A Disturbing Response...

This week, we are looking at what is perhaps the most disturbing conversation that is recorded for us the Bible, which is found in the 22^nd chapter of the book of Genesis. Yesterday, we looked on as God tested Abraham by commanding him to kill his only son, who was the fulfillment o God’s promises to him. Today, as Moses continues to record this story, we see Moses shift from a disturbing command to a disturbing response by Abraham to God’s command in verse 3:

 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you."

Moses tells us that Abraham responded to God’s command by waking up early the next morning to fulfill God’s command. Abraham informed two slaves and Isaac that they were going on a trip. After informing them of the trip Abraham then went and split enough wood to build a fire that would consume his son.

But why would Abraham, who already was bringing two servants with him on this trip split the wood? Why is Abraham doing all the work that a servant would normally do? Is it to preoccupy his mind so as to take it off of God’s command? Is it so as to not arouse suspicions or questions? Moses does not say. What Moses does tell us is that the group made the approximately fifty mile trip in three days. And on the third day, Abraham saw the mountains of Moriah, which was the place where God had commanded.

Now another question that arises here is “why make Abraham have to travel 50 miles in a three day period of time to kill and sacrifice his son? I mean, if the command itself isn’t bad enough, then God makes Abraham travel that far over that amount of time to follow God’s command.” Imagine yourself as Abraham. What would be going through your mid as you travel those 50 miles over those three days? So why would God make Abraham travel to this specific place?

The reason why Mount Moriah is because Mount Moriah would later become a part of a city called Jerusalem. Mount Moriah would be the very place that King David would offer a sacrifice to appease God’s right and just response to his act of selfishness and rebellion. Mount Moriah would be the very place where Solomon would build the temple.

Moses tells us that upon seeing Mount Moriah in the distance, Abraham commanded the servants to remain with the donkey, while he and Isaac would go up to worship and then return. But why would Abraham make such a statement?  Is he lying to the servants? Is he lying to his son Isaac? Did Abraham actually believe that they would both come back? How could he believe that in light of God’s command? Moses then tells us what happens next in verse 6:

 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.

You see, Isaac wasn’t a toddler in a stroller. Isaac was not some 95 pound weakling. Isaac was what we would call in our culture today a young man who was strong enough to carry all of the wood that would be necessary to consume an offering of worship on his back. What Isaac didn’t know, however, was that the wood that he was carrying was to consume him.

Unaware of who the wood was for, Isaac and Abraham walked up to the top of Mount Moriah. While Isaac carried the wood, Abraham carried the fire and the knife. Now this knife was not a paring knife. Instead the word for knife that is used here, in the language that this letter was originally written in, refers to a butcher’s knife. And as a father and a son walk up together to the top of the mountain, we see the son ask a question in verse 7:

 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

In other words Isaac asks “Hey dad. Yes son. You said we’re going up to the top to worship God right? Yup, that’s what we are going to do. Dad, it seems like we are missing something.  What do you mean, son. Well, we have the wood and the fire for the offering, but what are we going to offer to God in worship? Dad, we didn’t bring a lamb? Now this morning, imagine yourself as Abraham. How are you going to answer that question? What are you going to say? How would you respond? We see Abraham’s response in verse 8:

 Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

What is so interesting about Abraham’s response is that this phrase “God will provide” literally means God will see so as to choose and select. Abraham is saying “God will see to it that we have something to worship Him with. When we get up there, God will choose and select what we give Him in worship”. Apparently, the father’s answer satisfied the son, as Moses tells us that the two of them continued to walk to the top of the mountain. How long do you think that walk was for Abraham? The story continues in verse 9:

 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

Now this morning, imagine being Abraham. You reach the top of Mount Moriah. As your son watches, you build an altar that you are planning to use to sacrifice your own son on. After stacking the rocks to build the altar; after stacking the wood to build the fire, you then turn to your attention to your son. The son that you wished and longed for; the son who was the fulfillment of God’s promise to you; the son that you watched grow into a young man; the son who has brought joy into your life.

You turn to your son and explain that you need to bind his hands and his feet. I mean imagine yourself as Abraham. How do you say something like that to your son? How would it feel to bind his hands and feet? And imagine being Isaac? What would you say? How would you feel?

Moses does not tell us what was said or the details of the conversation between Abraham and Isaac. All that Moses tells us is that Isaac allowed his father to bind his hands and feet and then helped his father place him on the altar on top of the wood. While Moses does not give us all the details, here is a question to consider: How much would you have to trust your dad to allow him to bind you and place you on an altar? As a twenty or thirty something, how much trust would you have to have in your father to allow your father to stretch out a butcher knife over you?

And imagine being Abraham. How much trust would you have to have in God to stretch out your hand to slay your son? How much trust would you have to have to kill and sacrifice as an act of worship to God the one person who could fulfill God’s promise that had been made to you? 

And if that is not enough, there is one additional piece of information that you need to know. When Moses says that Abraham stretched out the knife to slay his son, this is what that would have involved. You see, just like any other act of sacrificial worship, the first thing that Abraham would have done would be to be kill Isaac by cutting his throat with the butcher knife. Then Abraham would have to drain and dispose of the blood of his son Isaac. Then Abraham would have to cut Isaac into sections. And lastly, Abraham would have to place Isaac’s body parts on the altar to be burned until there was nothing but ashes. And you have to do that to your only son.

So back to the question that we asked yesterday, namely “What would possess Abraham to go through with this? What was Abraham thinking here?” Friday, we will see Moses answer these questions and reveal for us a timeless truth….