How Did Abraham Respond To God's Command

For many people, it'due south an Old Testament Bible story that is disruptive, even alarming. For every Dominicus school student who has colored the motion-picture show of Abraham lifting his knife over his son Isaac, there is a parent who's thinking, What kind of God would enquire a father to do that? That seems so cruel! Why would a loving God make such a demand of a believer?

Although we must confess with St. Paul, "Who has known the listen of the Lord?" (Romans 11:34), the fact is, in his Word, God gives u.s. a glimpse of his good purpose for putting Abraham through the trial that he did.

God tests his children

Throughout Abraham'south life, God had made him some remarkable promises. Past the power of the Holy Spirit, those promises had worked saving faith in Abraham'southward heart. Merely God knows that faith, when never exercised, soon grows weak and flabby. And so God, in beloved, resolved to put Abraham's religion to the test. God said to Abraham, "Take your son, your only son, whom y'all honey—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Cede him there every bit a burnt offer on a mountain I will show you lot" (Genesis 22:two).

Just for a moment, put yourself in Abraham'south sandals. What thoughts would be going through your mind as you lot made the three-solar day trek to a distant country? God, why are you doing this to me? Why would yous forcefulness me to give up my son after Sarah and I waited so long to agree him in our artillery? And God, what most your promise? You promised that the Messiah would come up from the line of Isaac. How can that happen if Isaac is no more than? God's control to sacrifice Isaac would have made no sense at all.

And so the question is, why did God brand such a seemingly senseless demand of Abraham? What was God's purpose in testing Abraham and then severely? Really, God himself answers that question for united states—merely only subsequently Abraham passes the test. At the moment when Abraham was about to plunge the knife into his son, God stopped him. Then God said to Abraham, "Now I know that you fear God, because yous accept not withheld from me your son, your only son" (Genesis 22:12). In other words, by his actions, Abraham had revealed the contents of his center. By his actions, Abraham showed that his honey for Isaac was non greater than his beloved for the God who gave him his son in the get-go place.

Simply y'all realize, don't you, that it's not just Abraham's faith that God puts to the test? Oftentimes he puts our faith to the examination too. He tests our religion non for his do good—he already knows exactly how strong or weak our faith is. No, God tests our faith for our benefit. He wants to give usa an opportunity to put our organized religion into action in our lives.

For that reason, sometimes God allows things to happen that are difficult. Sometimes we are confronted with a situation that seems to make no sense at all, like the death of an infant kid. Only God promises to use each of these situations as an opportunity for united states to fearfulness, love, and, especially, trust in him to a higher place all things.

God's children trust their Father

Consider for a moment the many ways that Abraham expressed his trust in God throughout the extended exam God put him through. The fact that, at God'south directive, Abraham wastes no fourth dimension heading out toward a yet unidentified mountain was an expression of Abraham's trust in God.

When Abraham arrived at Moriah, he tells his servants, "Stay hither with the donkey while I and the male child become over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you" (Genesis 22:5). Do yous realize what an astonishing expression of faith that is? Notice that Abraham says, "Nosotros will come back to you." What is Abraham confessing? He'southward confessing that he firmly believes that Isaac is going to accompany him back from the sacrifice. Abraham is convinced that if he puts Isaac to death, God is going to bring him back to life again. Why did Abraham believe that? Because God had made Abraham a promise to make Isaac into a neat nation.

By his actions, Abraham showed that his love for Isaac was not greater than his love for the God who gave him his son in the outset place.

The author to the Hebrews describes Abraham'southward thought process: "Past religion Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to cede his ane and merely son, even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring volition be reckoned.' Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death" (Hebrews 11:17-nineteen). God made Abraham a promise. Abraham believed it and acted on it, even when information technology didn't seem to brand sense.

In the end, information technology was God's promise—and Abraham's faith in that hope—that allowed Abraham to enhance the knife over his son. In effect, Abraham was saying, "God, I'm going to trust you." Abraham'south activeness on that mountain was a believer'due south way of confessing, "God, even though I don't sympathise why you are asking me to do this, even though this is breaking my centre, nonetheless I'm going to leave the final consequence in your easily."

In fact, when young Isaac asks, "Male parent, . . . the fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offer?" Abraham responded, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son" (Genesis 22:7,8). In other words, "Son, I'm not sure how it's all going to piece of work out, but I'k trusting that God volition handle the details." That'south all Isaac needed to hear. Isaac trusted the promise of his earthly father, just as Abraham trusted the promise of his heavenly Male parent.

Isn't the same matter true for you and me today? When nosotros are faced with difficult situations, when our organized religion is being tested, when we are asked to endure things that don't make a lot of sense to us, God invites us to do what Abraham did. He invites us to cling to his promises. In his Word, God promises that he volition never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He promises that he will use all things to serve our eternal good (Romans viii:28). He promises that he'southward preparing a place in heaven for those who believe (John 14:3).

It'south all these promises and more that permit us to say with Abraham, fifty-fifty in the middle of the most severe tests, "God, all I tin exercise is trust you lot." And with that, God'south purpose for every test nosotros face will exist achieved.

Author: Robert Raasch
Volume 108, Number 2
Issue: February 2021