When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Genesis 22:9-12 (NIV)
There can’t be many things worse than losing your own child. How terrible it must be for the parents of the soldiers who’ve been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan – their pride and joy being murdered in a far-off country by anonymous people who care nothing for their victims nor for the sanctity of human life. Or for the parents of Madeleine McCann and thousands of other sets of parents in a similar situation, who’s child was abducted from their hotel room while on a family holiday in Portugal – how awful not knowing what’s become of their daughter (at the time of writing, Madeleine’s still missing). Then there’s the young people killed in road accidents – so often the victims of someone who’s had a bit too much drink and in a reckless moment, people are killed. For the mum and dad, the effect of that moment lasts for the rest of their lives as they wrestle with the pain and grief of losing their child.
My own personal experience in this area is, thankfully, very limited. We once lost our son for several hours when he was about three years old. While the police were out searching for him, my mind went into something like a black hole – until eventually sheer relief when we got the call that he’d been found safe and well. A nice old couple had found him and taken him to the local health centre. Seeing him there playing with a teddy bear was a moment I’ll never forget.
On another occasion, one of our daughters, then aged eight, was knocked over by a car when she’d run out into the road on her way home from school. We were told that the impact from the car had caused her to be flung into the air and then she slid along the road for about ten metres. Miraculously, she suffered only minor injuries but I’ve thought many times what might have been.
When God tested Abraham, He used the most precious thing in Abraham’s world – the life of his only son whom he’d waited so many years to have. This wasn’t some kind of game – Abraham knew that he had to obey God and he was fully prepared to sacrifice Isaac, as he indeed demonstrated. One can only speculate about what was going on in his mind and emotions at the time. How amazing that he was prepared to go this far – I find his faith and trust in God so challenging. What’s the most precious thing in your world? Could you let it go if God asked you?
By the way, wasn’t there someone else who sacrificed their only son?
DetailsLarry
August 31st, 2007
3 Responses to “Down2Earth: 7. Letting it Go”
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September 4th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Do you think God has done this to give us a bit of insight into how he felt giving up Jesus, his only son, to die for us?
January 14th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
i thought god told us not to murder? why then would he aske a man to commite a sin? surley he new that he was being tested as god would not exspect him to commit murder.
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Sorry Sozah for the delay in replying to your comments.
The key to your question is found in Genesis 22:1-2:-
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
From the earliest times of the OT, sacrifice was practiced. Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord from the produce of the land and from the first born of the flock (Gen 4). At the end of the flood, Noah built an altar and offered burnt sacrifices which were received by God as a soothing aroma ( Gen 8 ). The patriarchal stories in Genesis 12-50 are filled with instances of sacrifice to God.
So Abraham would have understood God’s command to him in the context of spiritual sacrifice which he would have well understood and in no way would he have thought of it as murder.
Although God knew that He wouldn’t make Abraham go through with it, Abraham himself knew only one thing, and that was to obey God’s word. His response was staggering - he gave instant, unquestioning obedience.
Hope this is helpful Sozah and I’ll reply to your other comment in due course.