UNCOMMEN: Father FiguresShembull

Abraham - Father of the Jewish Nation

In this passage, we read about Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac. If that doesn’t make you as a Dad stop in your tracks, nothing will. The very thought of willingly sacrificing my son makes me uneasy, and I’m sure Abraham had some of those feelings a well. 

To set the stage, Abraham and Sarah couldn’t have children until God opened Sarah’s womb in her 90s. Isaac was their one and only son and in Genesis 22:2, God tells Abraham to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. 

Verse 3 shows Abraham got up early the next day and took Isaac to sacrifice him as God had instructed. 

These are one of those verses that makes someone on the outside looking into Christianity shake their heads in disbelief. It’s not for the faint of heart I’ll grant you that. But the lesson I took from this passage was Abraham was so sold out to God that he knew that God gave he and Sarah Isaac and promised him a nation would come from this. So, either God was going to stop this at some point or use this for His plan. 

I know that may not be making you feel better and thank God we didn’t have to go through what Abraham did. But I’d wager that we all have our own mountaintop moments that require obedience and sacrifice.

Obedience

You may have thought that obedience was a word from your childhood that you’ve outgrown. But you and I have been called to obedience by our Heavenly Father and that never goes away. In fact, the call for it only grows stronger the more we mature in our walk with Christ Jesus. When your children see that you are obedient to God, it speaks to them about being obedient to you as well.

Sacrifice

Your children may never know the full sacrifice you’ve made for them to have braces, a car, college education, a wedding and more. But then again, none of us can fathom the price that was paid by Jesus for our sin. But the call to sacrifice is a great way to show your dependence upon God. When you are obedient and sacrifice because God has told you to do so, then you are precisely in the will of God Almighty, and that is a great place to be.

The Blessing

Verses 17 and 18 show us just what God thought of Abrahams obedience and willingness to sacrifice.

17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his[d] enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Are you ready for the blessing? Then get prepared to be obedient and to sacrifice. 

 

Scripture Reference:
Genesis 22: 1-19