A Test of Allegiance

“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.’”

Genesis 22:1-2 (NIV)

For the better part of Abram’s earthly pilgrimage the privilege of enjoying a paternal experience had eluded him. Therefore, God’s promise in Genesis 12:7 to usher Abram into the fatherhood fraternity was a most welcomed report. But the Lord’s pledge that Abram would have an offspring was not immediately satisfied. Abram and his wife Sarai would have to wait some twenty-five years before God’s vow of a child would come to fruition. Those intermediary years proved to be challenging, especially for Sarai. For many women, barren wombs leads to broken hearts, broken by the realization that their lives cannot personally facilitate the reproductive process their bodies were designed by God to carry out. Sarai was understandably discouraged that she had been unable to become pregnant as she entered her senior years. At one point, she recommended Abram sleep with her maidservant, Hagar, in order to conceive a child. If Sarai could not have a baby in her womb then she would seek the use of a surrogate womb, so-to-speak. As well-intentioned as this plan was, we do not read that it was sanctioned or authorized by God. In fact, the subsequent fallout from this arrangement would indicate that it was not one God would have endorsed had it been presented to Him for consideration or blessing.

Eventually, Hagar did become pregnant from Abram, but Sarai began to despise Hagar. The plan that was once so sensible was now repulsive to Sarai. When we look through a comparative lens at our fellow man it is remarkable how inpatient, jealous, and intolerant we can become. We begin to covet that which others have and are unable to find satisfaction without it. In Sarai’s case, she yearned for what Hagar had: the ability to have a child from Abram’s seed. As mistrust gave way to mistreatment, Sarai acted vindictively towards her maidservant. Hagar was subsequently compelled to flee her master. But an angel met Hagar in mid-flight and reasoned with her to honor her relationship as a servant to Sarai and return to home. Hagar complied with the holy request and submitted to Sarai’s authority (until Sarai eventually asked Abram to remove Hagar and Hagar’s son, Ishmael, permanently from the family camp in Genesis 21).            

Fast forward to the long-awaited day when Sarai bore a son, Isaac, to Abram. The moment which seemed impossible was made possible by the infinitely powerful God. Because of the supernatural manner in which God brought Isaac’s delivery about (conceiving and bearing a child in old age through the once barren body of Sarai), Isaac’s birth was nothing short of a miracle, both incredible and amazing. Abram and Sarai understood, perhaps better than most, what a sacred honor it is to be entrusted with the responsibility of raising a child. To guide, train, instruct, and tend to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of another life is an endeavor that requires the utmost humility and accountability, especially if the gift of parenthood has been slow or delayed in coming.

It is with the aforementioned musings that we consider God’s demand of Abram in Genesis 22:1-2. Abram was given a heavenly edict to take Isaac, his only son with Sarai, the fulfillment of a God-issued promise to be the father of a great nation, and journey to the region of Moriah where Isaac was to be sacrificed. On the surface, the ultimatum appears to be cruel. The notion that the very blessing which had escaped Abram for so many years (a child with Sarai) could suddenly be snatched away is puzzling, at least from a human standpoint. But when we view this situation from God’s perspective we find the significance of God’s request. God tested Abram’s allegiance. If Abram balked at God’s command, or refused to allow any harm to come to Isaac, then Abram would have confirmed his loyalty and trust were in his genealogy, not God. But if Abram was willing to let Isaac die then there was no shadow of a doubt that Abram’s spiritual fidelity and belief were firmly entrenched in his relationship with God. 

Idolatry comes in many forms, but at its root is a propensity to place other people, pursuits, or possessions before God. God’s test of Abram was a test of idolatry. Was Isaac more important to Abram than God? The answer, which was “no”, was dramatically revealed as Abram raised a knife to slay his son. Seconds before Isaac’s premature death at his father’s hand, God knew Isaac was not an idol in Abram’s life. The Lord could see that He was the penultimate source of joy and hope in Abram’s life, not Sarai or Isaac. Serving God was Abram’s life’s mission, not enlarging his fame, fortune, or family.

This account is very convicting and it spurs some relevant questions regarding our spiritual allegiance to the Lord. Is there anyone or anything that is impeding our whole, complete allegiance to God? If so, what is it that we need to lay on the altar of sacrifice and relinquish in order to have zero obstructions or distractions in our worship of the One, True God? Furthermore, what are we willing to lose so that we might gain a stronger fellowship with the Lord? The answers to these questions might surprise us. Either way, this biblical passage highlighting Abrams’s fierce dedication to God beckons us to discover that the tests of allegiance are part of God’s loving, disciplinary process to redeem our hearts and steel our spirits. May our lives be ready should God call us to journey to the altar of allegiance and demonstrate our devotion to Him.