Day 48 - Abraham & Isaac

Read: Genesis 29:1-19

Reflect:The story of Abraham and Isaac. A test both pass because of their total faith in God. God tells Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him. Abraham follows, tying Isaac to the altar, but God stops him and gives a ram to offer instead. After, God reinforces His covenant with Abraham.

God tests the faith of Abraham. Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then 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.”.

God tested Abraham: This was not so much a test to produce faith, as it was a test to reveal faith. God built Abraham slowly, piece by piece, year by year, into a man of faith. This test would reveal some of the faith God had built into Abraham.

“Here I am” Abraham’s quick answer to the call is a wonderful example of how the man or woman of faith should respond to God. When Abraham said, “Here I am,” it meant that he was ready to be taught, ready to listen, ready to surrender all himself, and he was ready to be examined by God. Offer him there as a burnt offering: God told Abraham to offer him as a burnt offering. This was not an offering that was burned alive, but one with the life first taken by sacrifice and then the body completely burnt before the Lord.

Respond: What would you do if you were in Abrahams or Isaacs shoes? How would we react if God told us to do such a thing?