Hebrews 11:19
He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type.
This story has always bothered me. Part of it was my fear of what nonbelievers would say. Human sacrifice and the fact that one is killing their kid. I felt better when I realized that He never intended for Isaac to die and that he was a type of Christ. An act that was such a problem for me was actually what God the father and Jesus did. That changed how I saw the crucifixion.
What I want to focus on is difficult obedience. Abraham’s whole life was his son. He was the age of a grandfather. People of that age appreciate kids. It’s fun to them dote over them. People normally have kids when they are in their 20’s & 30’s. Their career is taking off. That takes a huge amount of time and focus. Their attention is split. But not with grandparents.
God asks him to give him up. I think of the rich young ruler from Luke 18:18. Jesus asked him to give up everything and follow him. He declined and walked away. That’s another scripture that’s bothered me. It seems too much, also. I used to be fearful that God would ask this of me. I’m not sure what it was, but I can remember the fear. One area that makes me nervous is sharing the gospel. I always feel it’s at the wrong time. Help me with this, Lord.
Abraham’s response is immediate. There is no indication that he waffled. The above passage mentioned that he believed God would raise him from the dead. He knew he was to be a father of a multitude and he also knew it would be through Isaac. So, Isaac couldn’t die unless he had kids. So, Abe didn’t worry about the specifics. He just obeyed. That’s faith.
Lord, help us to stop the questioning and obey.