THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:9-14)
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:16-25)
In today’s reading, we discover the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah: bringing a son in their old age. Yet, despite this blessing, God makes an unprecedented (and unrepeated) request: to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah. How might Abraham have responded to this request? With a broken heart?
The Scripture explains that, in this moment of testing, Abraham trusted in God’s provision. He believe that God would provide a ram, and indeed He did. Through the experience, Abraham comes to know God more intimately. He would become God’s friend (James 2:23) and the father of the faithful. In Romans 4, Paul points out that God credited Abraham’s faith as righteousness. We emulate Abraham in trusting God for redemption, having heard and read of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What may we take away from Abraham’s life? Abraham’s willingness to surrender to God’s plan -- even without visual evidence of the promise -- makes him a great example for us. He took God at His word and willingly laid down even his promised son.
The picture of God’s laying down His Son follows directly from Abraham and Isaac. Just like our father Abraham and our Father God, we are called to lay down what we find most valuable. It doesn’t mean that we lose it, but rather that we will loosen our grip. In this process, what we surrender loses its grip on us; it can no longer entrap us or become an idol. We become free because we can no longer be kept from exalting God in our lives. To the world, surrender looks like slavery, but, in God’s economy, surrender leads to freedom and wholeness. We become fully alive to God and moldable to His will.
What could you surrender, even today?
Lord God, thank You for the testimony of Abraham’s faith. Help us to follow in his footsteps and willingly surrender everything. Give us the courage to abandon what holds us now. Bring us into freedom and wholeness as Your sons and daughters. Thank You for Your willingness to sacrifice the Lord Jesus Christ so that we might have redemption in His blood. In Jesus’s Name, amen.
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