Obedience and sacrifice

Today we watch the second episode of The Bible. We are skipping over the last chapters of Genesis...Jacob and his boys; Joseph, the coat of many colors and brothers of many jealousies, the children of Israel who eventually become slaves of the Pharaoh...to leap into the Exodus and Moses. As we work our way through the characters of the Old Testament, I am being reminded that obedience to God always has a cost and it is often pretty steep. We don't think or talk about it, but it is becoming very real in these stories of the patriarchs of the faith. 

As western Christians we want to believe God wants us to be happy and have everything we desire to get us there. But that isn't what the stories in The Bible are reinforcing. Noah, Abraham, Moses and, I imagine, the others to follow all keep saying "trust in God", "God cares about us", "do what God says." Nowhere is the guarantee of safety, security, acceptance, happiness or ease. In fact, as I thought this week about Abraham, I was struck with what he had to give up to be obedient to what he felt God asked him to do. 
He left his homeland  and the places, people and life he had always known. He let Lot separate from him, a nephew we were reminded was "like the son he did not have." He took another woman into his care and provision who bore his son Ishmael and then turned them out into the wilderness, an act we would see as murderous, giving up yet another son. And finally he had to be willing to kill Isaac. We read that story in Genesis 22 pretty quickly but what the video brought home to me was the reminder of what the scriptures don't give us details about: everyday life after Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac. 

The Bible gave us a glimpse when we see Isaac refuse his father's help descending the mountain and the look on Sarah's face when she has her son back in her arms. Can you imagine what your household would be like if your spouse took one of the kids off to sacrifice because God spoke to them? I don't think things go back to the way they were.

Genesis 22:19 says "Abraham returned to his young men and they arose and went together to Beersheba and Abraham lived in Beersheba." What about Sarah and Isaac?
The first few verses of Genesis 23 tell us Sarah died about 10 years later in Kiriath-arba in Canaan, and Abraham spoke to the tribesmen of the area to purchase a burial site for her telling them he was "a stranger and sojourner among you." Did he separate from his family, give up his son yet again? All for obedience and the promise of descendants?
Abraham outlived Sarah by 40 or more years. According to Genesis 25, he took another wife, maybe even while Sarah was still living. Keturah gave him 6 sons, many of whose names (according to Ryrie) are identified with Arab tribes...the father of many nations. While he provided gifts of flocks and land for all 7 of the other sons, Isaac inherited everything Abraham owned.

His earthly possessions went to Isaac but it looks to me like he really gave all he had to God. I suspect we will see a lot more of that kind of obedience...and that kind of sacrifice.

Alana