We adorn our homes with greenery during Advent as a symbol of joy amid winter’s barrenness. But true, lasting joy may elude us when life loses its luster. Hardship can shrivel our joy like frosted grass.
Abraham knew sorrow before Isaac was born in his old age. God had promised Abraham innumerable descendants, but as years stretched on without an heir, doubt likely crept in. Sarah took matters into her own hands rather than wait on God.
Finally, joy broke through. Laughter bubbled up when impossible Isaac arrived — the “son of promise.” Abraham embraced the child destined to inherit God’s covenant.
Then abruptly, God commanded: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love…and offer him as a burnt offering.”
Surely Abraham reeled in anguish! Hadn’t he given up everything to follow God’s call? There were previous times when Abraham built an altar to the Lord, but each time the altar was built after God’s promise had been given. Now, Abraham was being asked to build an altar that threatened God’s promise. Was losing the son he cherished now part of the plan? Abraham had trusted God through years of uncertainty, but could he relinquish his miracle boy?
Yet, early in the morning Abraham got up. No bitter argument with God slowed his obedience. This choice alone could crush his soul, yet Abraham walked ahead, fully surrendered.
For three days he traveled with Isaac, informing him that “God himself will provide the sacrifice.” From the outside, we would probably label him as “in denial.” It sounds like he is not admitting the full gravity of the situation. But the truth is that genuine faith would sound no different than these responses. Genuine faith is able to look at the reality of the moment and still believe that God, in his goodness, will come through.
Abraham stacked the altar’s wood, laid down his son — then raised the knife in faith. In the last gasping moment, God intervened: “Do not lay a hand on the boy!…I now know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son.” A ram caught in the thicket becomes the substitute, a tangible testament to God’s provision and a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice to come—the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who would take our place on the altar of redemption.
Centuries later, the Father would watch his Son carry wood up a hill to become a sacrifice. No voice from heaven stopped Jesus’ suffering. The true Lamb of God spilled his blood to cover the sins of all humanity.
Abraham’s story is not just about obedience or blind faith. It’s about cultivating joy in the face of uncertainty, about choosing trust even when the path ahead seems shrouded in darkness. It’s about the unwavering conviction that God is good, that his plans, though often hidden, are ultimately for our good and the good of the world.
In this season of Advent, as we wait for the arrival of the promised Messiah, let us remember Abraham’s journey to Moriah. Let us learn to trust God’s goodness, even when life throws curveballs and tests our faith. Let us cultivate joy, not from external circumstances, but from the unwavering conviction that God is with us, guiding our steps, and ultimately providing for all our needs.
May this Advent be a season of deepening faith, unwavering trust, and joy that transcends the challenges we face. And may we, like Abraham, find our way to the mountaintop, not with fear and trepidation, but with a heart full of hope and a spirit brimming with the joy of knowing that God is good, and His promises are true.
This devotion is based on a sermon given by Dr. Christopher Stapper at Third Coast Church in Corpus Christi, TX on December 10, 2023.