To the Mountain: Genesis 22:4-8
Faithful people understand when God makes a request, He provides the means for it to be accomplished. God does not leave us unprepared. He does not ask the unskilled. He does not call the unqualified. When God asks, He goes before us and prepares the way.
After several days of journeying, Abraham sees the place from a distance. At this point, Abraham directs the men journeying with him to stay behind while he and Isaac go off together. He indicates he and Isaac are going to go worship and return to them. There is no indication why Abraham doesn’t want the men to join him in worship, but Abraham gives the directive anyway.
Leaving the donkey behind, Abraham loads Isaac up with the firewood and they take off towards the mountain. Isaac notices they have wood, fire, and a knife yet they seem to be missing the sacrifice. When Isaac questions Abraham, Abraham indicates God will provide.
This is a tremendous point of tension in the story. I have always believed Abraham was obedient to God but knew in his heart Isaac was safe. Abraham told his servants he and Isaac were going off to worship and they would return. There is no indication in Abraham’s speech that only he would return. Some people argue Abraham is cruel in making Isaac carry the wood for his own sacrifice; I think Abraham believed from the beginning Isaac was not the sacrifice.
Abraham had God’s promise that he would father a multitude through Isaac. Abraham knew God would not break His promise. Since Sarah had conceived in her old age, Abraham knew God could do the unthinkable. Certainly, the God who could keep Sarah’s womb open well after the natural age for giving birth could provide a sacrifice upon the mountain.
This is the same man who left his home to follow God to a land he’d never seen. Abraham journeyed into the land of other people, settled as a nomad among their fortified cities, and relied upon God’s strength to keep him safe. Abraham charged off after several kings to save Lot, trusting in God’s ability to keep him safe.
Abraham has his areas of sinfulness, but grand displays of faithfulness are not particularly difficult for him. When Abraham comes across a crossroad of faithfulness, Abraham reliably chooses the correct path and forges ahead with God. The same man who walked out on his homeland, left his father behind at a waypoint along the way, stepped among local populations, and followed God to a new homeland should have little difficulty trusting God’s word that he will be the father of a multitude through Isaac.
This doesn’t take away anything from Abraham. If anything, it adds to His faithfulness. Abraham saw God’s hand when many would have questioned God’s request. Abraham trusted God’s path when many would have doubted along the way. Faithful people understand when God makes a request, He will provide the means for it to be accomplished.
