“I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Gen 22,16-18)

God spontaneously blesses that which bears His character. This has just been demonstrated it in its fullness in Abraham, and therefore God pronounces upon him the greatest blessing He has bestowed on anyone in this life. It exceeds all previous ones - it no longer concerns only his offspring, the multiplication of the race and the formation of a nation; God will literally bless the whole world through him. It is, of course, a reference to the blessed seed, the beloved son of Isaac - Christ, who will be given as an eternal blessing to the whole world, not just Israel. 

Most of the time we assume that God blesses specific people and the motive is that he (so-called) loves them. We wonder how to make even a drop of his blessing rest on us. But often this is just a mental shorthand, corresponding more to a conception of love in the world around us that has nothing to do with spiritual reality. For God first and foremost blesses what is his, what bears his character, what has his essence. Such a person, work, or church receives God's blessing essentially immediately and without the need to scramble for it in prayer. The key is to be in harmony with God. After all, God wants to bless; it is one of the main characteristics of His heart! But alas, he often does not finds many to bless. For the whole of Scripture shows how he ceases to bless that which is contrary to his heavenly character, that which is out of his nature, that which is in rebellion to him. Why should he do this? For to what ends would it lead? 

The most important foundation for the way of blessing is therefore the word given to Abraham: "...because you have obeyed my voice". Let us add that not as someone who obeys, however, in essence disagrees with what he does. But as someone who acts from the heart because he is inwardly tuned in on the same wavelength with God. Such a person experiences his obedience as freedom.

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.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. (Gen 22,12-13)

It is not written in the whole story with what heart Abraham walked those three days to Mount Moriah. Some see him as a broken man, crushed by the coming loss of his dearest offspring. But some (who do not like believers) may see him as a fanatic who regrets nothing if it pleases his god. Then he would indeed experience a loss, but on the other hand it would be compensated by a sense of elation, just as in the case of some parents who are able to take pride in their children's self-sacrifice in bombing the "infidels".

It's not written there - and yet it's the most important question for the whole story! For it is what determines whether Abraham stood the test.

When someone inwardly surrenders an issue to God, he usually experiences relief and deliverance. The ties that bound him to that thing are released. Was Abraham freed in this way, so that surrending Isaac did not burden him so much? We do not know from the text, and yet the answer is hidden there. The key is God's instruction to "take your only son whom you love". It is not true that Abraham acted out of blind bigotry or that his feelings were dulled. He had to fight his obedience internally and must have experienced great pain. However, once he came to the point where he would have actually done it, God halted him and gave him another scapegoat because he really didn't want a human sacrifice. But He wanted another thing.

God once created man in His image. But since the fall, man has alienated from that image, and what remains of it, if anything, is more or less just a broken mirror, fragments of what it once was. With a few bright exceptions, God had no longer seen his image anywhere on earth.

Until there appeared a man from Ur of the Chaldees. He who was willing to follow him, to trust his word and especially his character above all else. Who, for all his imperfections and faults, knew and loved God. And as he grew in this, he took on God´s character to such an extent that when God looked upon the earth during the three days of Abraham's journey to Mount Moriah - later Jerusalem - he saw in this man what he longed so much to see again: His own image of sacrificial love.

For it would be no one else than the beloved son of God whom God would give up centuries later to be sacrificed right here for the sins of man. But then no angel would come to stop this sacrifice. For God "so loved the world..."

Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. (Gen 22,3-4)

Abraham reached the place where Orthodox Jews believe the key events of spiritual history took place. Here Jacob would later have a vision of the open heavens; here fire would fall on David's sacrifice to mark the place for sacrifice; here Solomon's temple would stand; and "when the fullness of time is fulfilled" (Gal. 4:4) the beloved Son, the Lamb of God, would be sacrificed again on this mountain.

God made His will known to Abraham. From that moment on, it was up to him to obey and to what extent. He could still stop. He could turn around and go back. He could continue and look for another replacement instead of his son. Then he would have hold a grand sacrificial assembly on the mountain and presented to God a different version of worship than God wanted. Abraham did none of these things, but that doesn't mean that such things weren't on his mind as well. At the moment God spoke to him, he felt His nearness, but that experience faded and he was then left only alone there. He had to weigh how he was going to behave, and whether he would drink the bitter cup to the bottom.

