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“He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar…”  (Gen 22:9b  NIV)

Wonder what it was like for Isaac when his father, Abraham, was willing to sacrifice his only son in obedience to God?  One minute Issac’s out for a walk with Dad, and the next he’s being bound and tied to an altar.   Scripture doesn’t tell us what he felt in that moment or whether this strange event left behind a long trail of dysfunction or deep scars of betrayal.  But, it is certain that this experience had to affect him deeply.

Unlike other Biblical patriarchs, Isaac never experienced a name change (…that sovereign moment when a servant of God was given a new name to reflect a new identity or calling).  Coincidence??  Or could it be that he learned something through that life-changing event which defined him and, therefore, eliminated the need for a change to his identity?

Since Isaac is presented as a “type” and foreshadow of Christ, I cannot help but wonder if he learned something that many of us still struggle with:  Our truest identity is found in complete submission to the will of the Father, despite what we see, feel and think in the midst of life’s most trying moments.  Isaac’s greatest hardship became a prophetic picture of a Perfect Son’s willingness to lay down his life in obedience to the will of His Father.  It’s easy to feel like life’s victim at times, but the reality is the circumstances at work in our lives are often the channel through which God is choosing to unveil and refine our true identity.

“Lord, please help us trust in your love and goodness even when we do not understand how You are working through our circumstances.   And please continue to refine us so that our true identity would be a reflection of Your holy work.”

For His Glory

Claudia Dempsey
TRBC Women’s Life