Abraham and Isaac Genesis 22- Submission

Submission  and obedience. Ah those often most difficult of subjects for us ( well women...ok ME) . I have read and re read the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22  (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2022&version=NKJV).  Reading it recently  I thought about the act of giving up a child. Could I do that? I struggle with even giving up a place in line.

Yet Abraham at 100+ awakes one morning to the incredible command to sacrifice his only son. The son he and Sarah had been waiting for for so long... waiting obediently and faithfully. The more I thought about this Isaac had to have been about 10 or 12 ( bible scholars please correct me if I am wrong)-- old enough to leave the safety of his mother and camp, old enough to carry the wood up the mountain for the sacrifice. So this means the age where a parent stops seeing the baby in the face of your child and you start seeing the future--- the child's accomplishments, weddings, grandchildren. 

So here is  Abraham seeing the answered promise from all these years of allegiance to God's Will. And yet Abraham answers "Here I am" and  went to give up the most precious thing he had of this world, his most wonderful earthly possession... his son. The Bible doesn't tell us what Abraham thought ( please read the passages for yourself) it simply relates the story of Abraham's slow walk of faith up a mountain, to a known sacrifice. The Bible doesn't tell us if Abraham went willingly or wept as he went. He simply went,  trusting that the God that had provided and protected would do so again.  Hebrews 11:17.

The Faith of the Patriarchs Hebrews 11

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, ¹⁸ of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”^[d] 19 concluding that God was able to raisehim up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

This willingness to Trust God created and nurtured the obedience of Abraham's Heart. We are given this story in the bible to understand more of GOD. Not that THE LORD  would cruelly require our children like some pagan god but to show us not until we are willing to give up the things holding us in this world ( Matthew 16:24) will we truly understand what HE is offering us.. all of HIMSELF. 

Abraham and Isaac: Genesis 22

His Voice, like a thunderclap,

commanded the impossible.

At dawn, the servants load the camels.

Sarah looks at me, silent yet full of questions.             

                You are the Lord, the One True God. I will follow.

Isaac, all of twelve, with laughing eyes,

helps me bundle the wood.

He teases the servants about our adventure.

They smile at him and tousle his black woolly hair.

All who see him smile.

Lord, You are Generous. I will follow.

Three days to Mt Moriah.

Three days to fill my heart with the song of Isaac’s laughter.

Three days to fill my eyes with the sight of his face,

the face that echoes my own with eyes so like Sarah’s.

The mountain comes too soon.

Lord, You are Good. I will follow.

We leave the servants.

I am old and gnarled

like the wood

I now place on his shoulders.

Isaac carries it easily,

scrambling up the slope

like a young goat.

Lord, You are Strength. I will follow.

The knife is heavy,

in my hand

and the smoke from the coals

burns my eyes.

               

                Lord, You are Mercy. I will follow.

Isaac questions me,

with a joke on his lips.

He thinks I  have forgotten 

what we will need.

He waits for me

with smiling deference.

Lord, You are Steadfast. I will follow.

I climb stiffly.

I am so old now.

If he fights me,

I may not be able to hold him.

I may not want to.

I place each piece of wood slowly

deliberately on the altar.

Can I add minutes to this day?

Can I add seconds to this moment?

Lord, You are Forgiveness. I will follow.

My hands shake.

My breath is old and ragged in my ears.

I dare not see the face of my child

as I wind the rope around his hands.

Yet Isaac’s hands are steady.

His breath as gentle as a lamb.

Calm and willing he is led to the altar.

                Lord, You are Faithful. I will follow

The knife is so heavy as I lift it.

I look down at Isaac.

I am blinded

by his obedience

And love.

The love of a Son for a Father.

The love for me.

My Son,

My Isaac knows his duty.

He has always known.

His faith is great.

His heart so full of love.

The Voice calls me out.

My voice is strong when I answer.

Yet my arms tremble

With what I am about to do.

                Here I am Lord! Here I am.

The sacrifice is pardoned.

A substitute provided.

My hand is staid.

I can breathe again.

I free my Isaac,

then free the life of the Ram

onto the altar.

Lord, You are Provision. I will follow.

I hold my son again.

