Father tried to kill me

Tossing and turning through the first watch, father finally got up. Still groggy, hands on his ears trying to block out the voice. The voice spoke again, alert now, he made his way out of the tent he shared with his aged wife, careful not to wake her up.

As if to get a clearer view for the conversation that was about to take place, He knelt. Tears rolling down his wrinkled cheeks he said

"You, Look at the stars and tell me how they will be mine now"
"Why not me?"
"Why Him?"
"Why now?"
"I don't understand"

The pain and heaviness of his heart gushed out in form of tears that didn't measure up to them. Staying on his knees quietly to listen to another instruction. The one that screams back

"That was a Joke!"

But this was no joke, he meant every word. What seemed like a lifetime passed. Still Nothing.
It was almost the end of the second watch, He stood up walked back into the tent quietly and changed his robe.

Walked over to the other tent that occupied the land. There he laid, his bundle of Joy, The seed of his loins, the one that took the reproach away, The first father of nations, now the last.

"Son! Son!" tapping his feet
"Yes father"
"Wake up, we have an offering to give" Said the authoritative voice
"Can I wash up first?"
"No, son. There is no time. Just get up and lets go"

Two of his servants were out waiting for them, everything seemed to be in Order except something. The hanging silence in the between the servants for the missing item.

"Ask him" One nudged the other
"Who knows for Oga this morning?"
"Everything is always radical to him, please, lets just observe today"

They walked in silence for long hours, father was back in the moment, the voice and his instruction

"Take now they son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou Lovest and get thee into the land of moriah: and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountain which i will tell thee of"
Clenching his fist while looking at the boy walking right beside him. with held back tears he whispered

"Not my will Lord, but yours be done"
2 camp-outs and 48 hours Later, Father stopped on his tracks. Looking far ahead into the mountains then back at his servants

"Wait here, I will proceed with the child, worship and come back to you"
The hanging question on their faces, they didn't ask.

With a puzzled look on his face as they kept walking he asked
"Papa, did you say worship? Where is the lamb for the offering?"
With a reassuring smile on his face
"The one that sends, Provides"
As if to reassure himself
"He provides"

With every step that brought them closer to the mountain his insides screamed "Run"
"Take the boy with you and run the opposite direction"
With every scream from the inside he took a step further towards the mountain

Picked up the wood, one after another, the task that he could've done with his eyes closed seemed like the longest.

"Maybe he will change his mind" he thought
"Let me stall abit"
"But, its a promise from the father. I will trust"

Picked up a piece of cloth and tied it over His son's eyes, tears rolled down the corner of his eyes as he bound him and laid him on the wood to be sacrificed to the one who gave him.

"But papa! I don't understand, I thought you said the sender provides?"
He could feel him trembling as he spoke
"He does, child. He does" With that he raised his knife

"Abraham! Abraham!!" Came the voice
"Do not lay hands on the child, don't do anything to him for now I know that you fear the Lord seeing that you didn't withhold your only son from him"

With his trembling fingers he unhooked the ram from behind him, Looked his son dead in the eyes and said

"He Provides"

*                                                   *                                                                *

Contrary to what everyone will believe, I am very sure there was no awkward silence between Abraham and Isaac on the way from the mountain that day.
Isaac learnt alot of lessons that day as he watched his father that loved him so much give him up to his heavenly father.
He learnt surrender.
He listened to God establish his covenant with his father just because of his obedience to give up his only priceless possession. He was God provide due to this act and definitely learnt to always trust a God that is moved by our faith in him.

God knew Abraham Loved and adored his son but he had to be sure he was still first place in his heart.

In this new year I want us to sincerely ask ourselves what is that one thing or "things" that is taking the place of God in our life, If God asks for it can we give it up just for him?

Say this prayer culled from "Pursuit of God" ~ TW Tozer

"Father, I want to know thee, but my cowardly heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without bleeding, and I do not try to hide from thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but i do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that thou mayest enter and dwell there without rival. Then shalt thou make the place of thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there in Jesus name"


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