A Test of Truth

Print Passage: Genesis 22:1-3, 6-14
Devotional Reading: Psalm 20

The Apostle Paul wrote on conflict in Romans 7:21-25, "I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our LORD! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." (NKJV)

Each of us are tested by our own different battles. There is always a battle. How will we approach our battles? How will we remain in the battle? What will we do when we believe that battle is over? For example, I believe l have a problem with weight. In fighting this battle, Mom gave me advice that I am not to “live to eat but to eat to live”. I did not understand what she was talking about for a long time. But I remember her constantly saying, “You have to pray”. Ok, I said. But, I am finding that prayer is just part of the equation in order to win the battle. You must be willing to listen to God’s still, small voice. Lean in close to Him. He wants a relationship. He speaks softly so you will listen. You must put your trust in God not yourself, anyone or anything else to overcome the battle. Then you must obey that small voice in order to have that good relationship. It is the only way to win the war. Put your armor on because the battle is His to fight. It will be successful once we give it to Him. He is the only One who provides.

I remember the story of a little boy who was flying a kite. The kite was flying so high among the clouds and the fog that it could not be seen. The only thing that could be seen was the rope where the young boy held the kite. He stood and he stood patiently. Finally he was asked how he knew if the kite was still flying. The young boy stated that he felt the tug. When you go into a battle, do you have the faith to believe God will tug on your kite? I am confident if we listen to the tug we shall find a victory. It is not enough to have the knowledge of God, but you have to hear and feel his tug that He enables you to receive through His Word. It is a test of belief in His truth.

This spring quarter focuses on ways God’s people acknowledge the greatness of God. We are in Unit I “Follow in My Ways” of the three units of the quarter. This is the first lesson of a four lesson study which explores Abraham’s faith as he acknowledged God by following the LORD’s guidance. He will undergo one of the largest battles of his life. He listens and obeys the voice of God. Will he receive that tug as he flies his kite?

This trial is a test of Abraham’s faith to see if he continues to love God more than when he left his country and his father and now more than his son Isaac. Abraham and Sarah were both old when the Word of God took place in their life and the child of promise was born. They named him Isaac, meaning laughter, for to Abraham the promise of Isaac’s birth would bring much joy but to Sarah the laughter was toward a promise of distrust (Gen 17:17). She did not believe God would make her fruitful and bring her such joy in her old age. Isaac himself was the subject of laughter by Abraham’s older son, Ishmael, by Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar (Gen 21:9), but God promised Abraham that Isaac would be the seed of all nations (Gen 21:12-13; Gal 4:23). As heir of all saints, Isaac fills our hearts with joy and laughter.

The test begins at Genesis 22:1-2 with the LORD speaking to Abraham in a commanding challenge. The passage reads, “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Take now 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 of which I shall tell you.’” (NKJV) The first thing that jumped out to me in this passage was the nature of the relationship between God and Abraham. God called him by name. Abraham does not have to guess whether it is God calling and speaking with him. They have a relationship. He knows the voice of God and immediately says ‘Here I am.’ Abraham will once again respond to God with that same phrase in verse 11 of this chapter.

It is a test not a temptation, because God does not tempt as stated in James 1:13, “Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” (NKJV) It was God’s desire to test Abraham to confirm his faith not to tempt him. God told Abraham to take his son and kill him. He did not allow him to offer a bullock or a lamb. He did not allow him to go find Ishmael, his firstborn son by the handmaiden, who was nevertheless Abraham’s son. God actually identifies Isaac as the only son. He was the promised seed and he was the one who Abraham loved. It was a test of Abraham’s love and God’s command must rule over all considerations.

So he was to travel with his son Isaac a three days’ journey to the land of Moriah, which would give him plenty of time to think of what he had been commanded to do. He must not only kill his beloved son, but he must sacrifice him with all the rituals that accompany burnt-offering ceremonies. Abraham must depend on the LORD and not allow Satan any inroads to tempt him due to a lack of self-control.(1 Cor 7:5) Centuries later it is on this destination, Mt. Moriah, that King Solomon would build the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chron 3:1).

