When God Tests Us

Genesis 22:1-14; Matthew 10:40-42

For the past two weeks we have been following the story of Abraham and Sarah, our ancestors in faith. We began by looking at God’s impossible promise to give Abraham and Sarah a son even though they were both in their nineties. At first they laughed at God, but then they acted in faith. They believed God was able to do what he had promised and they received Isaac, the son of their old age. Last week we focused on the story of Hagar and Ishmael. When God seemed slow to fulfill his promise to give Abraham and Sarah a son they tried to help God by bringing Hagar into their lives; and, Abraham had a son, Ishmael, through her. However, God’s plan to bring blessing and salvation into the world was through Isaac not Ishmael. So, last week we watched as Abraham sent both Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness. However, God did not abandon them and made Ishmael into a great nation as well. We saw that sometimes faith leads us to places we would rather not go; but, we saw that faith means trusting God to lead us even when the path leads to unsafe or unwelcoming places.

Today we continue the story of Abraham with a story that is, without a doubt, the hardest story in the Bible; the story of God calling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord. I do not approach this story lightly or with joy. It was hard to watch last week as Abraham sent Ishmael into the wilderness, this passage is almost unbearable to read.

This passage presents a repulsive image of God. God is portrayed as cold, as demanding, and even as bloodthirsty. Gone is the loving God who knelt in the mud and formed the first human; gone is the God who provided clothes for Adam and Eve as they left the Garden; gone is the God who so loved the world he sent Jesus to be its savior; gone is the God who is love. In his place we find a God who demands the sacrifice of a child. In addition, Abraham is both passive and weak. When God was considering destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham begged him to spare them. But, when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham never challenged or even questioned God. Abraham is portrayed as cold and emotionless. Then, in what seems like torture, Abraham kept God’s word from Isaac even as they walk together to the sacrifice site. Yes, I would love to simply ignore this text, if not remove it completely from the Bible. The images of God and of Abraham seem contrary to everything we know them.
But, as much as I would like to rip this passage out of the Bible, I feel I cannot ignore this text. I keep asking what it offers and how it can help us find faith when God tests us.

The passage begins: “some time later God tested Abraham.” I have long wondered what was the purpose of this test. Was it for God to learn something about Abraham? Or, was it for Abraham to learn something about God? As I have reflected on this question, I think the real purpose of God’s test was for Abraham to learn something about the character of God. After all, God already knew Abraham’s heart. God knew that Abraham was ready to act in response to his impossible promises. God knew that Abraham trusted him even when the path ahead was filled with danger. So, I do not think God was trying to learn what was in Abraham’s heart. Rather, I believe God had one more lesson to impart to the father of many nations. I believe the point of this test was for Abraham to be able to answer the question: Will God provide?

As this story unfolds, it is important to remember that Isaac meant everything to Abraham. God promised that he would make Abraham’s “offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven;” a promise whose fulfillment must come through Isaac. God promised Abraham that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed;” a promise whose fulfillment must come through Isaac. God promised Abraham that he would “make of him a great nation;” a promise whose fulfillment must come through Isaac. God promised to “give Abraham this land to possess;” a promise whose fulfillment must come through Isaac. Today, millions of people call Abraham their father; but, as Abraham heard God call his name that day, the only link to that future was his son, the one he loved, the only one, Isaac.

So, when Abraham heard God call his name, and heard God’s command to “offer Isaac as a burnt offering,” the question he wrestled with was: Will God provide? Could Abraham trust God with the only future he could see? Could Abraham put Isaac in God’s hands? At that moment, all of Abraham’s hopes and all of his dreams for the future were centered on Isaac. And now, God told Abraham to offer his future to God; the Lord was asking Abraham to place everything into God’s hands and trust God to provide.