His heartbeat is the song

of Love

of Promise,

of Covenant Fulfilled.

You are the Lord, the One True God. I will follow.

Part Two- patience of a 12 year old and generosity of a 5 year old

So here is the honest and true reflection I talked about in the previous post. I would really like this post to be a total brag about the generosity of my kids ( which would , of course, reflect on my awesomeness as a parent --right! ). But it is not...although my kids do have a generous spirit given completely by God and not me...and I already "Face-bragged" on facebook earlier with this photo.

So we have been talking about giving a lot in our house. About tithing, about offerings, about giving in general. We have given to organizations like Samaritan's Purse /http://www.samaritanspurse.org/ and World Vision /http://www.worldvision.org/ in the past and usually had a a lot of fun picking out the "goat" or "chickens" etc to give. We have, in the past, told the kids if they want to give some of their own money we would "match" or they could choose which gifts to give. We had talked about this all week and Sunday was going to be the deciding day. Well, the 12 year old and 9 year old excitedly counted out what they could give, figured out the "match" from mom and dad and what we could "get". Very thoughtful and generous. The 5 year old wanted nothing to do with it. This was his money and he wasn't giving anything. Forget it.

This all happened around the magical dinner time hour when I am my most rushed and least gentle in spirit and I ( parent fail coming ) just sent the 5 year old room. I wanted to SPANK him for his lack of spirit... but you can't spank generosity into someone, you can't force a loving heart...you can only nurture it through example and I was failing at that example miserably at that moment.

Jesus would not have spanked my 5 year old ( although I would like to think he would have) . Jesus would do exactly what my 12 year old did. She very calmly and patiently talked with her little brother about giving and needs. She talked about how much WE have and how little so many others have. She talked about how his 4 dollars would be multiplied and blessed to give so much more. How the rabbit he was "giving" was going to help a child eat that might not eat, help a child earn money for school that might not get to go.

This was an image of who we are at our truest selves...the beautiful reflection of God's patience and love mixed with equal parts stubborn selfishness sin. I'm not just talking about the 5 year old. I saw this discussion about giving as just one more task to do and was mad the 5 year old wasn't getting with the program so I could cross off the "to do" list.

I am grateful  my older two reflected the God of infinite patience and love to me and to their brother. I am also grateful for the 5 year old's honesty...and for God showing me my own stubbornness through him.

I pray you will see and feel God's Spirit and Presence this time. That your own nature can be "checked" and that God's nature will shine through

My truest self -- reflected from my 5 year old

This week I feel like God gave me two glimpses into the human condition...OK into my own self. The first one:

Our House--Erik and kids made this one!

Christmas Lights...I love Christmas lights. I love that my husband ( although reluctantly ) puts up our lights and manger display. I love driving around and seeing how creative people are from the store bought commercial giant inflatable kung fu panda Santa to the homemade creche and lights. I love Christmas music singing etc. So a few nights ago instead of driving around I decided to take a walk ( being a frigid 72 I felt we could handle it). The kids thought walking...at night...was crazy---it was dark after all.  So bribery with promised Hot Cocoa got the Monson kids to put on flip flops ( remember 72+ degrees ) , leash the dog, and head out. I tried to engage in the "teachable moment" conversation about symbols of Christmas and favorite Christmas songs. The responses were:

Favorite Christmas decoration ( kids point of view):
1. Giant Inflatables of any kind
2. Animitronic reindeer
3. Multi color lights

Favorite Christmas songs ( kids point of view)
1. "I'm gettin' Nuthin for Christmas" --the five year old
2. " Rudolf the Red nose Reindeer" -- the venison is yummy version--don't ask--its from teh 12 year old
3. anything mom --from the nine year old

Sigh-- So I decided to let go of the teachable moment and just enjoy my time with my kids. And low and behold ... singing. I began humming one of my favorites "Joy to the World" and they sang with me..all three.. while walking down the street. Then "Oh come all ye faithful", then "Silent Night".  With out prompting, with out pushing, with out some made up moment...just singing because God is Good, because He came and will Come Again.

Thank you Jesus. Thank you for giving me a glimpse of your beauty through my kids and Christmas lights.