There is no question Abraham intends to obey God’s command. However, I am sure he will be terribly challenged by an inner battle as he travels. We know that God does not like child sacrifice. In fact Abraham should have known that God doesn’t like murder because the LORD told Abraham’s ancestor Noah in Gen 9:6, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.” (NKJV) But the fact that God does not delight in murder will not send up a red flag with Abraham as to why God has commanded him to sacrifice his son. He was surrounded by nations who performed child sacrifice in their worship to their false gods. It was not until five centuries later under the Mosaic Law that child sacrifice was understood by the Israelites to be something God vehemently opposed.

What Abraham can’t understand, while he will travel and ponder his dilemma, is why would God wait so long to grace Abraham and Sarah with the promise of Isaac only to have him given as a sacrifice? As he sees it, he is not only giving up someone he loves but also the only possible way to have offspring and the promised “blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore.” (Gen 22:17a NKJV) Also, how will he ever explain to Sarah and his family the fact that he killed Isaac and the promise? Do you think any mother would let her child, especially her miracle child, go if she knew the full details of the mission? But Abraham is ready to follow God all the way because he knows God has never failed him.

Will he be successful flying his kite of faith in this struggle and waiting on the tug of God? I am sure he felt he had been through enough hardships and encounters in life. Surely the storms have blown over. Not so fast. Always remember God is in control of our vessel and it is the LORD who will provide. So Abraham begins to obey God’s command. The passage at Gen 22:3 reads, “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” (NKJV)

Abraham did not question God’s instructions. His immediate actions were to be obedient. Abraham did not delay but rose early to make preparations for the journey. I am sure he did not tell Sarah the details of the journey in that she might cause confusion in God’s will. He took two servants to assist with carrying the wood for the sacrifice. Then he, Isaac, and the two young men set out toward the land of Moriah. As I stated earlier, Mt. Moriah is where King Solomon would build the temple in Jerusalem centuries later. It is also very near where God would offer His only Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity.

The land of Moriah was a three days’ journey. When Abraham looked up on the third day he saw the place where God had commanded him to perform the sacrifice. To make sure the two young men would not cause a disturbance and keep him from his commanded obligation to God, he told them to stay behind while he and Isaac continued the journey alone to worship. (Gen 22: 4-5) Their continued journey alone is recorded beginning at Gen 22:6-7, “So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ Then he said, ‘Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’”
(NKJV)

Without the assistance of the two young men the final stretch of the journey is now harder physically on both Abraham and Isaac. The weight of the wood is now carried by Isaac while the fire, which may have been coal, is now carried by Abraham. We are not told the age of Isaac, but we know he is old enough to carry wood. From this I believe it is safe to assume he is not of a tender, young age. Because we know he was born when Abraham was 100 years of age, then I believe it is safe to assume he was much older now and the weight may have been a little more strenuous. However, the weight of the fire was nothing compared to the weight of the inner spiritual battle Abraham was carrying. This battle was made no easier when Isaac, with whom he shared a special father-son bond, acknowledged him with love and authority while asking a simple and knowing question. This was another instance which provided insight as to Isaac’s age. Isaac knew the requirements of a sacrifice. Will this cause Abraham to drop his kite of faith even though his son has directed a question that has unknowingly driven an arrow of pain in his heart?

Unbelief is the greatest stumbling block, while belief will move mountains. In his belief in God, Abraham continues to walk toward the mountain chosen for the sacrifice as he is tried by the test of the Almighty. Abraham responds to Isaac’s question who humbly obeys, apparently without resistance. This is another example of their special father-son relationship. It is also the beginning of the climax regarding Abraham’s full trust in God. Gen 22:8-9 states, “And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.’ So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.’” (NKJV)

Abraham’s trust in God could be seen by his steadfast, movement and obedience in action in God’s Will. He didn’t do anything he wanted to do because it would have been outside of God’s Will. I can only imagine the stress and anxiety and perhaps some sweat due to the labor, weather, and the situation. Yet Abraham continued toward Mt. Moriah willing to sacrifice his son because he believed God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. There are those who believe that if he had sacrificed Isaac, God would have brought him back from the dead because he believed and was obedient to the Will of the LORD. Additionally, when Abraham told the two young men to stay behind, he told them that he and Isaac would be back after their worship time with God. Abraham truly believed the LORD would provide a sacrifice other than his son, the seed promised by the God of Israel who can’t lie.

