I’ve been thinking about the story of Abraham and Isaac a lot. You know that crazy one where God asks Abraham to kill his son right after promising Abraham he would be the father of many nations? And as Abraham is about to do just that – God stops Abraham and let’s Isaac live because Abraham is obedient and faithful to God.
I used to be OK with that story.
I used to think, “Yep. OK God. I am willing to sacrifice my Isaac. Yessir. You just say the word. I’ll do it just like that.”
Yea, well. God’s funny. And I had noo idea what I was really asking for.
Because it seems like God has been asking me to do just that over and over and over again in my life. Every time I think I can keep something and invest in it, it gets taken away for some reason or another.
And I’m kinda mad about it.
Because notice that God didn’t ask Abraham to just give up something little to prove his faithfulness. God doesn’t do little things. He likes the whole shebang. When God does stuff, He is an all or nothing kind of guy.
He doesn’t ask Abraham to give up his house (tent?), or his livestock, his robes, his job, his iPod, his facebook account, his cool camel or whatever…no God asks for Abraham’s son. HIS SON. Think about that!
As a father, Abraham’s world probably practically revolves around his son. He is deeply connected to his son. His son is a deep part of his heart, part of his life every single day, a joy and gift that Abraham thought he was never gonna get in the first place. I mean look at this:
God told Abraham that he was going to be the father of many nations. He told Abraham and Sarah they were going to have a son (which they probably had a lot of trouble believing in the first place because they were old and out of that prime time for baby making). But imagine the expectation of that, the excitement that Abraham and Sarah felt at the hope, and assurance from God, that they were going to have a baby after all! They had a year to think and dream about this and become attached to it. And imagine the celebration when viola, just like God promised - Isaac is born! And Abraham is like, “Yea! God did what He said he would! He is finally answering my prayer! I have a son!”( see Genesis 21 and 22)
But then God is like, “Actually…just kidding. Go kill Isaac your son, as a sacrifice to me.”
God wants to take away the very thing he promised to Abraham.
Imagine being hit with that. Just take a minute and really think about it.
I will tell you what I would do if I were Abraham.
I would kick and scream and be angry and refuse to do what God said. I would be like, “WHAT THE HECK GOD ARE YOU CRAZY? You are going to take away something that you promised me. You promised I could have this. I thought it was a gift from you… I thought I could have this.”
And then because I would be really hurt by that I’d probably be a selfish, uncaring baby and take it out on everyone around me. Because God promised me something. And I thought I could keep it. And now He just took it away. And I don’t know if I can trust Him anymore.
But, God is faithful to Abraham - even when Abraham doesn't know how God is going to do that. And Abraham is a better at this than me and trusts God anyway.
Abraham lifts the knife to stab his son as an offering to God – he stares his son straight in the face, completely willing to go through with letting God take the very thing that was promised to Him, completely believing that God was going to make Him do this…but completely believing God would be faithful to his promises all the same.
“And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22)
Can you feel the waves of relief washing over Abraham? His weak knees? His overwhelmed heart? His spinning head? Tears of joy? His worship? The cry in his heart of something like, “Oh Abba, Father. Thank you. Thank you. Abba.”
And then God assures Abraham that he will be blessed because of his obedience.
This last part…it’s really hard to put myself in. Do I truly fear God? Am I willing to put the very precious things God has promised me up for sacrifice to prove my faithfulness? Will God ask that of me? What would have happened if Abraham wasn’t obedient?
And I don’t know how it is for other people. But it seems that I keep going through this again and again. “Jessie, are you faithful to me? Will you give me every little part of you? Every little piece?” God really, painfully, is not letting me hold on to anything.
And I’ll be honest – each time it gets harder, more painful and more difficult for me to obey and trust that God is going to provide. He sure doesn’t let me take the easy road.
He loves me too much for that.
In Christ alone. That’s it. God doesn’t want anything else in me.
And it all scares the crap out of me because I start to think, “What is God preparing me for?” He is truly cleaning me out and knocking down any crutch I could potentially have that would separate me from taking off full speed after Him.
Right now I hate it. Like I said, I don’t want to let go of the things that I want so badly. And even worse I don’t like thinking that I won’t ever get them.
But that’s the paradox with God. Even if I don’t get those things – that doesn’t matter because God’s love is bigger than that, too.
And maybe I’m getting excited now. In Christ alone. That screams dazzling adventure like nothing else. To dare to make my life nothing but Jesus. To dare to stare this world in the face and refuse to look anything like it. To turn my back on everything considered normal. In Christ alone. It is crazy. And reckless, and scandalous…and you know, this beautiful mess just might be the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2
