In Every Test Is a Moment of Truth

In Genesis 22 Abraham’s action shows the reality of his faith.

In the previous posts we have seen in Genesis 22 that God tested Abraham by commanding him to journey to a distant mountain and there sacrifice his son Isaac. We considered Abraham’s thoughts as he took that journey with attention to what Abraham knew about God that enabled him to obey. Below we see Abraham in the moment of truth.

What Abraham does

By the time they reach the mountain in Moriah, Abraham has concluded that God will indeed provide a lamb that will substitute for the sacrifice of his son Isaac. He stops short of the site for sacrifice and there leaves his two servants and donkey. He puts the wood on Isaac’s back and takes the fire and knife. As they walk to the site, Isaac recognizes the obvious and says, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

From the overflow of his heart, Abraham’s mouth speaks. “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” The Lord had not told Abraham that explicitly, but Abraham knew God, and based on everything he knew about him and what God had told him he concluded this was what God would do. He set his faith on it. All his life, including decades as a sojourner in the Promised Land, he had seen God provide everything he needed, and what he needed now more than anything was a lamb as a substitute for his son Isaac. Whatever he truly needed, he believed God would provide.

Building an altar

Meanwhile what he needed was to obey the Lord’s command, and that he does. Father and son arrive at the site for sacrifice. With solemn confidence Abraham builds an altar. On it he carefully arranges the wood. He turns to his son, his only son Isaac, and without delay proceeds to bind his hands and feet. His heart is settled; he will not withhold his beloved son from the Lord. He has already given him to God in his heart, and now he will give him as a sacrifice. He wraps his arms around his beloved son, trusting this will not be the last time he holds him close, lifts him, and lays him on the wood of the altar. God gives the old man physical strength to lift his son’s weight, some 50–100 pounds, and God gives him emotional strength to take knife in hand.

Isaac’s trust

Isaac is surprisingly passive. He did not resist as Abraham bound his hands and feet. He did not object. Isaac did not struggle to make it impossible for Abraham to place him on the altar. He does not twist and kick to roll off the altar, as he certainly could have. Why not? Did he have the same confidence as his father? Did he believe what his father had assured him, that God would provide a lamb? Had he surrendered himself to God in the same trusting way his father had surrendered him? Did he trust Abraham the way Abraham trusted God?

The story repeats an important sentence two times: in verse 6 it says, “So they went both of them together.” Again in verse 8 the identical words: “So they went both of them together.” This repetition is wrapped around the crucial interchange in verses 7–8, where Isaac said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” and Abraham replied, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Father and son are in this “together.” They both choose to trust and obey God.

Now that the knife is in Abraham’s hand, God has seen enough. He knows everything he wanted to know from this test. The Angel of the Lord cries out, “Abraham, Abraham!”—a twofold repetition, which conveyed intimacy.

Here am I

This interruption Abraham was expecting. Slowly, firmly, with reverence for the God he loves more than Isaac, Abraham replies. “Here am I.” This is the third time in the narrative that Abraham says, “Here am I.” The first was when the test began. God broke the silence by calling his name, and Abraham replied, “Here am I.” The second time Abraham said this was at the pivotal moment when he and Isaac were climbing the mountain. Isaac broke the silence: “My father.” And Abraham replied, “Here am I, my son.” And Isaac asked the million-dollar question: “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” The third time Abraham said these words is now, at the moment of salvation as God intervenes to answer Abraham’s faith and spare Isaac. “Here am I” reveals Abraham’s heart, that he is available to God his Father and Isaac his son, responsive not withdrawing, near not far, open not closed, listening not ignoring. Through the threefold repetition of “Here am I” the author of this narrative calls quiet attention to Abraham’s intimacy with God and Isaac, a closeness that withstood the sternest trial.

A heart of love

In the midst of this test Abraham could have closed his heart toward either God or Isaac in an attempt to maintain emotional consistency. One might think Abraham had to choose between them. But in his holy heart that was not so. Abraham did not close his heart toward either. His wholehearted love for and trust in God were so great that he was able to maintain wholehearted love toward Isaac even as he surrendered him. In relation to God, perfect love, trust, and surrender integrate one’s heart.

February 12, 2018February 3, 2018

Four Benefits of Practicing God’s Presence

How do we experience well-being as a result of keeping the Lord in view?

Practicing God’s presence requires effort and self-control, and therefore we need to know why we are doing it. King David describes four benefits in Psalm 16:7–11.

