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Christians are encouraged to walk in the steps of Abraham, the father of the faithful.
by Jerold Aust
on, let's go to the mountaintop and offer
a sacrifice to God." Abraham believed his son would be that
sacrifice, but Isaac assumed they would sacrifice a lamb. Fully
trusting his father, Isaac might have even reached for his father's
hand.
The touch of his son's hand must have sent shock waves through Abraham's body. Abraham's mind was whirring; his thoughts alternated from deliberate, studied obedience and faith to passionate resistance, hoping that God might rescind this almost unthinkable directive.
Although the biblical narrative doesn't directly reveal Abraham's feelings until Genesis 22:8, we can speculate on the probable thoughts and emotions of Abraham. Abraham's faith is in evidence; the reader, unlike Abraham, can know how the story will end. God didn't want Abraham to kill his son; He was testing Abraham's faith in Him.
"All right, Father, let's go. May I help carry the wood?"
Abraham could only nod consent, for the lump in his throat blocked the sound that would otherwise have offered a simple, "Yes, you may, my son."
Off they went, a sad father, his trusting son and two servants, toward the mountain on which Abraham believed he would sacrifice the only son whom God, in their old age, had given him and Sarah (Genesis 18:10,11).
Three days later the travelers arrived at their destination, tired but aware this was the mountain God had chosen for them.
"Stay here while my son and I worship, then we will return to you," Abraham told his servants.
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