Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

In the prophet Isaiah, we hear these words, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9).  These words communicate something to us about the mystery of God that, at times God lies beyond our limited human understanding.

This Sunday, we conclude our sermon series on Abraham with our scripture passage from Genesis 22:1-14.  This story is probably the best-known story about Abraham.  In the Christian faith, we know the story as “the sacrifice or near sacrifice of Isaac.”  In the Jewish faith, it’s known as the “binding” of Isaac.  It’s a difficult passage to understand and interpret.  The difficulty begins with our aversion to a God who would tell Abraham to sacrifice his son.  What kind of God would command such a thing?  This story has led to heated debate.  Is it a story of an abusive God?  Is this religion at its worst?  Was Abraham sadly mistaken?  Or is it a story of faith and obedience?  These questions are not easily answered.

As listeners of this story, we are left to ponder what is here for us.  I would like to suggest nothing less than our understanding of the nature of God.  When we say the word “God,” what do we mean?  Who is God to us?  This text reveals that God is both the “tester” and the “provider.”  There may seem to be a contradiction, but the passage does not allow us to choose between these two.  We are left to hold them in tension.  It’s a bit of a mystery—yet through that mystery, we know God in all of God’s fullness.

See you on Sunday,

Pastor David