A Burnt Offering
Most students of Holy Writ know the story of Abram who was called out from the land of Ur and whose name was changed to Abraham by God Himself.
But do we really comprehend the internal conflict of faith that this patriarch of the faith must have confronted when he later heard the words of Yahweh, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love" . . . and "sacrifice him there as a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:2).
A burnt offering would have required Abraham to cut Isaac’s throat, slice him into small segments, arrange these segments in order, and then burn all to ashes in a roaring fire. In addition, this request of God would have required Abraham to have an attitude of devotion, with deliberation and complete seriousness.
What a test of this man’s faith! "By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death" (Hebrews 11:17-19).
Today’s believers have the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the archaeological evidence, the historical evidence, the testimonies of many believers, and other proofs to reinforce their faith. Abraham had none of this historical heritage to lean on, only a limited number of times God had spoken to him.
How does your faith compare to Abraham’s faith?
- Jim Weikal
