What God is this?

I want to talk about this passage. 

Gen 22:2  “Take your son,” God said, “your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but this is a terrible cruel thing to ask of a person.  I am a parent and I would probably start to rebuke the devil for the ghastly thoughts or just told God “no”.  In Isaac was the promise of God, for crying out loud!  God also knew that Abraham loved Isaac.  I think Abraham went through hell.  I’ve often heard atheists say that if God is that cruel, they do not want to serve such a God.  I’ve also heard people say that God wanted to test Abraham’s obedience and faith.  Others say that Abraham started to love Isaac more than God and it was a way to bring Abraham back to earth.

I believe there is a different reason.

One thing that we perhaps forget is that child sacrifice was not an uncommon occurrence in the times of Abraham.  People regularly offered their children to please the gods.  Now God comes and asks Abraham to offer up his only son.  So far God is on par with all the other gods, right?  Abraham must have been wrenching and wondering if this god is worth it.  Remember, he did not know God that well.  Anyway, Abraham comes to the place and time when he has to offer up his son.  And then…this God stops him.  This God provides a sacrifice in the place of the child.  This God does not allow people to sacrifice their children.  This God is different from all the other gods men worship.  This God is NOT what we expect.  He is truly Someone Else, or as He put it, “I Am”.  Abraham must have been going “Hu?” a lot. 

Now I don’t know about you, but this is a God that keeps us off balance.  Around every corner and turn He waits to be discovered.  We expect one thing, He gives us another.  All the time the “god we want”, is replaced by “the God that Is.”

What God is this?

This is a God that CAN be known.  He CAN be loved.  This God KNOWS us very well.  Perhaps Paul said it best. 

1Cor 13:12.  We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.  But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright!  We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us!(Message). 

I think Abraham went away from the place of sacrifice, astonished, bewildered and with a song in his heart.  This God is truly worth knowing, don’t you think?