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After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt-offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.’Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘Father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together. When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’ (Genesis 22:1-14)
This is a well known passage in the Bible. But it troubles a lot of people to read or hear about it. We have to realize that this passage from the first book of the Bible sets the stage for the greater thing God did in the New Testament. It is a precursor to the story of Jesus. Here's the story: God loves Abraham and provided for he and Sarah in their old age the son God had promised to them. And, then to prove Abraham's love, God asks Abraham to take his only son Isaac, whom God knew Abraham loved very much, and to offer him as a burnt-offering. Remember the wages of sin is death, and the Old Testament people believed in offering up the lives of animals in their place; for it would be the life of the lamb that would take the sin away from its owner. And here, in a land where child sacrifice was prevalent, God asks Abraham to do the same as his neighbors. There is not written mention of what Abe thought about all of this. You can probably provide your dialog; I know I can! But overall, Abe is obedient to God. Abe trusts God, and knows that God has always provided in the ways God had promised. Though his pain was severe, he makes his way towards obedience and faithfulness. One can only imagine every step was a slow, painful one. It only got worse once he and the boy reached the place where God expected this sacrifice to take place. To make matters worse, the boy asks, "Where's the lamb, dad? I see the wood and the fire, but where the lamb who will die for this sacrifice?" Ouch. Abe responds, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." I would have probably muttered, "He better!" But, Abe is obedient and reaches the place, builds the altar and sets the wood in place, then ties up his son and lays him on the wood and reaches up with his knife to sacrifice him. It was then, at the last possible second, that God speaks through an angel and calls off Isaac's death. The message was received and God says, "now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And there was the ram, caught in the thicket by the horns, and this was offered up as the sacrifice. And then Abe names that place, "God Sees to It" or "The Lord will provide."
God does provide. Always. Perhaps not in ways that we or the world would dictate, but we get what we need. And not only according to our timing and our desires. After all, it is God in charge, not us. Alfred Lord Tennyson would write in "The Charge of the Light Brigade" a quote that someone twisted a bit, "Ours is not to reason why; ours is but to do and die," speaking of the soldier's charge to obey even unto death. And though God has not taken away our reasoning abilities, some situations require obedience and trust more than knowing the why and when. Answers will come later; but action must be taken to serve God. We could sit for days and days after knowing what we are to do, and nothing would happen; answers come after actions are taken in trust and obedience to God.
What's God asked of you? Where are you in completing that task? What are you facing? Have you stopped moving because you're not sure you should move? You'll get more done, and you'll get your answer as you take action and do what is expected.
PRAYER: Loving God, speak to our hearts. Bless those who are in the midst of doubt or who have paused a little too long and now do not want to move forward. Help us take action on that which blesses You and Yours. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Keep moving!
Eradio Valverde
