Wow. I need to get my act together. I did not realize it has been that long since my last post. Life has been indeed busy, and I have not made the proper adjustments in my schedule to ensure consistency here. However, due to the Lord giving me insight on how to better manage my time I will hopefully be able to be a bit more regular. For those that follow and read, thank you for your patience and grace.
I have been reading through Genesis, particularly the story of Abraham this past week. Abraham is referred to by Paul as a hero of faith in Hebrews 11. One of the defining moments of Abraham's life is in Genesis 22:2.
"And 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 22:2, NKJV)
If you don't know the story, Abraham heeds God's command and takes his son to Moriah, takes him up to the mountains, ties him to an altar, and just as he is about to sacrifice him the Angel of the LORD calls to him and says:
"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." (Genesis 22:12, NKJV)
A ram is then seen caught in some thorns and becomes a replacement sacrifice for Isaac.
First thing I want to point out here is in verse 2. This is the first time LOVE is mentioned in the bible. This is also the first time God asked a man to make such a great sacrifice. The two go hand in hand. True sacrifice is not done begrudgingly. It is not done for ulterior motives. True sacrifice takes true love, and it takes true love on both sides. On one side it's a sacrifice because, in this case, Abraham is having to sacrifice someone he probably loves more than anything in this world (next to Sarah). It's a sacrifice because of the immense heartache it is going to cause him if he has to go all the way with it. On the other side, Abraham loves God more and if this is what God is asking him to do than he has no choice but to trust that God knows what He is doing. This is also where Abraham becomes know for his faith.
Throughout his life, God has been guiding him and leading him. God asked Abraham to move from his homeland to the future land of Israel. By faith, Abraham makes the move. Lot, Abraham's nephew, is taken captive in a war that breaks out between surrounding nations. Abraham hears the news and takes 318 of his trained servants that were born in his house (God's blessing was truly on this guy), attacks and pursues Lot's captures, recovers all the stolen goods, the women and people, and of course Lot. This is shown to be a testament of faith that God was going to give him victory here because he honors God by tithing immediately following this battle to the priest king of Salem, Melchizedek. Now onto the call to sacrifice Isaac. Early in God's and Abraham's relationship, God told him that He was going to make him a great nation through his seed and all his descendants will be as sand on the seashore (innumerable, in case you wondering about the reference). God later defines that the seed of Israel will come from Abraham and Sarah. Granted they were old (really old), but God delivered on the promise with the birth of Isaac. Seeing what God has already done in his life, Abraham was able to answer the call to sacrifice his son, because he knew one thing. God promised him that he would have an innumerable amount of descendants. With only having the one son with Sarah, one of two things was going to have to happen. God was going to bless him with another son if he had to sacrifice this one, or God was going to bless him with a replacement sacrifice, and looking at the text Abraham was expecting and received the latter.
What we have to know about faith is that it takes action. In the book of James it says, "Faith without works is dead". I can look at chair and say I have faith it will hold me up, but I have to sit in the chair in order to show I have the faith I say I do.
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