Ishmael is gone. Now what of Isaac?
We get the first hint of a sacrifice as GOD calls upon Abraham anew. And in this, we see Abraham’s complete compliance with GOD.
Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story
How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.
Genesis 22:1-2
“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
What!?
Abraham is a patient man. He cooperated with Sarah to have a child with Hagar. 14 years later, Sarah has Abraham’s promised child. Then Sarah says Ishmael must go! And Abraham sends his son and the boy’s mother into the desert.
Now, GOD asks Abraham to take Isaac and turn him into a burnt offering. And what does Abraham say?
“So Abraham rose early in the morning….’’
Abraham says nothing. Perhaps he shrugged. Perhaps he nodded. He appears to be willing to do exactly as the LORD instructs. There is no evidence he argued, and if he did, in the end, he cooperated.
Let’s let that sink in!
Who is this Abraham? A compliant man: when he is instructed by his wife, he complies; when he is instructed by GOD, he complies. He is defined as hugely faithful repeatedly throughout scripture:
Hebrews 11 alone says,
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son”
And so, the type of character that GOD chooses…..
When we look at Jesus, He did nothing the Father did not ask Him to do.
And Abraham obeyed, and it was accounted unto him as righteousness. (Romans 4:3)
Am I compliant?
Am I obedient? Am I faithful the way Abraham was faithful? The way Jesus was faithful?
There is not condemnation in Jesus, but certainly it is for me — for all of us who follow Jesus — to comply, to obey, to be faithful.