The Binding of Isaac - from http://www.wikipaintings.org/
Pastor Ron's congregation is watching the mini-series THE
BIBLE this year for Lent. This week's video clip was on the BINDING of ISAAC. Here is his sermon
on that story from Genesis 22. It connects to Peter's song, "Still in One Peace":
"Haven't made sense of the mystery, but it makes sense
of me."
Thank God for "mighty this love."
Peace,
RTG
"24Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and
believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment,
but has passed from death to life."
John 5:24
"After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him,
"Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2He 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 that I shall show you." 3So Abraham rose early
in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and
his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to
the place in the distance that God had shown him. 4On the third day
Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5Then Abraham said to his
young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there;
we will worship, and then we will come back to you." 6Abraham took
the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself
carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.7Isaac
said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he said, "Here I am,
my son." He said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the
lamb for a burnt offering?" 8Abraham said, "God himself will
provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked
on together.
9When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham
built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and
laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Then Abraham reached out his
hand and took the knife to kill his son. 11But the angel of the LORD
called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said,
"Here I am." 12He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or
do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not
withheld your son, your only son, from me." 13And Abraham looked up
and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram
and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14So Abraham
called that place "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day,
"On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
15The angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from
heaven, 16and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the LORD: Because
you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will
indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of
heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall
possess the gate of their enemies, 18and by your offspring shall all the
nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my
voice." 19So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and
went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham lived at Beer-sheba.
20Now after these things it was told Abraham, "Milcah
also has borne children, to your brother Nahor: 21Uz the firstborn, Buz
his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph,
and Bethuel." 23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight
Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24Moreover, his concubine, whose
name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah." Gen 22
There is probably no other story in the Bible that is so
"gut-wrenching," angst producing, faith confusing, and troublesome
than this one from Genesis 22, often called "the Sacrifice of Isaac,"
but probably more appropriately referred to as "the Binding of
Isaac."
We are all the son and daughter of somebody. It is quite
hard to imagine a parent, your parent, being tested in such a manner. And if
you are a parent or have a parent-child relationship with someone, can you
imagine being summoned by God to basically sacrifice the future, to "kill
the dream," to draw down the curtain on one's present and hopes to come?
But that is exactly how this story begins. Remember now, Isaac means "Laughter,"
but this episode is going to bring about tears.
"After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him,
"Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2He 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 that I
shall show you."
I don't know if the "modern" mind, heart or soul
can totally comprehend this test. It seems that at least once a week or so, we read about some
parent, involved in a custody suit or experiencing some kind of deep emotional
and spiritual trauma, who attempts or actually does take the life of the
child/ren before taking their own life. Just last week we saw the terrifying
video of a woman driving into the sea who told her children she was going to
"take them to a better place."
I want to like Abraham. I want to hold him up as a hero of
the faith (which I think he was). But, as many commentators have suggested, the
man who was willing to bargain and argue with God to save Sodom and Gomorrah
doesn't seem to blink an eye when given this command. Nor does he consult with
Sarah, his long-suffering and forgiving wife. Neither does he let the intended
sacrifice (Isaac) in on the plan which God has commanded. And let's not just
stop with Abraham, Sarah and Isaac here. What about God, who decides to 'test'
Abraham in this manner? Surely Abraham has already done what he was supposed to
do by leaving his home country and heading out for paths unknown.
To me the most heart rendering part of the story is when
Isaac states,
"The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb
for a burnt offering?"
Indeed, "where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
My mind immediately goes to the liturgy, the Agnus Dei
"Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world, have
mercy on us
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world, have mercy
on us
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world, grant us
peace, grant us peace."
We come back to the story. 8Abraham said, "God
himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of
them walked on together." The Hebrew is Jehovah Jireh - "the
Lord will provide."
Those four words are really the saving grace of this story.
The Lord will provide. Inquiring minds like us want to ask, "What did
Isaac know?" and "when did he know it?"
The story continues,
9When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham
built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and
laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Then Abraham reached out his
hand and took the knife to kill his son. 11But the angel of the LORD
called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said,
"Here I am." 12He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or
do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not
withheld your son, your only son, from me."
Abraham, who already has banished his eldest son, Ishmael,
along with his mother Hagar, is now following what he has been told to do. In
just the "nick of time" an angel commands him to stop!
We are relieved by this interruption in the drama. Yet, at
the same time, the words of the angel are somewhat troubling, "for now I
know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son,
from me."
Somebody wants to shout, "Could you not have devised a
test that didn't involve such a devastating act? If you are all-knowing,
couldn't you have read Abraham's heart, his heart drive, to see that he was
indeed a good and righteous man?"
The story continues,
15The angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from
heaven, 16and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the LORD: Because
you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I
will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars
of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall
possess the gate of their enemies, 18and by your offspring shall all the
nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my
voice."19So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together
to Beer-sheba; and Abraham lived at Beer-sheba.
It should be noted that earlier, Abraham and Isaac walked
together. The text does not give us an indication that they walked down the
mountain together. We do not have any indication in Genesis that they ever
walked or talked together again.
In Chapter 23 Sarah dies. She is 127 years old at that time.
The Rabbis have followed the text and understood that she was 90 when Isaac was
born. And while we often think Isaac was of confirmation age, by that
accounting it appears he was 37 years old when this took place. How does that
change (if it does) your understanding of the story? Don't you think a
37-year-old male could out-wrestle a senior citizen? Or did Isaac willing
comply with his father's vision, regardless of the cost to himself? So, is it Abraham
who is sacrificing his son? Is it Isaac who is making the sacrifice? And where
is Sarah?
We fast forward to the New Testament where we hear in
Hebrews 11 these words,
17By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac.
He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, 18of
whom he had been told, "It is through Isaac that descendants shall be
named for you." 19He considered the fact that God is able even to
raise someone from the dead - and figuratively speaking, he did receive him
back.20By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. 21By
faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, "bowing in
worship over the top of his staff." 22By faith Joseph, at the end of
his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions
about his burial. Hebrews 11
If we only had this isolated incident regarding Abraham,
Isaac and Sarah to go on, I'm not sure I could go on in my faith journey. But
the key seems to be, "Jehovah Jireh," "The Lord will provide."
As a Christian, as a follower of Jesus (who is the Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world), I can't, as Luther said, "by my
own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ," but the Holy Spirit has
called, gathered and enlightened.
I am taken by these words that appear simple but touch down
into the complexity of God's holy plan and mystery,
16For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn
the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John
3:16-17)
Amen
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