There is very little that I cherish more than my family – my wife of nearly 45 years, my two sons and their wives, and the best grandchildren in the world. That’s why a story like that of Abraham and Isaac makes me uncomfortable.
As a grandfather, I can’t imagine facing Abraham’s test (Genesis 22:1-19). Yet his faith encourages me when God asks me to trust Him in smaller ways.
When Trust Seems Impossible
One day, when Abraham was around 115 years old, God called to him. Abraham likely expected that God would tell him that it was time to move again.
Instead, in Genesis 22:1-2 (NIV), God made a surprising request:
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
The Bible records Abraham doing exactly what God asked, with no objections, constructive feedback, or just saying no.
After all, his son Isaac was the very son through whom God had promised to build a great nation. But Abraham obeyed without hesitation, taking Isaac to Mount Moriah.
Along the way, Isaac noticed there was no lamb for the offering. Showing his faith in God, Abraham responded, “God will provide for Himself the lamb.”
At the altar, Abraham bound his son and raised the knife. At the last moment, an angel of the Lord stopped him, affirming that Abraham had proven his confidence in God.
Abraham then saw a ram caught in a thicket, which he sacrificed instead of his son. God then reaffirmed His covenant, promising blessings and countless descendants.
The Lord Will Provide
God provided a sacrificial lamb, taking the place of Abraham’s son, Isaac. This is a great reminder that God provided a perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ, to offer as a sacrifice for our sins John 1:29.
God is faithful to His promises, even when circumstances seem contradictory.
God values obedience that flows from faith. John 14:15 reminds us that God equates love and obedience. If we say we love God, we will obey Him in all things, not just those we want to do.
Obedience is an Act of Worship
Genesis 22:5 has an interesting phrase which teaches two important lessons:
He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
Sacrifice is a form of worship. God may call us to surrender what we cherish most, trusting God with the outcome. What do you value the most?
God asks us to place what we love the most into His hands. By obeying Him, we reveal our trust in His plans for our lives. What might it look like for you to move from ‘I Surrender Some’ to “I Surrender All”? Put your whole self in.
Jesus surrendered everything for us. Abraham trusted God with his son and his future. And today, God invites each of us into a life of trust, one step at a time.
Abraham’s story reminds us that faith isn’t about having all of the answers. It’s about trusting the One who does. When we surrender, God’s great love for us provides more than we can imagine.
Prayer: Lord, give me the courage to trust You with all that I hold dear, and to rest in Your promises. Amen.
Thanks for your thoughts on this, Steve. It is difficult sometimes to place those we love into God’s hands, even when we know that’s the safest place they could be.