There are some stories contained in the Bible that truly give one pause. Certain stories can even make one wonder how that particular incident or event can be contained in the pages of God’s Word for us. We want to ask, “God, how could they…?” or “God, how could you…?” In my personal devotion reading I’ve come across two such stories in the past week.
Just a couple weeks ago I started reading Genesis during my quiet time. For the last couple of years, I’ve been reading primarily from the New Testament, so I thought it was about time I did some reading in the Old Testament. I decided to start…in the beginning! Just this morning I read from Genesis 22, it’s the story of Abraham being tested. In this story God tells Abraham to go to a certain mountain and offer a sacrifice to God on that mountain. The sacrifice to be offered was Isaac, Abraham’s son.
Abraham faithfully gathered the supplies needed for the sacrifice, even having Isaac help carry some of the items to be used. Once the proper mountain is identified, the altar is built, the wood is placed upon it, then Isaac is tied up and placed on top of the altar. Abraham’s arm is raised, knife in hand, ready to be thrust into the sacrifice being offered. But God intervenes, stopping this particular sacrifice, and acknowledges that Abraham has not withheld anything from God. After all, as his son Isaac was Abraham’s most valuable “possession,” so to speak, and the obvious heir to the promise God had made with Abraham. God provided a ram, caught in a thicket, saying the ram was now to be the sacrifice to God. The ram is sacrificed, God is worshipped, and Isaac and his father return home with God’s promise with Abraham renewed.
I know the idea of child-sacrifice is unthinkable to us today. I realize the idea of God asking Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice makes some even question God. But we also must keep in mind, that what is unthinkable to us in the 21st century was not the case in Abraham’s day. There were cultures in that day that practiced child sacrifice. In the midst of my own questioning, I also have to remind myself, that God actually did this very thing…offering his son, Jesus, as a sacrifice.
The other truth I believe this story points out is that at times we are asked to offer up things to God we don’t want to. Abraham didn’t want to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. After all, he had been waiting for decades for an answer to God’s promise. Isaac was that answered prayer…and now to be asked to give it back??!!
As I connect this story to our faith today and my life, I believe there might be times that God asks us to let go of something that seems really hard… even unthinkable. If so, is there something that God wants to teach me or you? Is God working on the “trust” issue that many of us wrestle with? So, what’s the “thing” in your life or in my life that we want to hang on to? Is it a person or a relationship, is it a possession, is it an attitude, a belief or a certain perspective? Is it my cell phone, my car, my need to be right or in control? What is the “thing” that we find ourselves thinking or feeling, “No, I can’t let go of that. I need that!” Maybe, that is the very thing that God is asking of us. Yet, like in the story of Abraham, God often has an interesting way of giving back what we surrender.
The Bible continually displays the unique ways that God works in people’s lives to help them grow and be shaped into the people that God sees we can be and are most usable for God’s purposes. God’s “shaping” work continues in our world and in our lives, even yet today. “I am not my own, I am yours. Use me!”
Serving Together,
Pastor Keith