Taking God at His Word

Up the mountain they walked. They had a sacred mission to accomplish. They had to obey the word of God. I can not imagine they talked much, but at one point Isaac broke the silence. “Father,” Isaac said, “The fire and wood are here but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham’s answer was cryptic, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Gen 22:7-8) Actually, Isaac, himself, was going to be the sacrifice. That is what God had told Abraham and that was what Abraham was going to do.

Abraham could certainly have concluded that God would never make such a request as that. He could have reasoned that the voice he had heard was not God’s. He could have refused to obey. Today we know the rest of the story, but Abraham didn’t. In the book of Hebrews we get a glimpse of what was going on inside Abrahams head. “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead” (Heb 11:19). So, Abraham was confident that, although God had told him to sacrifice Isaac, that God would raise him from the dead because God had told him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Heb 11:18). And Abraham took God at His word.

How often do we think we know better than God? We have God’s word for us in written format, clearly outlining His will. Do we take God at His word? Or does our own spiritual “impressions” supersede the Word of God? What “”trumps” the Word of God in our lives? Perhaps it is too hard, or doesn’t fit our “modern” interpretations. But Abraham serves as an example to us as someone who took God at His word, “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend” (James 2:23 NIV). We would do well to do the same. Amen?