Appraisal

Genesis 22:^1-2 “Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith…  “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

Spiritual things are not subject to people’s preferences. If you pay the price, you will be unstoppable. There is a classic story in Genesis 22:1-19 (please read), Abraham heard God say he should take his son, his only son whom he loves, Isaac, and sacrifice him to God. The Bible says the next morning, immediately, Abraham took the boy and did what God said. God said concerning Abraham after he had fully obeyed in Gen.22:^16-18 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.” God is saying, ‘Abraham, you would be unstoppable’.

While God loves us equally, God does not trust us equally. There are certain things that God has demanded from certain people, and they have given it. And because of that God can trust those people. There are certain things God is demanding from other people, they are not giving it. God does not trust them; God loves them, but He does not trust them. Why? It is because He knows that if He gives them a certain level of wealth, they will behave like rascals. But not you, God will trust you because you will yield to Him and that is so huge. So, Abraham heard God and started on with his servants, his son, the wood, and the fire for the sacrifice. When they got to the foot of the hill, Abraham told the servants to stay there, only he and the boy will proceed further for the sacrifice. The servants dared not question him so, they kept quiet.

But a son can always ask questions – huge! Isaac asked the father after they had left the servants behind. He said, ‘Dad, I see the wood, I see the fire, where is the sacrifice? Have you forgotten about it? I did not want to ask in front of the servants, so I do not embarrass you. You taught me in the principle of altar building that we need the wood, the fuel, the fire, and the sacrifice (offering). The sacrifice is missing Dad!’ (paraphrased). Abraham said, ‘God will provide Himself a sacrifice’. They got to the top of the mountain and put together the altar. Scholars put the age of Isaac between seventeen to twenty-five years. At seventeen years, he is a teenager probably taller than his parents. At twenty-five, he is definitely faster and stronger.

But Abraham told Isaac to get on the altar, put his hands together, and he tied and blindfolded him. Isaac did not run or object, he obeyed. Think about your own child today. It is good to talk about the sacrifice of Abraham and it is an important lesson to us. But the sacrifice of Isaac is huge! This old man wants to kill him, but he obeyed even though he was about to be slaughtered. Most times, we think God is about to kill us, but God is about to multiply us.

Prayer: Father, please give me a heart that is submitted and obedient, in Jesus Name. Amen!