to us. We grip them with closed fists and white knuckles, and God has to pry open our fingers to loosen our hold.” (Abraham, The Friend of God)
God was trying to pry open my fists so I’d hold my young adult children less fiercely. And it hurt. Oh, yes, it hurt!
But God asked many people before me to loosen their grip on their kids, too.
Think about Abraham.
At first it makes no sense that the God of grace, the God of mercy, comfort, and unfailing love would ask Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:2).
God had promised Abraham this son, Isaac. God had promised descendants through Isaac—as many as the stars in the heavens. He’d promised to make Isaac’s descendants into a great nation and give them the Promised Land. He’d said that all people on earth would be blessed through Isaac.
And yet God wanted Abraham to
put Isaac to death?
Now, God and Abraham had already enjoyed a long, close relationship, the type illustrated in Genesis 17:3—when God appeared before him, Abraham fell on his face.
“Note the times when Abraham did not speak
before God but remained silent before Him—not sullen, but silent. Awe is just
that—reverential
dread and wonder. .
. . Awe is the condition of a man’s spirit when he realizes who God is and
what He has done for him personally. . . .
“Abraham’s posture is an expression of deep humility, trustful confidence, and pure joy—the characteristics of faith in God." (Oswald Chambers, Not Knowing Where; [emphasis added]).
That’s important information.
God made His request within the context of a trusting, personal relationship.
The NIV study Bible note for Genesis 22:2
reads: “Abraham had [previously] committed himself by covenant to be
obedient to the Lord and had consecrated his son Isaac to the Lord.”
Given that, God’s request of Abraham seemed based on, and a result of, Abraham’s willingness to “walk the talk,” to follow through on his covenant and commitments.
One key to understanding God’s bizarre request is the burnt offering. The NIV Study Bible explains: “The Hebrew word for ‘offering’ used here [Leviticus 1:2-3] comes from the word translated ‘brings.’ An ‘offering’ is something that someone ‘brings’ to God as a gift (most offerings are voluntary, such as the burnt offering). . . . Anyone could offer special burnt offerings to express devotion to the Lord.” An NIV Study Bible chart defines burnt offering as a voluntary act of worship, an expression of devotion, commitment, and complete surrender to God [emphasis added].
God asked Abraham if he’d offer up Isaac voluntarily, as an act of worship, as a gift, as an expression of his devotion to Him.
“The Lord put his servant’s faith and loyalty to the supreme test, thereby instructing Abraham, Isaac and their descendants as to the kind of total consecration the Lord’s covenant requires” (NIV Study Bible note for Genesis 22:2).
“The very nature of faith is that it must be
tried; faith untried is only ideally real, not actually real. . . . God proved
Abraham’s faith by placing him in the most extreme crisis possible, for faith
must prove itself by the inward concession of the believer’s dearest objects.”
(Oswald Chambers, Not Knowing Where)
God asked Abraham, as part of their covenant,
to give Him his dearest and best so He could give Abraham gems and buried treasure: His better.
This was God’s supreme test of Abraham’s faith and loyalty.
This was a pivotal point in Abraham’s life. He could do what God asked, or he could pretend God had not spoken.
Abraham was about to discover if indeed God was his first priority.
And as for me: God was offering me a glimpse
into whether or not He was my first priority.
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