As the story reached its climax; as Abraham built the altar and set the wood, as Abraham bound his son; as Abraham laid Isaac on the altar; as Abraham raised the knife; as Abraham prepared to offer Isaac completely to God; as Abraham trusted God to protect and secure the future, the answer came in a voice from heaven. In that moment God put forth his hand and received the boy into his love and care. In that moment God put forth his hand and stayed the knife in Abraham’s hand. In that moment God put forth his hand and provided the ram in the place of Isaac. In that moment God put forth his hand and provided a future for Abraham. In that moment God put forth his hand and provided a future for Isaac and for all of Abraham’s children! In that moment God provided! In that moment, when Abraham placed his future into God’s hands, he received God’s assurance that God can be trusted; he received God’s assurance that his future was secure in God’s hands. Abraham’s future was secure when he offered everything to God and the Lord provided!

Now, having dealt with this passage, it would be nice to leave it in the past; it would be nice to say that the demand God made on Abraham was a one-of-a-kind demand; it would be nice if this passage had nothing at all to do with us today. But, as I have reflected on this story, I have come to realize that God tests us every day; God calls us to offer everything we have to him; God calls us to place our future in his hands; God wants us to be able to answer the question: Will God provide? Now, I do not believe that God calls us to literally place our children on a sacrificial altar; that was a demand from Abraham’s time and culture. But, I believe that God does call us to put our whole future into his hands and trust him to provide.
Many of the decisions we make every day are fairly inconsequential. But, some decisions are truly future altering. The choice of our life partner in marriage (or even the decision to marry) is a future altering decision. The decision to bring children into the world is a future altering decision. The choice of a career is a future altering decision. And, God demands that we place each of these decisions into his hands and trust that the Lord will provide.

As I think back to my own wedding day (only 37 years ago come this July 12th), I have to admit that I was not really thinking about how God was active in my life that day. I was too infatuated with this beautiful young woman who had agreed to be my wife. But, as I look back, I can see God has been active in our life together. That day, God gave me a life partner who has stood by me and ministered to me over the years. When Alice and I made our vows to each other we had no idea what the future held. We did not know if God would give us great riches or call us to live in poverty. We did not know if God would grant us good health or call us to minister to each other through sickness. We did not know if God would bless us with children or call us to minister in other ways. As I look back, it is clear we did not know what the future held; but, we trusted the One who held the future.

The decision to bring children into the world is sometimes made consciously and sometimes God surprises us with the gift of children at an unexpected moment. When Alice and I found out we were expecting our first child I felt overjoyed and completely unprepared. But, it really hit home when the nurse placed this tiny person into my arms and told me that this one, the one I love without condition, was mine to care for. Over the years, I have struggled between two desires. The first is to protect my children from all harm, and the second is to release them into God’s loving hands so they can grow and flourish. It has been very hard to let go of them and let them live the future God has prepared for them. Even now when they are grown and are having children of their own, I worry when they walk out the door. Yet I know I must place them into God’s hands if they are to become the people God is calling them to be. I know the Lord will provide when I give them completely into God’s care.

The decision of how to spend our laboring hours is also a future altering event. God calls us to place the future into his hands and trust him to provide. Over twenty years ago, I began to explore a call to ordained ministry. At the time I had already spent over fifteen years in the computer field; I was happy and well compensated. But, I realized God had other plans for me. God called me to go in a totally different direction. At the time it was not at all clear to me if this call was real or if it would even work out. I had to very deliberately place my life (and the life of Alice and our children) on God’s altar and trust that God would provide. As I look back, I can see God opened doors; I can see God provided wonderful churches; I can see that the Lord has provided for every need.

After these things God tests us. He calls us by name and waits for us to respond, “Here I am.” Then God says to us, “Take your future, the only future you can see, the future you love and cherish and offer it to me.” How will we respond? Will we rebel against God and claim our vision of the future is better than his? Or, will we obediently set off in the direction God has indicated? The decision can be heart-wrenching. Things we love and cherish may perish when we follow God. Things we feel we cannot live without may need to be abandoned when we follow God’s plan. But, through it all the question remains: Can God be trusted? Will the Lord provide? Those were the questions Abraham wrestled with as he walked with Isaac to the land of Moriah. Then, as Abraham placed Isaac on the altar, God answered the question with a resounding Yes! The Lord who created us from the dust of the earth can be trusted to provide our every need. So, today when God calls us to place our future in his hands we can be confident. The Lord will provide!

Amen.

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