He thought of many things, but he did not argue with God at all. It is clear that he no longer considered his or Isaac's life a private matter. God knows what I'm going through, and even whether Isaac is still alive I simply take from God's hand. He heard God again only after he had obeyed. This is the general principle of trial - after the trial is over, God draws nearer to man than ever before.

It was Jacob who later had a look into the spiritual world here. But he had a different attitude. That knowledge was certainly exciting and uplifting, but it was of little use to him; he saw many things but did not obey. Therefore God could not bless him yet; on the other hand, Jacob had a very hard life afterwards. Many people today are still trying to do the same thing - to come to a knowledge of the spiritual world without having to obey God. But it's futile. To obtain blessing, Jacob first had to be transformed, even broken. The blessing comes to those who obey.

Which sometimes means being ready to give God our most precious things, to get up early and walk the long road He has shown us. Until we hear His voice again.

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. (Gen 22,3-4)

 

With what heart was Abraham walking toward the announced goal? Some believe that he essentially knew that God would not ask him to do such a thing. But we have explained that he may not have known about the unacceptability of human sacrifice; he had no other source of knowledge (oral or written theology) besides his own experience with God, and he had probabaly never dealt with the question himself. So, on the contrary, he prepared everything for the long journey, taking wood and servants with him. Obviously, he did not leave the door open to the possibility that the sacrifice would not take place. The whole story would not have made sense if he thought it was just a game.

 

After all, even the interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks clearly of Abraham having been prepared to sacrifice his son. If he had any hope, it was not that the sacrifice would not take place, but that it would, yet God would later resurrect Isaac (Heb. 11:17-19).

 

Nevertheless one must work his way to such a faith. It's easy to imagine it vividly when we read this story in the Bible, but let's try to put ourselves in Abraham's frame of mind as he walks behind his servants for three days, still looking back at his beloved son who is just about to die. To have faith in the resurrection in such a situation is different than having it in the warmth of home sitting over a book.

Abraham had to say goodbye forever in his heart to Isaac, whom he had miraculously begotten and loved. It is hard to imagine what he was going through in those moments. His only hope of being reunited with Isaac was the resurrection. Thus he would receive from God's hand back a son who had tasted death, died and been resurrected. But is God capable of such a thing? Yet as he was putting together the picture he had obtained of God over the years and the promises God had made to him, he cautiously asked himself: but would  God be able not do this after all?

 

Today we know what Abraham did not know along the way: that God did not really want the sacrifice of Isaac. From God's perspective, the test of Abraham consisted just in the three days of wandering when Abraham found himself in this immense internal struggle.

 

In his heart played out what would play out again centuries later in the same place, on this mount: another father would lose here for three days his beloved son.

Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering...” (Gen 22,2)

The test Abraham faced was not just whether he would be willing to return to God the greatest gift he had received from Him. That is, whether Isaac belonged entirely to him, Abraham, or whether he belonged to God and Abraham was merely an administrator of his. For most people, such a relationship with the most precious things and people is hard to imagine, but it is truly something that God introduces His people into. The joy of living in such liberated relationships is not diminished, quite the opposite. But this is only fully understood by those who experience it.

Abraham's son Isaac has long since ceased to be just one who represented God's promise, His answer and gift, the continuation of the lineage, the plan for the world. Abraham now didn't have to process just the theological side of things - how was it that God would ask of him the only descendant through whom the nation he had repeatedly promised would come? Why something like this, had God changed his will regarding the future? This had never happened to him before; rather, he had recognized earlier that God stood by His word even when Abraham doubted. Processing these questions was not easy, but it was far from the hardest part. "Take your only son whom you love..."

We know that God "is love" (1Jn.4:16). He is love from the beginning of creation, yet this is now the first place the word "to love" is explicitly used in the Bible. Not that love did not exist in the world before then, such as between God and man or between man and woman. But it is noteworthy that the first time Scripture speaks of someone loving someone, it is the father (Abraham) of a son (Isaac).

