Focus Passage: Gen. 22:1-19
Why would God call Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac? This podcast answers that question and discusses the great impact that this act would have on Abraham and Isaac.
Welcome, my name is Mark Etter. I am happy to read a chapter from my book 32 days with Abraham. Today’s selection is chapter 26 – Entrusting your children to God.
Below is a summary of this chapter. This chapter is also one of the 3 chapters included in the sampler which can be downloaded free on the website’s book and booklet page. Click below to begin listening to the podcast. The full book may be purchased on Amazon as a softback book. It is also available on Kindle. Please give me feedback on this podcast and on the book. Your comments are very valuable to me.
As a pastor, I have always felt the strain of family versus ministry. How do we manage the times when God calls us to put Him first? Are we willing to give our precious time to God so that He can make life for us and others better?
Abraham had waited for 25 years for this son. He knew that all the promises of God depended on Isaac. God came to him with a command that no one wants to hear. “Take your son, your only son, Isaac. . . sacrifice him there as a burnt offering” (v.2) It was a test to see how much Abraham loved his God.
It would have been easier to strike Isaac down quickly while you had your nerve. Abraham was called to make a long journey to the sacred mountain. It was “on the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.” (v.4) The three-day journey gave Abraham plenty of time to turn back and refuse what must have seemed to be a cruel request.
In the end, he was willing to give back to the Lord the greatest gift that he had received. “Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” (v.10) He believed in the promises of God so much that he trusted that God would give his son back to him somehow.
Abraham was willing to give up his most precious gift, his son, to the Lord. In that moment, God changed Abraham and Isaac. God will bless our lives as we dedicate them to Him so that they will be productive in ways that we cannot imagine. God will bless our children as we bring them to Him in faith.
I imagine that the teenage Isaac walked down the mountain a different person. He had heard the voice of God, seen God’s provision and seen the depth of his father’s love for God. When we entrust our children to God, it changes them. Giving our greatest gift to God does not mean that we lose them. Such action entrusts our children to the care and protection of the only one who can truly help them succeed.
What would you like your children to learn about God?
How would a closer relationship with the Lord impact their life and their future?