In verse 5 Abraham tells his servants: "we will return". That's *we*, referring to Abraham and Isaac. If Abraham thinks that he's sacrificing his son, why does he say that they will both return? Does he already know that this is a test -- that he isn't expected to go through with it. Has he figured this out? Does he have any intention of actually slitting Isaac's throat? Is he hiding his fatal intentions from his servants and/or his son? Is he in denial, or is expressing hope that God won't renege on covenant -- on the promise that Isaac will be a great nation? If we take verse 8 into account, where Abraham tells Issac that "God will see to the sheep", it appears that Abraham has hope or faith that God will find a way to prevent him from carrying out the very task that God assigned him to do!GENESIS 22:3-8 (NJPS)
3 So early next morning, Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. he split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his servants, "You stay here with the ass. the boy and I will go up there; we will worship and we will return to you."
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. He himself took the firestone and the knife; and the two walked off together. 7 Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he answered, "Yes, my son." And he said, "Here are the firestone and the wood; but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?" 8 And Abraham said, "God will see to the sheep for His burnt offering, my son." And the two of them walked on together.
Hmm, so how old is Isaac at this point anyway? Until recently, I was under the impression we were talking about a young child who was maybe 5-8 years old. What about you? Look at verse 6 --- Abraham piles the wood for the pyre onto Isaac to carry. We aren't just talking about a couple small logs, but enough to conduct a burnt offering. That gets me thinking that this kid had to have been at least a teenager. Most rabbinic commentators see him as an adult -- and Abraham is really freaking old by this point! (He was 100 when Isaac was born!) It makes sense that Isaac is carrying the wood since he's probably much stronger than Abraham by this point...
PRAYER FOR PERSONAL DEDICATION:
(from the Lutheran Book of Prayer, Concordia 1970)
Lord of my life, I know that my life is not my own. By Your death and resurrection You made me Your own. Help me to live under Your direction, always ready to hear the call, "Follow Me"; always aware of Your presence; always knowing that I have received the gift of Your Spirit; always living so that others may receive Your love and mercy through me.
It is not easy to ask for these things, Lord, because I know that I have much to give up. I can no longer pretend that my life is my own. My prayer is my surrender to Your care and direction. I want to follow, Lord, but it is very hard. I will get very tired. I will make selfish mistakes. I will fail time and again. I will fall.
Show me again that there is love and forgiveness and mercy in Your hand. Use me in spite of my reluctance, doubt, and disobedience.
Pour into me Your good Spirit, so that I am not afraid to follow and fall and follow again. Amen.
NOTES:
We still need a couple volunteers for the Hypothermia Shelter on Friday evening. Feel free to bring an interested friend. We'll be serving food to up to 85 homeless folks and getting to spend some time eating with them and talking to them. We'll leave campus at 4:15pm, serve food, eat, and clean up between 5pm and 8pm, and return to campus before 9pm. RSVP on Facebook or by contacting me at bbuss (at) gmu (dot) edu
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