19_Marks of true obedience

Gen 22:1-14 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take 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.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

A diamond remains one of the most brilliant and durable gems in the world. However, it begins its journey as an unassuming piece of coal. Under immense pressure, heat, and time, it transforms into the precious stone we admire. Trials and pressures refine and strengthen our faith. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:6-7:

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Genesis 22 illustrates the next stage in the growth of Abraham’s faith, hope, and love. At this point, Abraham seemed to have it all. He had received the promises of God, Isaac was growing into the fulfillment of those promises, and there was peace in his household. It was at this moment that God called him to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The tests of our faith often come, not during our moments of struggle but in seasons of peace. This is when we are forced to explore the depth of our trust in Him.
God asked Abraham to offer Isaac, his beloved son, as a burnt offering. Isaac represented the fulfilment of God’s promises to Abraham. The covenant had meaning only in Isaac. The early death of Isaac would make its fulfilment impossible.

Yet Abraham’s response was marked by unwavering faith. As Hebrews 11:17-19 tells us, Abraham believed that God could raise the dead. He could do the impossible. He could do anything but break his word. Abraham’s trust was not in human possibilities, but in the unseen reality of God’s word.

Abraham’s obedience exemplifies the characteristics of true faith. It was immediate. The next morning, Abraham rose early and began the journey. Faith responds promptly to God’s command, no matter how high the cost.

His obedience was costly. He was asked to give up his greatest treasure. Isaac was his only son through Sarah, and the heir of the promises. Only when we are able to part with that which is nearest our heart do we demonstrate faith and true allegiance to our Master. In his readiness to give Isaac, Abraham set an example of obedience for generations to come.

Abraham gave unquestioning obedience. He neither argued nor doubted the meaning of God’s command. Faith trusts God’s wisdom even when His plans seem incomprehensible.

Abraham rendered active obedience. He prepared for the sacrifice, gathering firewood and taking servants with him to help during the journey. Obedience is not passive but involves intentional action in response to God’s word.

Abraham’s obedience was sustained and his commitment unwavering. The journey to Moriah took three days. Abraham had ample time to reconsider, yet he pressed on until he could fulfil his obedience.

Abraham’s obedience was not forced but worshipful. Abraham told his servants, “We will worship and then we will come back to you.” For Abraham, obedience declared that God and God alone deserves all glory and honour.

Abraham’s obedience was complete. Abraham bound Isaac, placed him on the altar, and raised the knife. He did not give half-hearted service but held himself ready to do all that was required.

Abraham’s obedience was the fruit of godly hope. Isaac represented the actual and future fulfilment of Abraham’s hopes—the promise of descendants, the continuation of his line, and the fulfillment of God’s covenant. Yet this test revealed where Abraham’s ultimate hope lay. Abraham trusted that God could do what he had promised, even in raising Isaac from the dead.

Finally, the test revealed Abraham’s love. God acknowledged Abraham’s deep love for Isaac, referring to him as “your son, your only son, whom you love.” Yet he also called him to give him up when required to do so. There are many who never forgive God for the death of someone whom they dearly loved. Death often plumbs the depths of our love for God and finds it wanting.

The Lord underlined this when he said that the greatest commandment was, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” (Matthew 22:37). Loving God with all our heart is the only way to love others with unselfish rather than possessive love, recognizing that God’s will must be dominant in their lives rather than our own.

At the last moment, God intervened. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” He said. “Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” God was never interested in human sacrifice. He was testing Abraham’s wholehearted devotion.

This incident foreshadowed the cross where God did not withhold his Son, Jesus Christ, but gave him up for us all. It is God’s act that ends every question as to his love for us. The cross is our anchor when we are racked by agonized doubts during the fiercest of trials. We can never again doubt that God loves us. For if not, why the cross?

Abraham and Isaace together call us to discern where our hearts have been bestowed. If our hope is on the blessings that we can see, whether health, success, or close relationships—we are unfaithful to God. True hope is anchored in God and His eternal promises, not in the changeable circumstances of this world.

Through this act of obedience, Abraham demonstrated that God was his ultimate treasure. Are we willing to trust God when He asks us to surrender what we hold most dear? Do we cling to His promises when there is no hope? Is our love for God the defining feature of our lives? Does that love shape our lives and relationships?

True obedience is marked by trust and hope. When we face tests and trials, let us remember Abraham and offer to God the fruit of our love in obedience, no matter how costly. We may not understand why God asks for certain things, but we can trust his goodness. Such an attitude will bring the joy of the Lord into our hearts, as he rejoices in our love for him.

Let us respond with fully yielded lives to His love, the love that speaks from the cross, the grave, and the throne. Let our lives be marked by true obedience. Let our hearts be full of faith, anchored in enduring hope, and overflowing in love.