Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.”

And He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Issac, 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.” Genesis 22:1-2

Of the three Patriarchs, maybe Issac gets the least attention. Abraham is praised for his great faith. Jacob’s life story takes several chapters in the book of Genesis. Issac, however, seems overshadowed by Abraham and Jacob.  The story of his conception is miraculous. After Sarah’s death, Abraham sends his servant to find Issac a wife. Rebekkah arrives and is also barren. Then, after Issac prays, Rebekkah conceives twins. There are descriptions of settling in Gerar and digging wells…But Issac doesn’t get labeled as a man of great faith. He doesn’t produce 12 sons that become the Tribes of Israel…Yet he is held up as one of the three patriarchs.

I think Issac was a man of deep faith. He was a young lad or young man when he and Abraham made the three-day trek to Moriah. (I still don’t know how Abraham was able to get Issac away from Sarah. Don’t know what he told her, but I’m certain it did not include information about sacrificing Issac!) The scripture does not make mention of Issac being fearful. It does not say he tried to subdue Abraham when Abraham bound him. Let’s face it, Abraham is well over 100 years old by now. Issac could probably have stopped his father. But he submitted. He allowed his father to bind him and place him on the wood.

What was Issac thinking? What emotions did he experience? Scripture is silent on that point. The only clue we hear is Issac asking Abraham where the lamb for sacrifice is. 

Quietly, we see scripture portray Issac as a person of great faith also. He allows his father to treat him as a lamb to be slaughtered. Seeing his father raise the knife to sacrifice him…still submitting. Did he, like Abraham, believe Yahweh could raise him back to life? There is no mention of crying out or wailing…I say again…Issac submitted.

Our Advent devotion for our Jesse tree uses this scripture.  The “type” that pictures the coming Messiah and His Resurrection. They could not have known at the time…Issac and Abraham…that this moment would foretell Messiah…but how marvelous…their faith…their submission…their obedience…not just Abraham…Issac too.