So with confidence in God, Abraham proceeded. Upon arrival at the place chosen by God, he took the wood off Isaac’s back and built an altar in the manner required by Levitical law. Scriptures are silent as to their conversation, but perhaps he then told his son, “Isaac, you are the lamb which God has provided.” We have no evidence of objection from Isaac. We have already established Isaac was not a child of tender age and Abraham was now much older. It would not have been simple for Abraham to bind Isaac if he had resisted and made an attempt to escape. But trusting Isaac submits as Abraham binds him. He was an obedient, gentle, and respectful son. Perhaps Abraham comforted him with the same hopes with which he himself by faith was comforted as he laid Isaac on the wood which had been placed on the altar.

We have reached the climax of God’s test. The passage at Gen 22:10-11 reads with much intrigue and excitement, “And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ So he said, ‘Here I am.’” (NKJV)

Here we see Abraham lift the knife to deliver the fatal cut to Isaac. We have no idea as to the many terrified thoughts that were going through their minds. We do know that Isaac was old enough to understand the ritual of sacrifice. This would mean he knew what would happen if it were the sacrifice of a lamb, but he probably did not understand this sacrifice. Scriptures do not record his saying, “Hold up, Dad!” or something like that. Also, Abraham does not understand this sacrifice, but Scriptures do not record his saying, “I can’t do it! I’m a failure before God!” No, he takes the knife and continues in the belief he is doing what God wills. Right before he strikes Isaac, the Angel of the LORD interrupts him by name. He had to be called twice because Abraham was focused on pleasing God, and the urgent interruption had to be heard and heeded. This is the second time that Abraham responds ‘Here I am’ when he is addressed. In verse 1 above God spoke to him directly. Here the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven. It could be it was God who took the form of an angel. However explained, we know there was a divine intervention that caused Abraham not to take Isaac’s life. The period toward tragedy has ceased.

Each of us must be willing to part with everything, like Abraham, in order to pass God’s test – even if it is an Isaac. How did Abraham know God had provided for him? Gen 22:12-13 gave him the answers he needed from the LORD to put both he and Isaac at ease and to allow them to worship Him. The passage of deliverance reads, “And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad 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.’ Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.” (NKJV)

I am sure Abraham was ready to say, “I knew you wouldn’t fail me LORD! I believed in your promises to me!” Even so, Abraham feared God with ultimate respect and admiration. He did not withhold his most precious son. Abraham had basically given Isaac up to God and was awaiting his resurrection. He did not attempt to tell God that the path God had chosen for him to take was wrong. Instead he obeyed and waited for God to lead him to the light of the truth. Abraham was so focused on obedience to God’s Will that when he finally heard the voice of the divine authority, he looked up and saw a ram waiting to be sacrificed. To his delight, he had passed God’s test. The fact he had told Isaac earlier that God would provide a sacrifice for the burnt offering became a part of the truth due to his obedience. The LORD gave him back his son Isaac in order that they would be able to worship and then return home together.

What a great deliverance! Abraham wants to celebrate this area of worship to honor God and encourage believers. Gen 22:14 reads, “And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is to this day, ‘In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’” (NKJV) Sometimes we just have to open our eyes to see what God has provided for us. The-LORD-Will-Provide is the meaning of one of God’s names “Jehovah-Jireh” which is the KJV translation of “YHWH-Yireh”. God was faithful, Abraham believed, and Isaac was spared from execution.

Abraham is called the Father of Faith and is recorded in Hebrews 11 for this being the greatest trial and act of faith that stands upon record, either in the story of the father of the faithful or any of his spiritual seed. Hebrews 11:17 indicates, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promised offered up his only begotten son,” (NKJV)

Deborah C. Davis