Genesis 22:1-14 1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
When you gather together as a family and have extended time to talk, do you ever just reminisce? Do you tell stories about times the family has had together? I can just hear the stories of reflection about his dad flowing from Isaac as he’s like, “Hey, Dad, do you remember the time we went on a three-day hike to worship God and when we got to the place of worship you bound me with ropes to a wooden altar and lifted a dagger to kill me? Good times, right? You wouldn’t think that experience would have created major Father/Son bonding. You would think Isaac would have had some major PTSD from that episode. I’m sure he could have, had Abraham not been the Father he turned out to be and had he not taught Isaac about all that experience involved.
So, instead of recounting the story that way, I’m guessing Isaac would have told the story like this:
Hey Dad,
Remember the time you taught me about radical obedience?
Remember the time you modeled unwavering faith?
Remember the time you demonstrated that God is good and can always be trusted?
Remember the time you showed me that provision comes when we look up to God?
Well, Isaac grew up and went on to be a good husband. He loved his wife, Rebekah, Genesis 24:67. They were blessed with twin boys, Jacob and Esau. Even though there was some trickery that took place regarding which son received Isaac’s greater blessing, and the younger son, Jacob, wound up getting the blessing that was to have been reserved for the older child, Isaac seemed to accept that as the will of God.
We see Isaac had the kind of obedience his father displayed for when there was a famine in the land, God appeared to Isaac and told him not to go to Egypt but to remain in the land. Isaac obeyed. God promised to be with Isaac and bless him and give the land to Isaac’s descendants. God reaffirmed the covenant He had made with Abraham, saying that He would make his descendants as numerous as the stars and bless all the nations of the earth through them (Genesis 26:1-6). God found Isaac trustworthy, so much so,that He reiterated His covenant with Abraham to Isaac and proliferated His promise through Isaac.
Though there are no great achievements to speak of concerning Isaac’s life, it was Isaac whom God chose to continue the covenant line, the same line that would produce the Messiah, Jesus. And for many generations the Jewish nation described their God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Isaac did indeed follow in his father’s footsteps, and they were great footsteps to follow!
Isaac was able to be used of God because he embraced what his dad instilled in him. Dads and moms, you have more influence than you know. What will your kids remember when they reminiscence about your parenting? Will they remember your radical obedience, your unwavering faith, that God is always good and can be trusted and that they can look up to God to provide for their every need?