Why Practice God’s Presence?

1. To receive God’s counsel

Psalm 16:7 says, “I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.”

David says this happens to him day and night. As he goes through his day doing his work and thinking about God regularly, wisdom comes to his mind. As he considers his way, he knows what to do. As he lays in bed thinking about his life, still practicing God’s presence, God directs his thoughts, emotions, and will.

2. To have confidence

Psalm 16:8 says, “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

As David faced the challenges of life, he kept God in view. As a result, God was bigger in his mind than his problems.

We fall into fear and worry only when our problems loom larger in our thoughts than God’s ability and control.

3. To hope in ultimate salvation

Psalm 16:9–11 says, “⁹my flesh also dwells secure. ¹⁰ For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. ¹¹ You make known to me the path of life”

David speaks here about what will happen to him after he dies. He is confident God will not leave him in “Sheol,” which is the Hebrew word for where the soul goes after death. He is confident the ultimate destiny of his “flesh” is not “corruption,” that is, his body left in the grave.

Instead, because David walks with God, God shows him “the path of life.” David knows his ultimate destiny is life. He is walking in God’s ways, so God will give him life after death.

Those who practice God’s presence do not fear death. His presence brings confidence in his promises and a constant awareness of the reality of God and heaven.

4. To know fulness of joy

Psalm 16:9, 11 says, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices…. in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Many think happiness ends when you walk with God. But the reality is, those who practice God’s presence have the most joy.

Believers who do not practice God’s presence suffer many of the same torments as unbelievers: fear, worry, anger, despair, discouragement, and so on. They have not learned to trust and love God fully.

Joy and pleasure are God’s idea and his creation. So the closer we get to him, the happier we are and the more pleasurable life is.

There are many more benefits to practicing God’s presence—the greatest of course being God’s presence—but just these four show how worthwhile it is.

What benefits do you experience from practicing God’s presence? Share them with the rest of us in the comments area below.

December 18, 2017November 27, 2017

What Gives Me Worth?

We need to feel we have value

Where do you find your sense of worth? If you were a boastful person, what would you boast about?

The LORD says, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:23–24).

If a person boasts, it is because one of the strongest motivations in life is to find significance, importance, worth. We need to feel we have value. It is crushing to think that we are worthless or inferior to others. Whether we boast or not, we all pursue significance.

How we pursue self-worth

We need to be aware of how we try to get worth and how that affects our motivations.

Unfortunately, we may choose insignificant ways to get significance. We seek worth through success, or money, beauty, a chiseled body, knowledge, skill, achievements, power, position, love, fame.

None of these are wrong in themselves, but they do not add to our worth.

And they can be hard to get.

If we fall short of these, our ego will find something to take pride in, even trivial things. Things like whether our pants or shoes are in style. The success of our sports team. The brands we use and how much we paid. The speed and capacity of our technology. Our race, haircut, or knowledge of trivia. The ability to cook a particular dish. A collection of bottles.

We are so voracious for significance that we can take pride in literally anything.

How God gives self-worth

Jeremiah 9:23–24, quoted above, says that there is only one legitimate, effective way to find significance: by knowing God.

That is because God alone is intrinsically worthy, significant, and glorious, and he alone gives worth to his creation. When he gives worth, that worth is enormous.

When he speaks a word of approval or honor, then sooner or later every living human and angel will recognize that worth and likewise give honor. If God does not approve, if he dishonors someone or something, then it will pass away and be forgotten.

So boasting is okay under just one condition: if we are humbly boasting in our relationship with God, fully aware that God is the one who gets all the credit.

But in a sense, we proudly boast in the glory of God. We don’t feel second-rate because we find our worth in him or that he is second best to all the cool things to boast about in this world.

If you know God, if you know how to walk with him as he requires, if you know the wisdom he reveals in his Word, if you know Jesus Christ as Savior, if you know his character and nature, if you love him and delight in your personal relationship with him through prayer throughout each day, you don’t need to prop up your ego with the passing trophies of this world. You have the greatest significance possible.

Signs that you pursue your self-worth in God

What indicates that you find your significance in knowing God? Three things come quickly to mind:

How much you read the Bible
Whether you connect with God in prayer throughout each day
Struggling with feelings of inferiority or envy if you compare yourself to others

Would you agree? What would you add to this list? Contribute to the Knowing God community by sharing a comment below.