"What God Wants" - Genesis 22:1-14 - June 27, 1999

No story has puzzled people of the faith more than this story. Why would a loving God test a man’s faith with the sacrifice of his son? The whole incident seems violent and unnecessary. Surely there was an easier way for God to discover whether or not Abraham was the man for the job.

Before we examine the dynamics of the story let us consider what test God might have done to evaluate Abraham’s faithfulness. Perhaps he could have sent him on a long journey with no resources. Or, maybe he could have sent him into battle against impossible odds. Maybe he could have lived in a foreign country under the hands of an oppressive ruler or be forced to live in a totally pagan society. As we know, all these events occur later, with Moses, David and the Israelites.

God had to build the faith with a person of faith that would be a role model for everyone that followed. Abraham was God’s choice. His test had to be unfathomable. The leader of God’s people had to do what no one else could do. Therefore, God created this extreme scenario that even for God was risky since God had no way of knowing how Abraham would act.

In other words, God had to push the baby bird out of the nest. God had to put a child on a bicycle and let him go. God had to put a man in a rocket and send him to space. It is not just a senseless experiment but a beginning point. It is the step God had to take to give birth to the faithfulness of God’s followers. But Abraham is not acting on blind faith. God has already demonstrated the impossible by giving him Isaac. And there was also Noah, whose complete trust in God preceded Abraham.

This story is difficult for us to comprehend since it appears to put Abraham’s son, Isaac, in grave danger. Human sacrifice is not what we are about and I don’t believe for a second that God ever intended that any harm would come to Isaac. God could have intervened at any point along the way. Why God created this scenario is offensive to us, but then sometimes God cannot get our attention without offending us.

What Abraham demonstrates in this story is a complete surrender of the will. Abraham proceeds as instructed, without hesitation, without complaining, without debate. Abraham does not ask "why", nor does he use any "buts."

One wonders why Abraham would consider such an absurd request. Because it never occurred to Abraham that God would not provide for him. Abraham proceeds ahead with complete trust in God. Notice, first of all, that Abraham responds to God by saying, "here I am." He is ready and willing as he responds to the call.

For Abraham, there are no excuses. There is no other agenda. God calls, Abraham responds. He prepares himself for the journey and proceeds. He doesn’t look at his appointment book or ask his family if they have plans. He doesn’t have to think it over or sleep on it. He doesn’t say, "I’ll get back to you." He doesn’t say, "You know I’d really like to, but…" What God wants it what Abraham wants. God wants Abraham to make this journey and Abraham goes.

Second; notice in verse 5 that Abraham tells the others that after they have gone to one of the mountains in Moriah they would return. Abraham said, "We will come back to you." Abraham has complete confidence that his son will not be harmed in any way. Why else would he tell the others that the two of them would return? Abraham knows that God is watching over them just as God was watching over Ishmael, previously. As far as Abraham is concerned they have nothing to fear.

Third; when Isaac questions his father about the lamb, Abraham tells him (verse 8) that "God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering." Abraham has complete faith in God that whatever resources are necessary for the mission will be available. There is no reason to worry since God will provide for all their needs.

Finally, it is not enough that Abraham just believes in God. Abraham has to make the journey, he has to go the distance. This is illustrated by the fact that they travel for three days. And God doesn’t intervene until the very last moment when Abraham reaches for the knife. God has seen enough. God is convinced that Abraham can be trusted. For it was then that the angel of God said, "For now I know that you fear God."

Are we willing to go the distance for our faith? For Abraham, going the distance meant putting God first, even over family. First, there was the letting go of Ishmael, now the potential loss of Isaac. This story is one of the most poignant depictions of one of the greatest conflicts we face in life, the demands of our faith and the demands of family.

Last Sunday was Father’s Day. I was so busy with church work the week before that I failed to send my Dad a card. A phone call to my father that evening was customary but I still missed an opportunity to express my gratitude for all my Dad has given to me. The Monday morning following Father’s Day I had a meeting in Dayton with some other clergy. One of them was still grieving over the loss of his father who had died last month. It reminded me of that conflict between attending to our families and doing the work of the church.

Fortunately, I have a father who gave me permission to be myself. I am sure he had expectations of me but he never tried to persuade me to pursue some specific path. On the one hand the story of Abraham and Isaac dramatizes the conflict between faith and family. On the other hand, the story has a very profound meaning.

According to "The Torah - A Modern Commentary", this story is a paradigm. For it reads, "In a way every parent seeks to dominate his child, and is in danger of seeking to sacrifice him to his parental plans and hopes. In the biblical story, God is present and can therefore stay the father’s hand. In all too many repetitions of the scene God is absent and the knife falls." (pg. 151)

It takes faith to let our children go, to give them the permission to "become" who they are. Life presents us with constant conflicts. What this story does for us is helps us to resolve that the only alternative is to trust that God is in the picture.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio