The First Sunday of Advent (OTA)

Genesis 22:1-14

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ² He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” ³ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. ⁴ On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. ⁵ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” ⁶ And 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 they went both of them together. ⁷ And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 

⁹ When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter 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 lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” ¹³ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” 

Here is an interesting twist on the Parable of the Wicked Tenants.  The Master takes his own son and prepares him to be sacrificed, unless the tenants pay him, his share of the harvest.  Or maybe it would compare in this way.  The Master takes the children of the tenants and threatens to sacrifice them unless they pay him, his share of the harvest.

Maybe it does not matter how you twist it into the Parable of the Wicked Tenants.  maybe this text really needs to stand by itself.  The Lord God tests Abraham with one of the most precious things of all.  God promised Abraham for many years that he would provide him with his own son.  Abraham thought Eliazer was going to be his heir.  Abraham was even tricked into thinking that Ishmael was going to be the son of Promise.  Finally, God fulfills his promise to provide Sarah and Abraham a Son.

Then God asks him to take the promised son, or hope and kill it.  God asks Abraham to sacrifice the gift of God.  What does Abraham do?  He takes him up on the Mountain and says, God will provided.  God trusts in God to provide fulfillment for all his promises.

Most of us simple think of what it must be like to sacrifice our children for God.  We wonder if we could make that kind of sacrifice.  But what if it was a little greater?  What if God asked you to offer up your faith?  Sacrifice the one thing that gives you certainty of your salvation.  Sacrifice your Baptism, Faith, Word of God, etc.  Would you still be certain that God would provide.

Abraham knows that God will provide in all things.  God knows what he is doing.  God does always fulfill his promises.