The Testing of Abraham and the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19)
The story of Abraham travelling to Mt. Moriah is one of the most challenging, and most gripping stories in all of Scripture. Can you imagine travelling three days with the son you love, the son you waited so long for, knowing the whole time that you were heading towards a place where you had been called to sacrifice him? What must it have been like to build the altar, to bind his hands, to come to the point where he even began to draw the blade that would take the life of this loved and promised son? Yet Abraham obeyed God, not withholding anything back from him. He obeyed God because he trusted in him believing that the merciful and just God he served would somehow spare the life of his son. In the end the story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, points us to the even greater story of God’s willingness to sacrifice his one and only son on our behalf and in light of how he proved his love for us in giving up his one and only son, it challenges us to consider why we wouldn’t trust him no matter what he calls us to.
There are few things in life that sting as much as the betrayal of a family member. Families are supposed to be where we find love, support, and connection. Imagine the journey of Joseph. His brothers sold him into slavery and faked his death in order to deceive their father. As a slave, Joseph was falsely accused of sexual assault, thrown in prison, and forgotten there for many years. He would end up in a position of authority during one of the most difficult times in the history of Egypt. The fallout of the betrayal of his brothers would shape most of his life. Yet somehow, he not only finds the ability to forgive his brothers but he also finds the ability to bless them. The story of Joseph is the story of when the raw emotions of human betrayal encounter faith in the sovereignty and goodness of God. Forgiving those who have done serious harm to you is only possible when you can look back and see how God has shown mercy to you.