Fanaticism Or Faith? TEXT: GENESIS 22:1-12 KEY VERSE: “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3). A religion reporter, Manya A. Brachear suggests that “the story of Abraham obeying God by offering his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice is troubling and a hard sell. It seems that some people find the account to be morally suspect”. Brachear asked several rabbis how they interpret the passage and teach it to their congregations. Rabbi Ellen Dreyfus of B’nai Yehuda Beth Shalom said: “In a way, it’s kind of a horror story… In our state of mind, if somebody hears a voice and goes out to sacrifice his son, this man has to be put in a mental asylum.” The action of Abraham in our text can only be ‘a hard sell’ to those who do not fully understand the word of God. God, wanting to test Abraham’s faith and obedience asked him to sacrifice his son. Abraham promptly obliged. He bound Isaac, laid him on an altar, raised a knife to slaughter him as directed. God intervenes and gives him a ram to take Isaac’s place, pointing to the ultimate Lamb that would die for us. Abraham is honoured as a father of faith for yielding to God’s demand. This biblical story reminds believers that God blesses those who submit to divine calling without question. God still tests people today; He still demands their Isaac or their prized possession. Without wavering, we must respond in obedience and faith, regardless of our emotions, reason and logic. Acting in obedience is the fitting expression that we actually love Him. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Acting in obedience is how we prove our obedience and faith in God
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 06:50:47 +0000
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