In verse 1 the Bible says that, "God did tempt Abraham," but in James 1 we are told that God does not tempt any man, so I looked at the Hebrew word behind "tempt" and it basically means to test or try (Heather helps explain this in her recent post on the Lord's Prayer). In other words, God does not try to get us to sin, but He does allow situations in our lives that test or try us, I believe, sometimes just so we will know where we are at spiritually.
Twice prior to this testing Abraham had lied about Sarah being his sister (not his wife) evidencing a lack of faith in God's capability to protect him and Sarah from harm; but when this testing comes verse 3 tells us that "Abraham rose up early in the morning." There is no recorded discussion (pleading or arguing) with God from Abraham, rather he does as he is instructed quickly. A friend of mine says, "Slow obedience is no obedience." Abraham obeyed God quickly and completely, trusting Him fully with everything. I think many of us, were we in Abraham's shoes, would be tempted to try and give God a "way out" thinking that surely this couldn't really be His will because Isaac was the promised seed and if he were dead how could God fulfill His promise (trying to fit God into a box we can understand--not a good idea) How could He ask us to do this? Surely there's a mistake in our understanding of what He wants. But Abraham had come to the place where He, by faith, quickly obeyed God's command without question. I wonder what our reaction would be if God were to ask us do something equivalent in our life to this? Abraham's confidence in God is reiterated in verse eight in his response to Isaac, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering."
Also in verse nine we see that Isaac trusted his father, but more importantly he had faith in God. He allowed his father to bind him and lay him on the altar. It is important to remember here that Isaac was not so young a lad at this point that he could not have resisted if he wanted to; at this point he was likely in his 20s or 30s, well old and strong enough to resist his father if he had so desired, but he didn't. He submitted to his father just as Jesus did when He offered Himself as a sacrifice. When I read this it makes me think of something that my pastor has said: In Romans 12 we are told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice; the word living is key here as a living sacrifice can get back off of the altar or decide not to get on in the first place. A dead sacrifice has no choice whatsoever, but a living sacrifice chooses daily, sometimes more often, to stay or get back on the altar.
In verses 16-18 the LORD tells Abraham through an angel that, "For because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."
When we are obedient to God, no matter what, He does bless. Sometimes we don't see His blessing here, but you can never out-give God--He will bless your obedience. Besides, obedience should come from love and faith in God more than a desire for His blessing us. We can never repay what He has done for us, but we can show our love and gratitude by immediate, unquestioning obedience.
"When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love Him."~Elisabeth Elliot
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