Enthusiasm In Obedience Pleases God

By Lynn Johnston

One day God said to Abraham (Genesis 22) “I want you to take your son, Isaac, your only son, the one whom you deeply love, and offer him for a burnt offering on Mount Moriah.”

“But God,” replied Abraham, “He is my only son.”

“I know that.”

“But God, I love him with all my heart, I am old, I have waited all these years for him. What are you asking?”

“I want you to do it for me.”

“Shall I tell Sarah what you want?”

“No, don’t tell Sarah. This is just between you and me.”

So Abraham got up early, took with him his servants and provisions for the trip and sacrifice. If he left a note for Sarah it may have said: “Have gone to Mound Moriah to offer a burnt offering—will be back in a few days. God bless you and I LOVE YOU!”

Having closed the tent door quietly so as not to awaken his devoted wife, he moved out in the early morning hours before it was light. The beautiful stars in the heavens were still shining. It was a good day to walk with God and have a heart to heart talk with Him.

Mount Moriah was a good day’s journey. Abraham was in no particular hurry. He wanted to smell the flowers and enjoy being with his son for the last time. I don’t think his steps were especially heavy. He was enthusiastically doing just what God wanted him to do. In this case hurry was not necessary. It was a time to soak in more of God and His presence because He was definitely there all the time and this was a very difficult task to perform. It was the time spent with God that was important. Disobedience was not an issue. He may have thought, “I will do it because God asks me to. I know that this young man is destined to be a father of many peoples. How God can do that when he is dead is something I cannot understand unless God miraculously raises him from the dead. That must be what God is going to do—after all God miraculously gave him to us when we could not have children.”

Hebrews 11:17-19 indicates this very thing and also Isaac is a picture of the resurrection of Christ. God can raise the dead. God brought Isaac out of a dead womb, he could also raise him from a sacrificial altar. He is a living God and like Job says: “even if I die, yet in my flesh I shall see God, even with my own eyes.”

At the end of the trail, Isaac noticed that something was missing. “Father, I see the wood and the fire but where is the animal for sacrifice, did you not forget something?”

“No son, God will provide Himself a sacrifice.”

To Isaac that was a sufficient answer. God could have an animal up on top of the mountain.

When the two had climbed the trail to the top, Abraham built an alter from the stones and laid upon the alter the wood that Isaac had carried. Still there was no animal. Now Abraham had to tell his son that God had asked him to offer his son as the burnt offering. Did Isaac run down the trail screaming? Did Isaac resist or struggle? I don’t think so. Abraham bound Isaac’s hands and placed him on top of the wood on the altar. He then took his sharp knife, raised his arm and just before it plunged down, the voice of God came out of heaven. “Abraham, Abraham, stop, there is a ram caught in the brush, offer him for your son!”

SUBSTITUTION
Isaac needed a substitute. The ram took his place.

Mankind, lost in sin, needs a substitute. Abraham said that God would provide. God will not only provide a sacrifice, but He will Himself, be that sacrifice. When Jesus was born of a virgin many years latter, he was God who came in the flesh and he was later sacrificed on the very same mountain Isaac was sacrificed on. Jesus also carried his own wood that became part of the offering. As a burnt offering Jesus was totally offered to God to satisfy every sentence. He paid it all. John pictures Jesus as the Burnt Offering. Jesus said: “I do always those things that please Him.” John 8:29

Abraham desired to do what God wanted. He had to chose quickly to do the will of God. His enthusiasm was pleasing to God. Enthusiasm is the key to doing whatever God asks.

Are we as willing as Abraham to follow God’s leading? When it comes to giving our tithe to the Lord, are we enthusiastic to do it? God is waiting to pour out upon us more blessings than we can imagine, but He can’t. God is not poor, but He wants us to give enthusiastically so that He can do more for us and through us. (Read Psalm 1) The word delight is a word like enthusiasm. Our delight in God and His Word will result in all kinds of blessing and prosperity. God stands behind His Word.

Caution: When we walk with God, there are some things we can’t tell others about. It may be too profound and they may think we are crazy. Walking with God is a personal thing—a burden that only we can carry alone. Our burden then becomes God’s burden. And we wait on God.

During the three days Abraham took for this journey, he was waiting to see what God was planning to do. How was He going to rescue his son?

The three days Jesus was in the tomb was very significant. Redemption was finished and it was time to rest and wait for the coming resurrection.
We don’t always understand what God is doing in our lives. We have to just rest in Him.

Lynn Johnston writes from Shady Cove, Oregon.