The long silence of faith

By: carole l. haines

Sometimes following where God leads us is a quiet task.  Faithful Ones have often followed God’s leading without saying a word, even to their families.  People can sway us against what God is asking us to do.  Abraham portrayed for us this principle when asked to sacrifice Isaac. It’s a long reading from Scripture, but well worth the gems of truth we find.

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ² He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” ³ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. ⁴ On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. ⁵ Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. ⁷ Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹² He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” ¹³ Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. ¹⁴ Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.” ¹⁵ Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, ¹⁶ and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore(Genesis 22:1-15 NASB)
Abraham woke up early and probably told Sarah that he was taking Isaac with him as he offered a sacrifice to the Lord, not that Isaac was to be the sacrifice.  Isaac himself, is asking inquiring questions as they take the 3-day journey.  Every step is an agonizing reminder to Abraham, of what he must do in the end.  The two young servants that accompanied them, were left behind at the final point, so that they could not see what Abraham would do and try to stop him.  Abraham’s faith in God is truly solid, and he believes God’s Word to fulfill his promise of making him a great nation.  No wonder Abraham is held up as a great man of faith.  He believed God at many different points in his life, when his faith was tested.  Lord Jesus, help us to follow You, without a word to others, trusting Your lead. Faith is often a silent walk with God.