Genesis 22:6-12
As a parent there are times when my children do what they are told to do, but there are many times when they question why they have been asked to do this task or that task. Such resistance can be aggravating, but in general I realize that my children seldom question what I do.
They don’t ask if I know what I am doing as I work, or ask if I know where I am going when I drive. In the important things in life they trust that I know what I am doing and they trust that I am doing my best for all of us in our family.
As we continue examining the family of faith which began with Abram, we turn back from Isaac’s bride and go to Isaac as a child. Abraham and his wife Sarah have waited years and years to finally have a child. At last their faithfulness has paid off. But then God requires an act of faith from Abraham.
What has Abraham been asked to do? How does Isaac react to all of this? What is the end result?
This story is one of the ultimate examples of faith in God. Abraham was willing to give up the one thing he desired most, the one thing he had waited so long to receive. He was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac because he was a faithful believer in God.
But there was another faithful member of this family. Isaac asks about the sacrifice as they begin to leave, and his father assures him that God will provide. Then, even as Abraham binds his son, lays him on the wood and draws a knife, there is no indication that Isaac was questioning his father.
Just as Abraham was willing to make the sacrifice, Isaac, it would seem, was willing to be the sacrifice. Or at least he trusted that he would not be the sacrifice even when it appeared he was destined to die.
This attitude separates the believer from the faithful. With the Super Bowl approaching we can turn this comparison into a football analogy. Are you a fan or a follower? A fan is interested in a team. A follower is devoted to that team.
Abraham and Isaac were more than fans of God; they were followers. Abraham and Isaac not only believed in God, they were faithful to Him, trusting that God would provide for all their needs and protect them from heartache.
DAILY CHALLENGE: What is your relationship to God – are you a fan or a follower?
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