Abraham – ready for the last
Series: Like you and me | Bible text: Genesis 22
When Abraham has to sacrifice his long-awaited and beloved son Isaac, his trust in God is severely tested. Abraham passes this test because he trusts that God is good and has ways in store that he does not yet know about. Today, God is no longer looking for material sacrifices, but for our undivided hearts. Abraham was in awe of God. This is the condition to be obedient even when it seems to one’s disadvantage. The consequence of this is the blessing of God.
Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born. A full 25 years have passed since he was promised this son by God. How exciting and joyful that must have been! Surely there was a birthday party in Abraham’s huge retinue. At last the promise comes true!
Trust put to the test
«Some time later, God put Abraham to the test. «Abraham!», God called out. «Here I am,» Abraham answered. «Take your only son Isaac, whom you love so much, and go with him to the land of Moriah. There I will show you a mountain on which you shall offer Isaac as a burnt offering for me.» «(Genesis 22:1–2 NL).
How can a loving God demand that Abraham sacrifice his favourite son? How can Abraham be willing to obey this cruel command? Abraham’s trust in God is put to the test. The test for Abraham is whether God remains number 1 in his life even after the joyful event. God can test our faith. In Abraham’s time, human sacrifices were common in the nations surrounding him. The firstborn belonged to the respective deity. This was a way to make the gods friendly. So the test for Abraham was not primarily to sacrifice his son, but to give up the long-awaited promise. When trust is put to the test, you need to know that God is good! What follows is not a long discussion, but: «The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took his son Isaac and two of his servants with him. Then he split wood for the burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about»(V.3 NL). Abraham is well on his way to passing the test. How would you have behaved?
One of my «favourite children» is the seetal chile. Next summer I’m going on sabbatical. For me, that means letting go. Many people envy me and think that this is just nice for me. I, on the other hand, sometimes feel scared and anxious to be so far away from that which gives me more meaning and identity than I want to admit. So next summer will also be a confidence check for me. God wants to be number 1 in our lives. In all the trials he puts us through, it is all about this question. Those who have God at the centre can let go of their children, can endure in suffering, can be generous with their finances, do not need status symbols, etc.
In the great chapter of the examples in faith it says about Abraham: «Abraham assumed that God could bring Isaac back to life when he had died. And in a sense, Abraham did indeed get his son back from the dead»(Hebrews 11:19 NL). Abraham knew that God is greater and good. HE knows ways and possibilities that are completely unknown to us. Thanks to this trust, he was able to walk the difficult path. In the discipleship courses of YWAM, there is always an evening in which it is a matter of laying everything that is dear to you on the altar and thus expressing the willingness to trust God completely. You have to take a deep breath when you put down your friend’s name, your mobile phone or your credit card. And then it is up to God to give us back «our sons» from the dead – now again with the right priority. I am convinced that God is testing the trust of all of us. This happens through difficulties, loss and illness. The goal is always to bring God back into the centre of our lives.
It is also exciting that Abraham left his two servants at the last base station (v.5). There are tests in life that we have to pass all by ourselves. Companions might prevent us from deciding clearly and unambiguously for God.
A sacrifice that pleases God
Abraham binds Isaac on the altar. He takes out the sharp knife. «At that moment the angel of the Lord called him from heaven: «Abraham! Abraham!» «Yes,» he answered. «I am listening.» «Let it be,» said the angel. «Do not harm the child. For now I know that you have reverence for God. You would even have sacrificed your only son at my command.» Then Abraham looked up and discovered a ram with its horns caught in a bush. He fetched the ram and sacrificed it in place of his son as a burnt offering» (V.11–13 NL).
The message of this story is: God does not want human sacrifice! Throughout the Bible we find a development in the matter of sacrifice. The primeval human sacrifices, which we still encounter in the sacrifice of Isaac, are overcome step by step by God; they had to give way to animal, smoke and burnt offerings, until it finally says in the Psalm: «You are not satisfied with sacrifices, or I would have brought them to you, nor would you accept burnt offerings. The sacrifice that pleases you is a broken spirit. A contrite, repentant heart you will not reject, O God.» (Psalm 51:18–19 NL). Slowly, the type of fearful, punishment-avoiding «religion» was replaced by conversion into a right relationship.
