Abraham & Isaac

'When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood' (Genesis 22:9).

I have been struck by the story of Abraham this least few days as I have gradually been making my way through the middle few chapters of Genesis. The story of Abraham is truly an amazing one...his life is the perfect example of a man who has heard God's call on his life, responded in faith and acted out every moment in obedience to his God.

The story of Abraham offering up his son Isaac I consider to be the greatest display of these three attributes. After waiting many years, and traversing many trials and struggles, the Lord blesses Abraham with his promised Son, despite the fact that both Abraham and Sarah are too old to have children. The Lord calls upon his servant to offer up his son as a sacrifice on the altar to God...he faithfully obeys and does exactly as the Lord instructs. The Lord graciously provides a ram, which they find stuck in a bush as a substitution for his Son. What a display of faith that Abraham would offer up his son on an altar of wood to his God with out reservation or protest.

Even though I myself am not a father (although one day certainly hope to be!), I recognise the amazing struggle it is for a parent to give up 'owndership' of their child, and faithfully place them into the hands of God. That indeed although having a child is possibly the most precious thing you could possibly call 'your own,' in fact that child above anything else, infact belongs to God. And this God is one who is infintely more capable to protect and provide than any earthly faher is capable of. This same God - the God of Abraham and Isaac - is infintely more capable to nurture and love than any human mother could do so.

Parents...have you fully abandoned your children to God, recognising that in fact God is so much more important than even your own children? If called upon could you do as Abraham did and place them on a altar of wood and stone in obedience to God? Those are certainly tough questions to deal with. Those who aren't parents...recognise firstly, that is more than likely you one day will be and indeed will have to enocunter this same decision in the near future. But now...are you provoked by the faith and obedience of Abraham? Is there an area in your life which you need to lay at the alter to God? Perhaps for women it is the overwhelming desire to be a mother, in spite of all that God might call you to prior to that occasion. Or men, the desire to pursue a career and profession that you end up completely missing God leading you into a different direction in life. These are just two examples, there are many many more...

I leave with a song which puts all this in perspective.... Andrew Petersen singing 'Holy is the Lord'.