Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” 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 wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

                                                                                                                 Genesis 22:1-3 

Read: Genesis 22

God told Abraham to go and sacrifice his son. Scripture tells us that Abraham obeyed this command by getting up early the next morning and proceeding to the place of sacrifice. If we are familiar at all with this account, we know that God never intended for Abraham to actually sacrifice his son. It was from this promised child that Abraham’s descendants were to come. Eliminating the boy would be counter productive to God acting in this way. We know all of this because we are able to go back and read the story after the fact. But what about Abraham? He did not have all of the information that we have yet he continued to trust in God even when things didn’t make any sense.

Perhaps you have been in a situation in which you were wondering how things were going to work out. Perhaps you were even worried or scared only to find out later (after the situation was over) that your worry and fear were all for not. It is easy to see clearly when we are dealing with hindsight but it is altogether different when we are traversing through the situation, not knowing the outcome.

Abraham was moving through this time with an absolute confidence that God not only knew what He was doing but that God would provide for the situation. Consider Abraham’s words to his servants: 

Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”

                                                                                                                   Genesis 22:5 

His rhetoric seems to point to the reality that he fully believed that he and his son would return. Whether or not he believed that he would have to go through with this seemingly illogical request, he was still willing to do so. Perhaps he reasoned that if God were to stop him (which is exactly what happened) that he would return with the boy. But even if God did not act in this way, Abraham had enough faith in God to reason that He (God) could raise the child from the dead if necessary. We see this demonstrated in the Genesis account and from the writer of Hebrews. Consider the following: 

Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

                                                                                                                 Genesis 22:8

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.  

                                                                                                            Hebrews 11:17-19 

So either way, Abraham appears to have faith that his child will indeed return with him. Do we have the kind of faith to obey God even when it doesn’t seem to make sense? Consider the following command from Jesus to all who claim His name:

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

                                                                                                                     Luke 6:27-28 

Conventional wisdom tells us to abide by the “survival of the fittest” credo and to place our existence over and above that of others. We must not let anyone “get the best of us” and forgiveness is to be distributed sparingly and with much consideration. But Jesus tells us to do just the opposite. Here is the list of Christian behavior that should accompany salvation:

Love (care for and desire good for) our enemies…

Do good (things that are beneficial and promote health) to those hate us…

Bless (in words and actions) those who curse us…

Pray (intercede) for those who mistreat us…

God is not asking us to sacrifice our children but He has given us clear and concise instructions for those who desire to impact this world for Christ. These instructions will seem foolish to those who only operate out of earthly wisdom but for those who have transformed their minds, they are an indispensable part of our lives.

It is time to live out the truth of scripture in our daily lives and to do so even when it doesn’t make sense!