How Far Can God Stretch Your Faith?

Genesis 22: 9-12 NIV —

‘When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ’Abraham! Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied.  ’Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.’

The familiarity of this incredible story can often desensitise us to the magnitude of Abraham’s actions. Recently, I found myself picturing this story from Isaac’s perspective.  I pictured him getting bound by his father and watching as his dad raised the knife to sacrifice him. Imagine the emotional pain Isaac would have been in. His own father had intended to kill him!

I found myself deeply moved by the magnitude of Abraham's faith. This wasn’t a psychopath relishing the opportunity to harm his child. In fact verse 2 of this chapter tells us Abraham loved Isaac. The request made no sense, God had previously promised Abraham that ‘through your son Isaac, your lineage will carry on your name’ (Genesis 21:12), yet here he was asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

Hebrews 11:19 gives us a window into Abrahams thought-process – ‘Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead…’.  It is now through the lens of the New Testament that we see that this was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice God would make in sending his son, Jesus to die for our sins.

This passage of scripture is incredibly challenging. However, this wasn’t Abrahams first test of faith and obedience. He had obeyed in Genesis 12 when God asked him to leave his family and go to a new land that he did not know. He already developed a habit of obeying God, even when it cost him.

How could we start to develop our muscles of obedience in faith?

Prayer – Lord, I ask that today you show me the little ways I can start to obey you and learn to put my complete trust and faith in you.