Destination faith: The List
Genesis 22
There are many list that we may be familiar with a grocery list, to do list, Christmas list, top ten list, and many others. But one list that is enormously more important that these is found in the bible under Hebrews chapter 11, and it lists the fathers of faith. Those men who followed God at all cost. Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses top the list. Abraham is the one that is reffered to more than any though.
Abraham as we have seen over the last few months was really no more than an everyday guy. It was God who chose him to become the father of faith. Fortunately, Abraham was a tenacious man. God tutored Abraham one on one until He produced a man who was capable of following Him even to the extreme ends of faith and trust. Each day Abraham ventured to trust God he became more understanding of just who God was, good, faithful, and trustworthy. Every time Abraham stuck his neck out God covered him and blessed him. It might have become easy to trust God until it got really close to home. His family, Abraham’s most precious, his sons.
First he is pushed by Sarah to send his son Ishmael and Hagar the handmaid away into the desert with little water and food for survival. Beside himself Abraham sought God. God instruced him to send them away because Ishmael is not the one to bring the “Promise to be a blessing to the world” to fruition. I am sure it was with great sadness that Abraham said good-bye to Ishmael.
Obedient Abraham has one more jewel in his crown that God wants to secure so that He is sure that Abraham’s heart is fully His. God asks the unthinkable, “Abraham, I want your one and only son Isaac.” As usual, Abraham complies and begins to prepare for the journey to the place God will show him. A three day trip to a place that will become infamous throughout the Bible. Abraham wakes early and he begins to cut the necessary wood for the sacrifice . I imagine he was trying to work out this request and figure out what God was up to in all of this. Finally ready, Abraham gathers a couple servants to help with the travel, his son, the wood, fire, and knife for the offering and sacrifice.
I can only imagine what thoughts must have been floating through his mind as they got closer to the place. Then thinking it through Isaac asks the obvious question, “where is the animal for the sacrifice?” Could you imagine what emotion must have been triggered? Abraham mustering up as much faith as he could tells his son, “God will provide the sacrifice.”
Upon arrival to Mt. Moriah Abraham following through with his task tells his servants that he and Isaac would go and worship and then come back. How did he know for sure that Isaac would be back? Because he remembered what God told him as he sent Ishmael away, “The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac.” I believe those words were the very thing that Abraham hung on to for dear life. Up the trail they headed. As isaac watched his father prepare the altar he probably sensed that all was not well with his situation. But after growing up watching his father worship and follow God he too had a strong faith. Abraham begins to bind his son for the sacrifice with no fight from his son. Isaac willingly goes along with the program even willing to die for the faith of his father.
Ready for the deed Abraham holds the knife ready to plunge it into his only son and at that exact minute God comes to the rescue. “Abraham! “Don’t lay a hand on the boy! Now I can see that you trust God and that you have not kept your son, your only son, from me.” God did send a sacrificial animal, a ram, stuck in the thicket at just the right time. He substituted Isaac’s life for the life of a ram. However, God did still require a sacrifice.
As I see it God wanted every part of Abraham, calling him to surrender everything. Abraham was pushed to the very edge of faith and passed God’s test. Through this journey I am confronted with the question, “Is there anything I am holding on to so tightly that I am not willing to give it to God?” What is there in my life that I might be putting before God?” I pray that our journey has helped un to see which way God is calling us to go. Thank you father Abraham for pointing the way to our destination:FAITH.
February 1st, 2009 at 4:50 am
Once again, I think I’m too late. But what the hey. Good grammar for a teacher, huh? I had read this a while back and decided to glance at it again this morning (even though I just wanted to get to those e-mails). You know how they stack up.
What struck me this morning was how clearly and precisely Abraham heard God. So many times I question: “Was that you, Lord?” I believe men and women of that day could hear God very, very clearly. There wasn’t all the Noise that we have created for ourselves.
I believe it’s possible to hear God today amidst the noise and clamor. But it takes much more work on our part. People in today’s society are not listeners. We pretend to listen, but too many times we are doing or thinking a number of different things, simultaneously. It’s a little messed up. We have what is called a ‘filtering system’. English Language learners use this system to help them make sense of what they are hearing. We need to pray for a Holy Spirit filtering system to help us hear what is right, what is true, to help us hear from God and truly listen to Him like Abraham did.
February 7th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Thanks Charlene. That was really good and important insight.