The Test of Isaac

Life is a series of tests, waiting, breakthrough, and revelation in life. Just when you think you have arrived, another test comes along and makes you realize that for every test, we still have to exercise faith to cross over the crisis.

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.” Genesis 22:1-2

Finally, after 25 years of waiting, Abraham gets to have Isaac. Praise God!! But the story isn’t over. When Isaac is a young boy, God comes to test Abraham’s faith again. He asks Abraham to sacrifice his promised son. For a moment put yourself in Abraham’s shoes and think about how you would have felt. Our carnal thoughts would have taken us to quite a few questions: “God why did you make me the promises you made? Why did you choose to give me Isaac in the first place? Why does Isaac need to be sacrificed? Is my whole life going to revolve around the drama of a child? What is Isaac going to think of me as a father? Will it hurt him badly? Do I need to watch him go through pain? Why me? Isaac wasn’t my idea!!”

The Scripture doesn’t tell us that Abraham grew bitter or wrestled with God over any of the above questions or any other issue for that matter. It’s as if years of walking with God had taught Abraham that there is no point of trying to figure out what God is doing, or how he is going to do it. Just do as He tells you. There are a few things we can learn from this test:

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 the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” Genesis 22: 3-5

1. Abraham obeyed right away- He was very responsive to God. God speaks to him and the next day he packs up and leaves.

2. Abraham went prepared– He was diligent to take everything he needed to get the job done. He wasn’t going halfhearted, hoping that he can make excuses for not having everything with him to make the sacrifice. He wasn’t playing!!

3. Only a few knew about his trip– He didn’t call his friends to get their opinion on it or make sure they knew the kind of sacrifice he is about to make. His focus was to do God’s will and for that you only need a very few people with you. It reminds me of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Only three people were with him. Abraham took three people too. He had his son and the two young men!!

4. At some point you have to do it alone– Once it came to actually making the sacrifice he knew even the two young men with him had to stay a little further away from where he needed to take Isaac. The grace that God gives us to do what He asks us to do not everyone around us will have it or can see it. At times, others can become a hindrance to God’s will. Our allegiance to the Lord must be greater than any emotional attachment to those around us!!

So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.  But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”  And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Genesis 22: 6-8 5.

5. Abraham trusted God will provide– in the midst of the test, when Isaac asked about a lamb, Abraham used his faith to say that God will provide.

This particular word, “provide” in Hebrew means: to see, perceive, to have vision, to look at, regard, look after, see observe, watch, look upon, look after, give attention to, discern.

Basically, Abraham is saying that God is going to look after this situation. God is seeing and perceiving this situation. He will give attention to this matter. It reminds me of when Naomi encouraged Ruth by saying that knowing the kind of man Boaz was, he was going to look after the matter. Boaz was not going to rest until the matter of kinsman redeemer for Ruth was settled (Ruth 3).

If we have been blessed with people of integrity in our lives, isn’t it interesting how we are so sure they are going to take care of situations in a timely and appropriate manner? However, when it comes to God, we doubt Him, or we want to make sure it’s done right or in our time frame. Lord, forgive us for our doubts. You look after the matter better than we even can!!

6. Abraham put his love for the Lord above his love for his son- In the natural, this did not make sense. Abraham didn’t try to change God’s mind or ask him a few questions. In the past, he had interceded in behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah and had asked God to change the punishment for those cities, but this time it was different. This was not a punishment but a test, and Abraham knew he needed to walk through it.

7. Isaac trusted God through trusting his father– Abraham’s faith allowed Isaac to stay calm and at peace. Isaac was much younger than his old father and he could have easily resisted his father binding him, but he trusted Abraham as Abraham trusted God. In the eye of the storm there is peace because you know you are at the center of God’s will. Where God’s will lead you, He will provide for you. Others are watching you go through the test including your own family. How you respond to God in times of your testing can build faith in those around you. This is the practical application of what you may have taught people around you for years!!

Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”  And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”  Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” Genesis 22:9-14

8. When the test is completed, there is provision and revelation- Once God stopped him from Sacrificing Isaac, Abraham looked up and saw the ram behind him. Now he saw in the natural the manifest provision. Faith gives us spiritual eyes to see what is yet invisible to the natural eyes. That’s what allows us to keep going in the right direction until we are on the other side of the test.

When we are going through a test we don’t necessarily see it as a test, or we don’t perceive its value. We don’t know the objective of the test and what we will learn from it. Many times we may see it as a problem or a hindrance and wish/pray it would go away!!

Every test is an opportunity to learn about God’s character and learn about our character. Every test is a test of how well we know God!! We may have all the right scriptures about God  and His character, but a test becomes an opportunity to know how well we know it in our heart not just in our mind/memory. When we navigate through the test well, we will get to have a new revelation of God’s goodness, mercy, and provision. Praise God that He walks with us through the test!!