Repeated phrases:
(1) Burnt offering v.2, 3, 6,7,8,13
(NET) A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.
(2) "Your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac," v.2, 12, 16
(NET) The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.
(3) Abraham did not withhold his son from God
22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” the angel said. “Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
v.16b, 17a because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants
God counted that as a sign of obedience to Him,
22:18 Because you have obeyed me, all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.’ ”
Reflection: Although Abraham did not know why God told him to offer his son as sacrifice he did it and showed that he would not withholding anything back from God. Do we withhold anything from God? If God ask for something or someone you love would you obey? What kind of believer could do that?
(4) "God will provide for Himself" v.8, 14. The first time Abraham said that he was thinking Isaac was the one that God will provide for Himself as sacrifice. Abraham knew that Isaac was not his. God gave Isaac to him as a miracle. He and Sarah was not able to give birth to Isaac if God did not enable them to do that.
(5) Before and after Abraham offered Isaac, the passage mentioned twice his servants,
22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac...
22:4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of the place in the distance. 22:5 So he said to his servants, “You two stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go up there. We will worship and then return to you.”
22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed.
Why did Abraham took his servants with them? There is no mention of any servant that Abraham took to any trip except his fighting with the 4 kings in ch 14. I think there are 2 reasons for the description of the servants:
1. In v.4-5, he knew that he would not want the servants to go any further with them because the offering of Isaac would not be understood and they might stop him.
2. In v.5, what he said to them expressed his faith to God.
(NET)It is impossible to know what Abraham was thinking when he said, “we will … return to you.” When he went he knew (1) that he was to sacrifice Isaac, and (2) that God intended to fulfill his earlier promises through Isaac. How he reconciled those facts is not clear in the text. Heb 11:17–19 suggests that Abraham believed God could restore Isaac to him through resurrection.
Reflection: Abram obeyed God to the extend that not many people would accept (Including his servants). However, he knew that God was the One who gave and the one that could take it back so he obeyed and gave God back Isaac. However, he somehow knew that God had to raise Isaac back to live so that the covenant of many sons will be fulfilled. That's why he told his servants that they would return back. Without knowing anyone else being resurrected in the history (of Abramham's time) his faith was incredible.
What about our faith? Would your faith so incredible that no one would understand you? Or you faith help you to accept that God could take anything back from you? Or your faith help you to accept something that is unprecedented?
Remember, Abraham was also flesh and blood like us. He failed and pushed his wife to protect him twice. He was not a hero and sinless. He would offered Isaac only because of his faith.
Audrey
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