From My Heart To You

ISAAC AS A CHILD


Abraham was a man of great faith. He believed the
mysterious stranger who had told him that God would
give him a son. Sarah had laughed at the idea. Her
husband and she were now old, and people of their age
just didn't have children. Abraham, she felt, was
indulging in wishful thinking. All his life he had
prayed that she would bear him a son, and he could not
reconcile himself to the fact that his greatest hope
would never be realized. But Sarah was wrong. Abraham's
faith in God was justified.

When Sarah gave birth, Abraham was beside himself with
joy. He doted on his new son and named him Isaac,
meaning Laughter, because of the gladness the child had
brought into his life. As the boy grew Abraham became
more and more attached to him. Indeed he often thought
that he did, perhaps, love his son too much. Was it
possible that his love for Isaac could be greater than
his love of God? This worried Abraham, but he never
imagined that one day God would test him severely to
discover the answer to this question.

The test came suddenly. God told Abraham to take Isaac
to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt
offering. The divine command stunned Abraham. His
loving heart was torn as his love of God clashed with
his love for Isaac. But at last the struggle to make
the dreadful decision was over. As Abraham knelt in
prayer he knew he would obey God. He knew that love of
God must always come first.

Next morning Abraham set out with Isaac for Mount Moriah.
When he reached his destination he told Isaac to help
him build a wooden altar. Isaac was puzzled, and told his
father that they had no lamb to offer in sacrifice.
Abraham his heart breaking, looked at the boy and answered
that God would provide the victim. Then he seized Isaac
and bound him to the altar. Through unbelieving and
terrified eyes the boy watched his father raise his knife
to strike him. Suddenly a voice thundered from heaven
commanding Abraham to stop. God was satisfied. Abraham
had proved his total love and obedience. His reward
would be great. God's promise, made to him many years
ago, would be fulfilled. Abraham, through his beloved
son Isaac, would father a great nation from which would
come Jesus, in whom "all the nations of the earth shall
be blessed."

Isaac had a truly remarkable love and respect for his
father. His loving obedience and complete trust in
Abraham did not waver even when tested to the extreme
as it was in the incident described above. Though
God does not normally subject sons and daughters to
such extreme tests, He does require them to honor their
parents always, and expects them to give their father
and mother the loving respect that is their due.

Midi ~ Farther