Jump Start # 3818
Genesis 22:11 “but the angel of the Lord called to him from Heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, ‘Here I am.’”
Our passage today comes from the unbelievable test and trust in Abraham’s life. God commanded Abraham to take the child of promise, the son he loved, Isaac, and slay him as an offering to the Lord. Two very vital components of this command of God must be realized.
First, no one had been resurrected prior to this. Abraham had nothing to point to as a reference to how God would handle this. We stand upon multiple resurrections this side of the cross. We know that we will be raised. Abraham only had trust in the Lord to rely upon.
Second, as hard as it would be to kill your own child, Abraham was commanded by God to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. We know what that’s like later in our Bibles. Israel offered many burnt offerings. A live animal would have it’s throat slit. While it was gasping for breath, blood would be collected. Then, after the animal died, it would be cut up and then burned. This is what God was requiring Abraham to do. Not only had there been no resurrections up to this point, how would God resurrect Isaac if there was nothing left? What if he was burned up? How could God do that?
It is interesting to see when God stopped Abraham.
· When Abraham rose early, gathered the wood and his servants, God could have said, “You are going through with this.” But, God did not stop Abraham then.
· They journeyed for three days. God did not stop Abraham on day two. He did not stop him on day three.
· Abraham and Isaac left the servants and walked to where they would build the altar. God did not stop Abraham then.
· Abraham built the altar, but God did not stop him.
· Abraham arranged the wood, but God did not stop him.
· Abraham tied up Isaac, but God did not stop him.
· Abraham laid Isaac on the altar, but God did not stop him.
· Abraham took out his knife, but God did not stop him.
· When Abraham stretched out his hand to slay his son, only then God stopped him.
I wonder if we quit too early on God. There is something we are supposed to do. It becomes a thought in our mind and that’s as far as it gets. We think that’s enough. A phone call to encourage, but we don’t make it. A card to lift spirits, but it’s never mailed. We satisfy ourselves by thinking the thought was enough.
Abraham wasn’t stopped early. It wasn’t until he had the knife in his hand and he was about to slay Isaac that God stopped him and declared, “Now I know that you fear God.” And, maybe we just don’t know that about ourselves because we quit too soon. “Now I know” wasn’t declared when Abraham loaded up his donkey. It wasn’t declared when he traveled three days. It wasn’t declared when he built the altar. It was only declared when he raised his knife to slay Isaac. And, maybe, just maybe, we don’t really know that we fear God because we have stopped short. We have stopped too soon. It was more than just a thought in Abraham’s mind. It was the actions of his life that led God to make that declaration.
So, don’t quit because it’s uncomfortable. Don’t quit because it’s hard. Don’t quit because you don’t like it. Don’t quit because you don’t feel like doing something.
Do you need to apologize? Just thinking about it, isn’t enough. Go through with it.
Do you need to forgive? Just thinking about it, isn’t enough. Go through with it.
Do you need to do more for the Lord? Just thinking about it, isn’t enough. Go through with it.
Abraham stretched out his hand and then the Lord stopped him. Keep going until the Lord stops you.
Roger