These chapters tell the story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. This story often causes outrage and even expletives as readers question: ‘What kind of father would be willing to kill his own son’? and ‘what kind of God would ask someone to do that’?
I understand. I think most readers feel that way upon first reading this account, but the more you understand that God’s nature is good, the more this actually makes sense.
We have already heard how God made an amazing promise to gift Abraham with a longed-for son. We have also heard about how came through on His promise, despite Abraham often messing up and making mistakes.
By asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, God is testing whether Abraham valued God Himself more than he valued the gifts God could give him. This is an excellent model for us all as believers. God encourages us to come to Him with our prayer requests, and He can and does give us good things. However, God Himself is the best gift of all and we should value that relationship above all the ‘presents’ we may receive. An earthly father may often give his children gifts, but doesn’t want to be valued just for what the child can ‘get out of him’ - with God, relationship with Him truly is the best gift, and his wanting that for us is not out of a selfish desire for attention on His part, but out of wanting the best for us.
Now to take Abraham’s part: Abraham has been through a lot with God by this point, and had seen through His giving them a son in old age that nothing was impossible for God to do. His faith was so impressively strong by now that Abraham knew even if he sacrificed Abraham, God could bring him back from the dead. He was so confident in God’s goodness and power that in conversation with Isaac, he referred to both of them walking home again later that day. When you know that God is good, you trust Him through the most difficult of trials.
That’s about all for today. Blerg.
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