Fire starter: The never heard voice

(By guest author Pastor Angel Nava, La Paz, Mexico)

…Do not lay a hand on the boy…do not do anything to him… (Gen 22:12)

In one of the most misunderstood passages from the Holy Scriptures, it is described that God asked the patriarch Abraham to offer in sacrifice his son Isaac. Many a time Abraham would sacrifice calves, goats, birds, and rams. Nonetheless, offering his son was something else. Abraham was pretty well acquainted with what he had to do: set a pyre, tie up both of Isaac’s feet and hands, take a knife and slit him, and, after pouring all the blood on ground, lay the motionless body on the firewood, light it up and let it burn until there is nothing else left but ashes. And, besides, lift up to heaven the hands so as to thank and praise the Lord because of his endless love and mercy.

It is amazing to notice Abraham’s obedience. The old man walked with his son, during the three bitterest days of his life, up to mount Moriah. When Abraham made it, he did everything, as he knew it; nevertheless, when he stretched the knife out to slit Isaac, there was a voice from heaven “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22.12). Blessed voice that brought relief to the father and salvation to Isaac.

“What a cruelty!” say many people. I do not say it was not cruelty; but, let us open our eyes and discover interesting features regarding what we call cruelty.

For starters, it was not a one and only and isolated event. There was also another time a Father had to sacrifice his son on a altar. Who was the victim? Jesus. Who was the father? God himself. What was the place? Calvary. What was the altar? The cross. But this time there were several differences that made the event even crueler. The first difference lies in the fact that Abraham was asked by God; however, who asked God? Let me tell you: it was you and I! Your sin and mine … in order to pay for those sins Jesus died. Our sins, in turn, make us cruel.

There is also another difference that can be noticed. While there was a voice to stop Abraham, thus saving his son in Moriah, in Calvary there was no voice to say to the Father “Do not lay a hand on the boy… do not do anything to him”. The voice was not to be heard and the sacrifice was carried out. But even more impressing is to know that what we call cruelty, God calls love. “For God so loved you and me… that the voice was never heard.”

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