Sacrifice (Part 2)

"Then God said, "Take our son, your only son, whom you love-Isaac- and go the the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." Genesis 22:2

A sacrifice is defined in the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary as follows:
-the act of giving up something you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone
- the act of killing a person or animal in a religious ceremony as an offering to please God

In the Old Testament, sacrifice of animals was required in order to cover sin. The blood of the animal covered the sin of man and made restitution between God and the people. As I began to look into scripture, I was once again captivated by the story of Abraham and God's command to offer as a sacrifice Isaac, Abraham's beloved son. Take a moment sometime today and read Genesis 22:1-19 from your Bible.

God's request of Abraham was this, "Take your only son, whom you love- Isaac- and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." The very next morning Abraham arises, loads the donkey with wood for the fire, travels 3 days, and takes Isaac to Mount Moriah. He proceeds to bind Isaac and place him on the alter. Now you might be looking at this passage and thinking, "This is crazy. How could Abraham do such a thing? Didn't he care about Isaac at all? I could never give my child as a sacrifice. He had 3 days, why didn't he wake up and run home."

God knew Isaac loved his son. God even said, "your only son, whom you love." Abraham had another son, Ishmael, but obviously in his heart, Isaac was the favored son! So how could he decide to sacrifice his beloved son? What we have to understand is that Abraham and God had a history. A history where God had proven his faithfulness to Abraham in the past time and again. They had a history where Abraham had learned to be radically, instantly obedient. Their history proved God would never bring Abraham harm. Abraham trusted God.

Isaac was learning about sacrifice also. He knew that to offer sacrifice they needed a lamb. As they walked, Isaac questioned Abraham saying, "Where is the lamb?" And Abraham's response is this, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." We see Abraham's complete trust in those few words.

As the story draws to a close, Isaac was bound, placed on the alter, and Abraham was found holding a knife above his son in preparation to slay him. Just then an angel appeared and told Abraham not to kill his son. About that time, a stirring in the thicket revealed a ram struggling to free himself. God had faithfully provided! Abraham "offered" Isaac as a sacrifice and that was all God needed to show the depths of Abraham's heart. The child didn't need to be sacrificed, he just needed to be willing to give him if the Lord wanted him.

What I learned about sacrifice from this passage is this:
1. Sacrifice has to cost us something. (Taking the clothes I no longer wear to Goodwill is not a sacrifice. It is a gift!)
2. Sacrifice demands obedience out of love for our Father. It will not be easy! And that's why it's called a sacrifice.
3. When we offer a sacrifice, God will send an even greater blessing!
4. A sacrifice is given in faith as a blessing to the Lord. Not slapped on the alter with a grudging heart! God was testing Abraham to see if he was willing to offer Isaac. God will also test me to see if I'm willing to let him be the absolute authority in my life.


Dear Lord,
As we walk with you, we ask that you take us to this kind of faith. A faith that is radically obedient to your Word and your will. Give us strength for the journey, increase our faith through perseverance, and our love for you through a deeper knowledge of your sacrifice for us. In your precious name we pray,
Amen