«And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me'» (Genesis 22:12).
Abraham had justified his wrong actions on two occasions. Fortunately, God always gives us countless opportunities to obey, but we must not wait until our trials are unbearable to do so.
«The sacrifice required of Abraham was not alone for his own good, nor solely for the benefit of succeeding generations; but it was also for the instruction of the sinless intelligences of heaven and of other worlds… Because Abraham had shown a lack of faith in God’s promises, Satan had accused him before the angels and before God of having failed to comply with the conditions of the covenant, and as unworthy of its blessings. God desired to prove the loyalty of His servant before all heaven, to demonstrate that nothing less than perfect obedience can be accepted.»—Patriarchs and Prophets, ch. 13, p. 154.
Any father would have found reasons not to sacrifice his son: The Bible says «Thou shalt not kill. » Child sacrifice is a pagan practice. Maybe it wasn’t God speaking to me. If Isaac dies, how will the promise that I will be the father of multitudes be fulfilled? The servants saw us both going up the mountain; if I come down alone and Isaac shows up dead, I will be the prime suspect. When we are unwilling to obey, our list of excuses is unending.
Abraham’s heart was undone. He had doubted God’s protective power before the people of Gerar, and now God was testing his obedience. Faint and breathless, he lifts the knife, then an angel appears on the scene. The sacrifice was complete; Abraham’s willingness to obey without demanding any explanation was accepted as a sacrificial offering.
«Heavenly beings were witnesses of the scene as the faith of Abraham and the submission of Isaac were tested… All heaven beheld with wonder and admiration Abraham’s unfaltering obedience. All heaven applauded his fidelity. Satan’s accusations were shown to be false. God declared to His servant: «Now I know that thou fearest God [notwithstanding Satan’s charges], seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.»—Patriarchs and Prophets, ch. 13, p. 155.
Doing the right thing is often supremely painful, incomprehensible, and may seem to go against all reasoning and feeling. If Abraham had rationalized things, he would not have obeyed.
Renew your pact of obedience and fear of God today, and all of heaven will applaud your faithfulness.
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Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