God does not want a material sacrifice, but a broken spirit, a contrite and repentant heart. This does not mean an inferior or psychotic person, but a person who humbly finds his place with God. In another place it says: «Obeying him is much better than offering a sacrifice, listening to him is better than the fat of rams»(1 Samuel 15:22 NL). God is not looking for religion, but for a right relationship. Abraham serves as our role model.
A reverence that worships God
«For now I have known that you fear God, since you have not withheld your Son, your only Son, from me»(v.12 Elb). Abraham feared God. This is the condition to be obedient even when it seems to one’s disadvantage. John Bevere, who has written a book on the fear of God, says: «You will serve what you fear. If you fear God, you will serve Him. If you fear people, you will serve people. You have to decide.«We are more like «good buddies» with God. We like to emphasise God’s goodness and mercy, but not so much his holiness and justice. The fear of God is a response to His holiness and righteousness and an expression of «God is sitting on my throne of life. «The amazing thing about fearing God is that when, when you fear God, you fear no one and nothing else. On the other hand, if you do not fear God, you fear everything else. Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord»(Oswald Chambers).
Proverbs 9:10 says: «The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom»(Elb). There is no wisdom without the fear of God. All other truths about life inevitably stand on this foundation. Being able to assess the fear of the Lord: What is reality? It is the wisdom to know who God is – and who I am. It is the wisdom to know who is Creator and who is creature. The definition of Fear of the Lord is know who you are dealing with. Where the fear of God is missing, one’s own ego sits on the throne. The focus is on people and that they are doing well. Jesus is in charge that this is so and I have no problems. Ego worship is a sign of the times and reaches deep into Jesus» church. A low, nice and harmless image of God is widespread. But this system does not lead to life and suffers shipwreck at the latest in difficult life experiences.
«On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his servants: Stay here with the donkey. But I and the boy will go there and worship and return to you»(Genesis 22:4,5 Elb). This is the first place in the Bible where the word «God» appears. worship before. This has deep meaning and is no coincidence. The Hebrew word means pay homage, prostrate, take a bow, stoop low. For Abraham, active obedience to God is worship, even when he himself goes through very difficult times. Ultimately, we always worship that which sits on our throne of life. Worship has to do with the holy God. It is not primarily about nice feelings or rapture. Worship is not a programme that we reel off on Sunday morning in the service, but answers the question of whether we are willing to offer our dearest things to God. Incidentally, over a thousand years later King Solomon was to build the Temple on Mount Moriah (2Chronicles 3:1). A house of worship and encounter with God is built on the foundation of the fear of God. «Abraham called the place «The Lord sees», that is why we still say today: «On the mountain of the Lord, where the Lord makes himself seen».»(V.14 NL).
«I, the Lord, swear by myself: Because you have been obedient to me and would even have sacrificed your beloved son at my command, I will bless you richly. I will give you many descendants. They shall be numberless like the stars in the sky and like the sand on the shore of the sea. They shall conquer their enemies»(V.16–17 NL). There we are again with the theme of the year: Whoever listens to God and obeys will be blessed and a blessing. People for whom God is the most important thing in life have significance for those around them – they are salt and light.
The account of Isaac’s sacrifice is a prophetic foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Golgotha, as «God did not even spare his own Son, but gave him for us all»(Romans 8:32 NL). So, too, Isaac patiently holding still and the ram chosen by God for sacrifice ultimately point us to the divine mystery of substitution – the Lamb of God bearing the sin of the world. This time, thank God, there is no voice shouting «stop». Jesus dies and thus creates the way to God for us. He is the beloved Son of God and the sacrificial Lamb in one person. And yes, He rose from the dead. And that means new life for us!
Possible questions for the small groups
Reading the Bible text: Genesis 22:1–18
- Abraham’s trust in God was so unshakeable that he placed his beloved son on the altar when God spoke to him. What things would you put on the altar, and what things would you not put on the altar?
- How do you find out if God is at the centre of our lives?
- The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Why is this sentence (not) true? What is the Fear of God?
- For many of us, God is more of a buddy. How can reverence for God increase?
