The Summit Of Sacrifice

I wonder if Abraham also did the same thing. Did he take his eyes off God and look at Isaac as the substance of the fulfilled promise rather than Gods word? It could be that was part of it. Isaac was growing strong as Abraham was getting older. Maybe Abraham took pride in his sons strength and stature and forgot where and how his son came to be a part of his life. Im not sure and maybe Im entirely wrong.

But do we substitute our own devices for Gods plans. We certainly need to plan for the future but do we put more trust in our own ability and knowledge of that future than we would in Gods ability and knowledge? Do we fail to exercise obedience in order to receive Gods promises?

I think God wanted to see Abrahams level of obedience demonstrated by something of great value. For him nothing was more valuable than his son. God does not want us to hold onto the things or people he has given us so tightly that we fail to hold on to Him. I believe God is genuinely pleased to see us enjoy the things and the people he blesses us with in our lives. Yet we are not to let any human relationship separate us from our divine relationship with God.

God must be first in our lives over everything else.

I had been caught up in holding my collection of precious metals like an insurance policy of sorts. Now its not wrong to own precious metals or have a coin collection but it is wrong to trust their ability to protect you over that of Gods ability to protect you.

You see I had become a kind of Ebenezer Scrooge with my little stash of gold and silver. I started getting convicted of it after I returned from Africa last year and saw the great need of so many people. Here I was living in relative comfort with a small treasure that I was keeping back just in case the world fell apart financially.

I had stopped looking to God as my protector and provider and I reasoned since I had means I could protect myself and I started to rely less and less on God and His promises.

God may ask us to sacrifice the things we put trust in, in order to realize it is His word we must cleave to.

Lets see what else is here for us in this account. Abraham is very old yet he somehow finds the strength to make a three day journey and climb up a mountain side with his son. It takes a lot out of you to climb a mountain when your young and even more when your 125 years old. But Abraham did it, out of obedience.

Matthew Henry Commentary:

Note, True believers, by virtue of Gods promises, are enabled to do that which is above the power of human nature, for by them they partake of a divine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4.

He took the fire and the knife and then his son Isaac took the wood and placed it on his back and went up the hillside. We see here a picture of Jesus, obeying the father and offering himself as a sacrifice. Jesus took up the wooden cross and went up another hillside called Golgotha. Isaac stops and asks his father where the sacrifice is. He realizes that everything is there except the lamb.

Genesis 22:8 NIV