Walking Free: Taking Small Steps to a Big God by Micah TylerSample

Reading this account in Genesis, we have to think about the horror of this moment for Abraham and the terror that Isaac must have felt as the test came to a fever pitch when his father raised the knife. But the point of greatest faith for both was also the complete passing of the test.

The “angel of the Lord,” who some theologians believe was Jesus, called for Abraham to stop at the last second. A ram then replaced Isaac. However, on the altar of the cross, Christ was not spared at the last second like Isaac. No ram was given to replace Him. His death was offered as a sacrifice to replace ours. Christ was God’s final provision for the redemption of our sins.

To pass the test, Abraham had to place more faith in God than he ever had and then be willing to sacrifice everything to experience a far deeper level of relationship with Him. For his obedience, Abraham didn’t become wealthy or powerful or receive any other kind of immediate material blessing. What He did receive, however, was much bigger—the beginning of a new relationship with His God and his son. This act of faith forever sealed the first two of the generational trio in all of biblical history—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God will also bring His challenge of sacrifice into our lives to see if we will go to the mountain and set up the altar. But here is a major truth that we cannot miss: God doesn’t always provide a ram to replace what He calls us to sacrifice to Him. He alone knows the best thing for our lives, both now and in the future. We must hand over what He has asked for—a relationship, job, title, role, or thing. While we likely won’t understand what He is doing, we must realize that it will ultimately be for our best if God asks us to give something up to Him. Whether He provides “the ram” or causes us to go through with it as we “raise the knife,” we have to trust that we will eventually understand and see His purpose for His test to become our testimony.

Is there anything in your life right now that you know God is calling you to sacrifice and hand over to Him?