The Lord Will Provide
Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” Genesis 22:9-14
Too often I think the faith of a son is overlooked in this passage. Was it because of the faith of Isaac that the promise turned into a covenant for generation after generation?
By the time this event occurred Isaac was a young man who was strong enough to carry the wood for the sacrifice up a steep mountain slope. He had been raised in a home that honored Yahweh God, had watch his father trust, had sat at his feet and listened of Yahweh’s goodness, and now walked beside his father in faith. Isaac was no doubt physically stronger than Abraham given that Abraham was well advanced in age (over 100 years) and could have easily overtaken his father when it was time to be bound and laid on the alter, but his trust was in Yahweh God.
I believe this, Isaac had been raised up and like Abraham, his trust was in his God. I believe that regardless of what the moment looked like he knew the promises of Yahweh and that Abraham’s descendants would be named through Isaac (Gen 21:12). I believe that Isaac had his own personal relationship with Yahweh, and had seen evidence of His faithfulness, and Isaac knew in whom he trusted.
Whoever strives to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will keep it. Luke 17:33
Before the words were ever spoken in the 2nd testament by Jesus Christ, Isaac lived them out and was the evidence of their truth. He was willing to do whatever was asked of him and he did it well unto completion. Isaac witnessed and participated in the moment that Yahweh showed up and showed off and provided all that was required. It was to the glory of Yahweh because of the obedience of the son.