When Abraham once clung to Ishmael, he was very distressed when he then had to send him away. But it was nothing compared to what he was now experiencing in his relationship with Isaac. The deepest essence of the Mount Moriah´s trial is something different than a struggle for faith. 

It is the question whether a man would lose his beloved son for God.

Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Gen 22,2)

Never before had Abraham been put to such a strange test. He had already experienced the test of God's silence and the vain expectation to receive the fulfillment of the promise. It had lasted too long, and in those years he had learned that God does not lie and in the end can do the impossible.

 

But now he was going much further. If at first God did not give him what Abraham longed for, now he wants to take away what Abraham has and loves. God never asked him to make human sacrifices, and even when Abraham was victorious in battle, he did not resort to such practices. But he did not yet have the Torah and the Prophets in his hand, he had no teachers to verify that this was an abomination in God's eyes. He suspected, but could not know for sure, whether God condemned such practice or not. When God told him what to do, Abraham had to take it as he was told and decide whether to obey.

 

We all know the test when God does not seem to act. Even Jesus refers to it as a normal spiritual experience when the door is closed and the friend is unwilling to listen to requests (Luke 11:5-8). It is as if to say that this is how God will appear to us at times, but we must continue, persevere, not give up.

 

But the call to sacrifice a son was quite a "new level" for Abraham. God is really acting, but in a very strange way: against His formerly revealed will, against His plan, literally against His own people.

 

Unlike Abraham at this moment, we who live thousands years later know how the story turned out. But he did not have that advantage. His head was spinning and he was breathing heavily, swallowing empty. For twenty-five years he climbed the heights of faith until he believed in life from death. Now he understood that another peak was still ahead of him, and its name was Moriah.

 

It was just dawn and he had to begin to prepare for his journey.

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Gen 22,1-2)

We have already said that God wanted to test Abraham not to find faults and failures in him. It reminds us of testing in school, where most teachers surely test their students with the intention of wishing them a good grade, which after all crowns their own work, and not to humiliate them in front of the blackboard. While there may be exceptions sometimes, that is not the case with our God. God rejoices when He finds a man after His own heart on earth.

But Abraham certainly did not expect a test of this kind. After all, only a few years before he had gloriously achieved what God had promised him, and so far he had lived with a consciousness of great gratitude. How long he had waited for that moment! He knew that he could wish for nothing more for his life, and he had had enough. All he ever worried about were the usual risks that could hurt anyone, even his son - sickness, injury, war. But he was learning to see Isaac from a different angle. If God, the Judge of all the earth, had a plan for this child, then He didn't give it to him only to lose him again soon. At least until that special purpose God has for him is fulfilled.

"Go to the land of Moriah, and there offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will tell you about." God did not call Abraham to add a new element to his religion by building altars on the ground for human sacrifices as some ancient cults did. Many would have understood it that way: if God asks something of me, then surely it is a new rule that should apply to everyone. But here it was something else, a special and personal Abrahamic journey, a one-time act of obedience. Something that took place between him and God. Abraham went through a great development in his relationship with Isaac and had to wrestle with difficult questions: would he view him as a fruit of his old age, would he appropriate him and cling to him as his only offspring, in short, was Isaac his most prized possession or rather a gift from God that Abraham was merely managing on earth?

Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Gen 22,2)

Never before had Abraham been put to such a strange test. He had already experienced the test when God seemed to be silent not fulfilling His promise. It had lasted very, very long but in those years he learned that God does not lie and that in the end He can do the impossible.

But now God had gone much further. If at first He did not give him what Abraham longed for, now He wants to take away what he has and loves. God never asked him to make human sacrifices, and even when Abraham was victorious in battle, he did not resort to such practices. But he did not yet have the Torah and the Prophets in his hand and no teachers around who he could ask and verify that this was an abomination in God's eyes. He suspected, but could not know for sure, whether God condemned such things or not. When God told him what he was to do, Abraham had to take it as he was told and decide whether to obey.

We are all familiar with the test when God does not seem to act. Even Jesus refers to it as a normal spiritual experience when the door is closed and the friend is unwilling to listen to requests (Luke 11:5-8). As if he wanted to say that this is how God will appear to us at times, but we must continue, persevere, not giving up.

