Lay Down Your Isaac

Author: Dorri Smith, serves as director of Sanctuary, our pastoral care center

 

I am participating in Cleansing Stream.  Wow - what a powerful experience!  This past Sunday, we watched a video titled "Commit Everything to God."  It explained that, "Commitment involves trusting - trusting the One who has proven Himself to be trustworthy, and placing in His hands anything that would distract, be an obstacle or be used to assault your soul on your path as you walk in the Spirit."

 

Trust is a strange thing.  Some people trust everyone.  Some people trust no one.  Some people have a discipline of discernment concerning how and when to trust.

 

In Genesis 22, the Bible talks about Abraham following God and trusting Him.  We read:

 

Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith.  "Abraham!"  God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am."  "Take your son, your only son-yes, Isaac, whom you love so much-and go to the land of Moriah.  Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you."  (Genesis 22:1-2 NLT)

 

Can you imagine being asked to do this?  Think about what it is that God is asking of Abraham.  He wanted him to take his only son, his promised son, and sacrifice him.  Over the years, Abraham had to learn many lessons of obedience to God, but to ask him to give up his son - just like that?  Yes, just like that.

 

When God said to Abraham, take your son Isaac and travel to Moriah and sacrifice him as a burnt offering, Abraham chopped wood for a fire that would go upon the altar, saddled up his donkey, and brought Isaac and started on the journey.  They traveled about 60 miles, and it took them three days to get to Moriah.  Three days!  What must have been going through Abraham's mind?  They finally reach their destination, and Isaac asks his father about the sacrifice.   Abraham answers, "God will see to it, my son."  What faith!  What trust!  What true obedience to know that God will see to it!

"This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed-all because you have obeyed me." (Genesis 22:10-12, 15-18 NLT)

 

Even now, as I read this story and know the ending, I am awed at the obedience Abraham had to God.  Why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son?  God did not want the actual death of Isaac, but He wanted Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in his heart so that he truly knew that he loved God more than his promised son.  God wanted to know that Abraham placed Him first above everything else.  What a test of faith! Abraham had learned that belief and dependence on God always resulted in a far better outcome than he had ever imagined possible.

Abraham's story shows me that obeying God can be a struggle.  It shows me that I may have to give up something I truly want or desire or think I should have in order to obey.  This shows me that I should not expect obedience to God to be easy or to come naturally.

What does it mean to give up?  Does it mean failure?  Does it mean we are out of control? That would depend on what your "Isaac" is.  Is it your time, money, house, car, status, the material things you have around you, your husband, your children?  Maybe it is your job, ego, your perfectionist attitude, collections, friends, drugs, alcohol, your vice?  I could list many more, but your "Isaac" is anything that you place before God or to which you assign greater importance above and before God.  Your "Isaac" is an idol - plain and simple.

To be obedient to God we must sacrifice our "Isaac" in our hearts so that we know we truly love God more than our "Isaac."  To give up your "Isaac" doesn't mean failure, but success.  It doesn't mean we are out of control, but that we are in God's control.  It doesn't mean we no longer have the things we need, but that God will provide.  It does mean faith.  It does mean trust.  It does mean committing everything to God.  It means true obedience to God who wants to be in our hearts and bless us.

 

So I ask you, "What is your "Isaac?"  Are you willing to give up the things that you treasure most in obedience to God?  Are you willing to get to that final moment when it looks completely out of your control to prove just that?  To prove that you are not the one in control? Is there anything or anyone in your life that has such a tight tug on your heart that if you had to let them go, a huge hole would appear?  If the answer is "yes", then it is time to lay your "Isaac" down at the altar of sacrifice today, and God will prove faithful.  He always does!