Chapter 22 begins from the only son of Abraham, Isaac as Hagar and Ishmael have since gone. Both Abraham and Sarah have long waited for 25 years for the birth of their one and only child – Isaac. The first words in Chapter 22 were quite surprising, when God said Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Many writers said that this story moved them that it was very beautiful. We will take a bit of look at this story, that we will try to understand as well as to think of the implications to our lives.
Firstly, from the first verse of Chapter 22 that stated God tested Abraham. However, the problem is that Abraham was not knowing that he was being tested by God. What Abraham was knowing is that “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Verse 3 directly illustrates Abraham’s obedience. Although Abraham has the obedient heart to obey God, but he was struggling that his son Isaac is his only son, whom he loves, who he has been waiting for 25 years. Not only that, Abraham could also argue that Isaac is the promised son that through him there would be a big nation. However, what if Isaac was a dead offering? Abraham certainly does not argue like that. We can see that there is an interpreter who said that if we take pay attention on verse 3, therefore the order that Abraham undertake does illustrate the confusion in his heart.
On verse 4, it took three days for Abraham to reach Moriah from his home. This is an interesting detail because we find out that should the suffering quickly passing time that it will be mild, otherwise, should the suffering be taking a long time that it will be difficult.
Abraham’s words to his servants on verse 5 raised a question on what does this mean, whether Abraham does not really want to let Isaac go to be offered that he knew that should he offered Isaac that he would kill him and he would not be returning. Or, this could be a faith for Abraham.
On verse 6, the illustration of Isaac was shadow of a Christ, and we can simplify that Isaac has grown up because he carries woods on his shoulder, that these woods are to be burned on the offering of himself. This was a deafening silent for Abraham as he and Isaac were not talking to each other as they were carrying woods. Abraham was being lashed out as he was raging inside his mind.
That silent was broken when Isaac said to his father on verse 7: “Father”. Isaac has no idea that he was about to be offered, that all he understood was that the fire and wood were to be used for the offering to the God. But Isaac was confused that there was no sheep or lamb to be offered.
Verse 8 pointed out that it was the moment that Abraham has wholeheartedly want to offer Isaac. Abraham himself knew that Isaac was a child given by God, Isaac is a child who God provided.
On verse 9, Isaac then realised that he was offered when Abraham laid him on the altar. Here, we can see Isaac’s obedience to his father Abraham, just like Abraham’s obedience to God.
Verses 10 and 11 were the climax of the story, that the angel of the Lord called out to Abraham from heaven. In that moment, it was then known that Abraham still feared to God.
From this story, we can summarise and reflect this to these three applications as follow:
- 1. We know that God did not really want Abraham to offer his son Isaac, but what God really want was to take Isaac from the throne of Abraham’s heart. We can understand that how Isaac became an idol and more important than God in Abraham’s deepest heart, hence, God tested Abraham, something that was the most precious in his life. Although Isaac did not become an idol that we can see he might possess that potential, that God wants to love and cleanse Abraham by releasing Isaac from the throne of Abraham’s heart.
- 2. The answer to our struggles of becoming an idol is when we come to know Christ. John 8:56 stated “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” What does this mean? Abraham has a unique insight about the salvation through Christ, that Christ will provide sheep as a sacrifice replacing us. Being an idol means that we say to God: “You don’t have my best interest in your heart”, we do not obey and believe God that there is something more important than God that we can hold and pursue to, although we have to fight and disobey God because fundamentally, we do not believe in God’s plan is the best for us. Therefore, the answer from becoming our deepest struggles of becoming an idol that we need to see Christ’s cross and to understand our heart deeply.
- 3. For us who are inside of Christ and believed in Christ, let this story encourages us once again to fully obey in God. We obey God not only because of what God has worked for us, but God’s promise ahead for those people who will obey to God.
Will you really want to obey God’s words and to live according to His will?
