Watchmen of the Wall

Trust Me with Your Isaac

Scripture Reading: Genesis 22 1-19

“Then God said, ‘Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Gen. 22:2).

Isn’t today’s Scripture disturbing? We know that “for unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.” (Luke 12:48), but we’ll gladly step aside and allow another to be called faithful if this is the kind of sacrifice it takes. However, we can’t step aside as far as we’d like. We have more in common with Abram, “the father of many nations” (Gen. 17:5), than we might think. Consider a few comparisons.

First of all, our most profound tests involve those dearest to us. You know it’s true; you’ve been there. Each of us can vividly remember a time when God called upon us to surrender our hold and our ownership over someone we love—perhaps even someone we nearly worship.

Second, we also experience times when we believe we’ve received two seemingly diametrically opposite messages from God. Abram understood God to say he would have more offspring than the number of stars in the sky. Then he received the command to sacrifice his only legitimate heir on the altar. As we continually trust the One who called us, we will eventually recognize that God truly is Reconciler of the utterly irreconcilable.

You see, God didn’t mislead Abram. He told him to sacrifice his son on the altar and, most assuredly, Abram did. He did not slay his son. Instead, he was able to offer God a living sacrifice. Mind you, living sacrifices are not always easy to offer either. Sometimes releasing our grip on the person who remains with us can be a more painful test than releasing our grip on the person taken from our reach. We’re presented with an ongoing test during which we must continually offer our precious ones to the One who loves them most.

I see a final comparison. God used Abraham and Isaac to teach others about Himself. The substitutionary offering of the ram caught by its horns in the thicket became one of the Bible’s key images to convey the gospel message. The shadow of the cross fell on Mount Moriah that day. We all have been tied to the altar of death and then presented a chance to be loosed for eternal life by the perfect Lamb, One whose head was torn by thorns and was willing to take our place.

Our present challenges may not be as dramatic as Abram’s, but we, too, can allow our lives to become visual aids through which God teaches others about Himself—and His faithful ways. I ask you now to read the words God gave me during a time when He led me to my own Mount Moriah. Only you know how this message applies to you. Please allow God to speak to your heart.

For every Abraham who dares to kiss a foreign field where glory for a moment grasped Is for a lifetime tilled…
The voice of God speaks not but once but ‘til traveler hears “Abraham! Abraham! Bring your Isaac here!”
“Bring not the blemished sacrifice. What lovest thou the most? Look not into the distance, you’ll find your Isaac close.”
“I hear the tearing of your heart torn between two loves, the one your vision can behold the Other hid above.”
“Do you trust me, Abraham with your gravest fear? Will you pry your fingers loose and bring your Isaac here?”
“Have I not made you promises? Hold them tight instead!I am the Lover of your soul— the Lifter of your head.”
“Believe me, O my Abraham when blinded by the cost. Arrange the wooded altar and count your gains but loss.”
“Let tears wash clean your blinded eyes until unveiled you see— the ram caught in the thicket there to set your Isaac free.”
“Perhaps I’ll send him down the mount to walk right by your side. No longer in your iron grasp but safer still in mine.”
“Or I may wrap him in the wind and sweep him from your sight to better things beyond your reach— believe with all your might!”
“Look up, beloved Abraham. Can you count the stars? Multitudes will stand to reap from one dear friend of God.”
“Pass the test, my faithful one; bow to me as Lord. Trust me with your Isaac— see, I am your great Reward.”

My great and awesome God, I want more than anything to hold onto You tightly and to hold onto everything else loosely. I want to be willing to lay down my most treasured relationships and possessions at Your request. Give me a willing heart to offer those unblemished sacrifices to You. Help me to trust You fully when I seem to be getting two opposite messages from You. Thank You for providing Jesus, the spotless Lamb, to take my place on the altar. I offer myself to You today as a living sacrifice. It’s in the name of Jesus that I pray, Amen.

Written by: Beth Moore