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Isaac obeyed until death

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[Niv]Genesis 22: 9-12
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

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Abraham was very happy. When Abraham became 100 year olds God gave a son called Isaac through his loving wife Sarah. They loved their son, Isaac, so much since he was born by God’s miracle.

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Isaac gradually grew and became an age where he even looked dignified and became the pride of Abraham and Sarah because he always obeyed his parents’ words.

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And one day God appeared to Abraham.

“Abraham!”

“Yes, LORD. Speak to your servant.”

Abraham strained his ears to hear God’s voice hoping to hear good news.

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But God requested Abraham a very surprising thing.

“Abraham, offer up your son Isaac to me.”

For an instant Abraham was not able to say anything. He even doubted his hearing.

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“Go to mountain Moriah that, I command you and sacrifice your beloved only son Isaac to have him offered to me.”

Indeed, how can Abraham do as God commanded?

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That evening, Abraham said to Isaac:

“Sleep early because you need to travel a long distance tomorrow early in the morning to offer sacrifice to God.” “Okay, my father.”

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The next day early in the morning Abraham together with his loving son Isaac and some slaves, left for mountain Moriah where God had commanded. Mountain Moriah is a very long walk which would have taken about three days.

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Abraham told the slaves when they had finally reached mountain Moriah:

“Wait at this place while I go up the mountain and offer a sacrifice with Isaac.”

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Abraham laid a burden on Isaac’s back; the wood to be used in the sacrifice and he himself carried fire and a knife and continued going up the mountain.

Isaac asked Abraham:

“Father, there is fire and wood, but where is the lamb for the offering?”

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“God will prepare all the things for us.”

The truth is that they were going up the mountain to offer Isaac instead of a lamb.

Finally, they reached the mountain where God had commanded.

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Having reached the mountain, Abraham built an altar and prepared to make the offering.

So Abraham tied Isaac at once. Isaac obeyed his father without any words noticing what he was doing. Isaac obeyed his father even though he could have pushed his old father Abraham and escaped.

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Abraham laid Isaac at the top of the altar and raised his knife to kill Isaac.

Just at the moment, there was a sound from heaven:

“Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes, LORD. I’m here.”

“Do not lay your hands on him. Now I know that you really serve and trust me because you didn’t even withhold from me your only beloved son.”

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Abraham and Isaac offered a sacrifice to God by the lamb that God had prepared. Isaac laid his life in his father’s hand believing that his father conducted himself by faith. Isaac showed faith obeying his father willingly.

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But in these days, how many times do we disobey our parents ‘words even if they are easier things to obey than Isaac? I wish there would be no silly children who disobey their parents who are telling them for their growth of faith or telling them to study to become greater people of faith. I hope the children attending our church from today, the Father’s Sunday, will become children who obey and follow the good words of their parents ‘ teachings and reproaches told in faith.