“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’” -Genesis 22:2
Abraham and Sarah waited longer than most people can physically wait to have a child. Sarah was about 90 years old when the Lord said she would conceive. That is decades beyond when a woman should be able to give birth to a child. But God performed a miracle and allowed the impossible to happen.
She gave birth to Isaac, the promised son through whom Abraham would become a great nation. Years and years of waiting finally turned heartache to joy. Sarah laughed as she said, “‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age (Genesis 21:7).’”
Then, God told Abraham to do the unthinkable. He said to take his beloved son and offer him as a sacrifice. This son whom God delivered to Abraham through a miracle and who brought laughter to this family was now to be killed. Scripture doesn’t say how Abraham felt—whether his heart broke into a million pieces or whether he held back a scream of terror. All it says is that he obeyed.
Surely, God would not tell one of His followers today to sacrifice a child, but He could ask for something that would still cause grief. He could ask believers to leave their loved ones behind and move to a country across the world. He could ask someone to delay marriage to better serve Him for a time. How we respond to such requests reveals who we love more.
God loves family and marriage and children, and He wants His followers to love those things, too. But nothing in this world—even the most beautiful things—can come before God. Jesus even said, “‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26).’” Jesus does not want us to hate our families, but He wants us to love Him above anyone else in the world.
This was Abraham’s test. God didn’t just want a burnt offering; He was seeing whether Abraham loved Him more. Abraham gave his answer when he grabbed the knife to slay his son. In a heart-stopping moment, the angel of the Lord called to Abraham and told him not to harm Isaac. Instead, the Lord provided a ram to sacrifice in his place.
The event likely formed a resolve in both the hearts of Abraham and Isaac that day. Both of them probably left the mountain understanding that God should be the first love in their hearts—even above family.
Family is a blessing from God, but it shouldn’t become an idol we worship. God wants your whole heart because He loves you wholly. It is crucial to remember that you are a part of God’s family, too. Should He ever ask you to let go of something near and dear to your heart, His request will be coupled with His incomparable comfort and sweet embrace.