Hard testing
Friday, Sept. 25
Genesis 21:22 – 23:20 Read it here Listen to it here

The story of God testing Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac is a difficult one for modern readers. Almost every part of it is completely at odds with our understanding of the way the world works and should work.
Gaining meaning from the story, though, doesn’t depend on accepting that it is OK to offer up your children as burnt sacrifices, but understanding some of the context might get us to the point that we can look beyond our reaction and gain some positive lessons.
The first thing to understand is that death was more familiar to people of that time. Seeing animals slaughtered was a daily occurrence even for the youngest of children. When loved ones died it was frequently in the home, not out of sight in a hospital. That didn’t make the loss of the person any less, but the fact of death itself was less of a stranger to people.
Second, we’ll see later in the Old Testament that the sacrifice of one’s own children was practiced by other religions in the region. The concept of that being a test of faith would not have been as shocking to Abraham as it is to us.
As we go through the Old Testament, you’ll see several mentions of child sacrifice by the people and religions who surround Israel; the protection of children became a distinctive practice of God’s people. Even in the time of the early church, abandoning unwanted children to die from exposure was practiced, and Christians became known for rejecting it.
In 22:17-18, God repeats his promise,  “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Third, the story of Abraham is a story of a promise of descendants. In telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, God is testing his willingness to trust in God’s promise even to the degree of eliminating what appears to be the only way it can be carried out.
Fourth, when we read this as Christians, we can’t help seeing the parallel to God sacrificing his own son and recognizing that the sacrifice God asked a man to be willing to make, God actually made.
Abraham is led into an impossible situation from which he can see no way out. Those are often exactly the situations where we find God has prepared a way.
Later, when Sarah dies of old age, Abraham buys a field in which to bury her, even though the Hittites graciously offer it without cost. Abraham says, “I am a foreigner and stranger among you.” In spite of all the violence the Old Testament will bring, the theme of graciousness to foreigners and travellers will appear frequently.

Friday meditation

Proverbs 3:3-4
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Prayer focus
God, let love and faithfulness will always be my driving forces.

-Rev. Mark Fleming