“Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
Into the Text
This was no ordinary “test” from God. This was the ultimate test of the great patriarch’s heart. Isaac was the son of the promise. He was the cornerstone for the future of Israel. But God commanded Abraham to kill him. And not just kill him but to sacrifice him as a burnt offering on the altar, like a lamb to be slaughtered.
Abraham obeyed up to the point of no return, but God stopped him. Isaac was the most precious thing in Abraham’s life. God tested to see if he would be willing to obey Him even when it involved his own, beloved son.
It’s easy for us to object and wonder how God could tell Abraham to kill his own son. Yet, we know that it was never the intention of God for Abraham to actually kill his son. God wanted to see if Abraham would trust Him with his whole life, including his family.
But this moment is also a foreshadowing of the greatest sacrifice of Father’s most beloved Son. Perhaps of all the great men of God, Abraham most closely understood what God the Father felt when He sacrificed Jesus on the cross.
God the Father allowed His own Son to be sent as the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world. And Jesus willingly obeyed. His sacrifice is the reason that you and I can have hope and life today through faith. God did not withhold His Son, and for that we are forever grateful.
Prayer
Father God, you gave your only Son to save me. Test my heart and show me where I value things above you. I want to fear you above all else and not withhold anything from you. Amen.