Ruminate

I'm pretty sure last fall, my school made us read Genesis 1-20 about 30 times, if not more. I was reading it once again the other day and found something I have never noticed before: happens every time.
It was the popular narrative we all know of as Abraham and Isaac. After years of waiting for a promised son, God provides Isaac's birth to Abraham and Sarah. Yet the story doesn't end there. God tests Abraham by commanding him to offer Isaac as a burnt sacrifice.

Abraham obeys.

Well, he would have unless God intervened by providing an animal to take Isaac's place.

So much symbolism goes on in this passage to parallel the ultimate, Great Redemption, but a couple new (to me) interesting observations caught my eye:

Three Days-
It took three days to arrive at the high point of this account. If you read fast, you don't catch it, but Abraham had it set in his mind that his promised son would die. For three days Isaac was essentially dead to Abraham. Three days. Ring any bells?

"Your son, your only son" is said three times. It feels like when God says this to Abraham that He's just rubbing salt in the wound...and to say it three times?! But it also seems as though God is saying He understands. He understands that Isaac is Abraham's only son. He understands what the problem at hand is. And in Abraham's own words: "the LORD will provide."

In verse 5 of chapter 22, Abraham uses the word "worship". If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time the word "worship" is used in the Bible. Wow. Abraham is referring to killing his son as worship! Maybe my next observation will tie it together...

Yet again we see another first: "love." When God says "your son, your only son," He does not stop there. He adds: "whom you love." Abraham's obedience is not to be accounted for because he did not admire his son, in fact, quite the opposite! Abraham loved his son greatly, but he loved one thing greater: God. There was nothing that would stop Abraham from obedient worship of the One he loved most.

One other thing along the lines of symbolism and firsts: In this passage, "love" is used for the first time and it is used to describe a relationship between a father and his son.

Once again...hear any bells ringing?

Sure, Abraham was a human and messed up with a sinful nature like we all are. But oh how I long for the obedience and faith Abraham exhibits here.