But the call to sacrifice a son was quite a "new level" for Abraham. God is acting, but against his revealed will, against his plan, literally against his people.

Unlike Abraham, we know how the story turned out. But he did not have that advantage. His head was spinning and he was breathing heavily, swallowing empty. For twenty-five years he has been climbing the heights of faith until he believed in life from death. Now he understood that another peak was still ahead of him. His name was Moriah. It was just dawn and he began to prepare for his journey.

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Gen 22,1-2)

We have already said that God wanted to test Abraham not becuase he wanted to find faults and failures in him. It reminds us of testing in school, where most teachers surely test their students with the intention of wishing them a good grade, which after all is their aim, and not to humiliate them in front of the blackboard. While there may be some exceptions among teachers, that is not the case with our God. God rejoices when He finds a man after His own heart on earth.

But Abraham certainly did not expect a test of this kind. After all, only a few years before he had gloriously achieved what God had promised him, and so far he had lived with a consciousness of great gratitude. How long he had waited for that moment! He knew that he could wish for nothing more for his life, and he had had enough. All he ever worried about were the usual risks that could hurt anyone then, even his son - sickness, injury, war. But he was learning to see Isaac from a different angle. If God, the Judge of all the earth, had a plan for this child, then He didn't give it to him only to lose him again soon. At least until that special purpose God has for him is fulfilled.

"Go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” God did not call Abraham to add a new element to his religion by building altars on the earth for human sacrifices, as some ancient cults did. Many would understand it this way: if God asks me to do something, then surely it is a new rule that should apply to everyone. But here it was something else, a special and personal Abrahamic journey, a one-time act of obedience. Something that took place between him and God. Abraham went through a great development in his relationship with Isaac and had to wrestle with difficult questions: would he view him as a fruit of his old age, would he appropriate him and cling to him as his only offspring? In short, was Isaac his most prized possession or rather a gift from God which Abraham was merely administrating on earth?

God has now, by this strange demand, prompted Abraham to return His gift to him. The test consisted in the question whether Abraham would be willing to do so.

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham... (Gen 22,1)

Abraham received the promise of the birth of a son in the beginning, and then was tested for 25 years to see if he would be able to trust God that he would actually be born. Israel accepted the promise of coming out of Egypt into the promised land, and then was tested in the wilderness before they were to enter. Gideon was told that he would deliver the Israelites from the power of the Midianites, but then he was tested several times, was supposed to overthrow the altar of his father, and then go into battle with a small handful against incredible odds. Will they believe? Jesus was tested after his baptism and filling with the Holy Spirit when he was "immediately led into the wilderness." After triumphing in the temptations, he returned "in the power of the Spirit" to Galilee. These are but a few examples which illustrate that there is always a trial between the promise and the receiving, or if you will, between the promise and our actual elevation to a higher plane of life with God. There we abound in the things of God to a far richer degree than the preceding - let us simply call it a victory. 

When a man was driven out of Eden, Eden remained guarded by angels with drawn swords. The mention of the sword is meant to reassure us that it is absolutely impossible for us ever to return there. Even if we come to God and are accepted as His own children, He does not carry us back to Eden. That path is already closed in this age. But God IS with us nonetheless - in the valley of this world, accompanying us on our journey to the new creation, the new earth and heaven, something much higher than paradise. But on earth, we will probably see our lives as far more of a kind of trial than paradise, if only because we keep choosing God's way again and again. And yet, God is in this "wilderness" with us, giving us drink so that "we shall be in want of anything" but it is true because we let ourselves be led where he goes before us. We no longer seek our own ways.

Many preachers in rich countries preach a gospel in which they promise people some kind of paradise (believe and it will be well with you, Jesus is good, come to God and he will solve your problem). Sure, many of us have experienced this too, but as a secondary effect of our pursuit of God. Have you noticed that those who come to God primarily with this motive usually don't actually experience this? For the gospel preached by the apostles was otherwise: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Christ into eternity - at whatever cost, despite all the adversity it will cost you.