Chapter 14—Willing Obedience
Abraham was an old man when he received the startling command
from God to offer up his son Isaac for a burnt offering. Abraham was
considered an old man even in his generation. The ardor of his youth
had faded away. It was no longer easy for him to endure hardships and
brave dangers. In the vigor of youth man may breast the storm with a
proud consciousness of strength and rise above discouragements that
would cause his heart to fail later in life, when his steps are faltering
toward the grave.
But in His providence God reserved His last most trying test for
Abraham until the burden of years was heavy upon him and he longed
for rest from anxiety and toil. The Lord spoke unto him, saying: “Take
now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest,” “and offer him
... for a burnt offering.” The heart of the old man stood still with horror.
The loss of such a son by disease would have been most heart-rending
to the fond father, it would have bowed his whitened head with sorrow;
but now he is commanded to shed the precious blood of that son with
his own hand. It seemed to him a fearful impossibility.
Yet God had spoken, and His word must be obeyed. Abraham was
stricken in years, but this did not excuse him from duty. He grasped the
staff of faith and in dumb agony took by the hand his child, beautiful
in the rosy health of youth, and went out to obey the word of God. The
grand old patriarch was human; his passions and attachments were
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like ours, and he loved his boy, who was the solace of his old age, and
to whom the promise of the Lord had been given.
But Abraham did not stop to question how God’s promises could
be fulfilled if Isaac were slain. He did not stay to reason with his
aching heart, but carried out the divine command to the very letter, till,
just as the knife was about to be plunged into the quivering flesh of
the child, the word came: “Lay not thine hand upon the lad;” “for now
I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son from Me.”
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