The superhero we will look at today was called the father of the Israelite nation. He was a wealthy man, but his wealth did not control him. He was generous and gave his nephew the best land when they parted ways. He was a believing man and because he believed God accepted him and his faith made him right with God. There are many things about Abraham that could be stories of a superhero, but the one that proves to me he was a great superhero was where he went to the mountain to sacrifice his own son.
Genesis 15:6 “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
Much has happened in Abraham’s life as a believer. God had promised him a son and at 100 years old this son was born. In Genesis chapter 22, the chapter starts with God testing Abraham. God calls Abraham and he answers.
Genesis 22:1-2 “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”
God gives the command for Abraham to take his only son and offer his son on an altar of sacrifice to God. God told Abraham to kill his own son. I’m sure Abraham did not understand why God would give him such a task. However, Abraham got up early, saddled up his donkey, gathered wood for the fire, and took two of his servants to take the trip up the mountain to worship God. This journey had to be the hardest three days journey Abraham had ever taken. No father wants to be in this situation. I’m sure Abraham must have had questions in his heart. Why would God miraculously give him his son at an incredibly old age and then take him away? Why would God tell him in Genesis 22:17, he would bless him by multiplying his seed “as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.” What was God going to do to fulfill His promise if He killed Abraham’s only son?
Genesis 22:3-5 “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.”
Here is where Abraham becomes a superhero. He obeys God at the risk of losing his only son. A son he and his wife had prayed for, a son they had waited for, a son promised by God. We have no idea what was going through Abraham’s mind, but we do know he obeyed. In verse 6 he takes the wood and fire for the burnt offering and carries the knife in hand. He and his son travel up the mountain alone, leaving the two servants at the base of the mountain. How painful it must have been for him to walk the trail to kill his son. As they walked, Isaac asked his father where was the lamb for the sacrifice? Here we have another superhero moment. In verse 8 his response was that God would provide the sacrificial lamb. It was simple faith that God would provide. For this superhero, it was also a teachable moment for his son Isaac.
Genesis 22:6-8 “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so, they went both of them together.”
Now comes the real test. Would he follow God all the way or would he stop short of complete obedience? Yes, he would! With a knife in hand lifted above his son, ready to plunge it into the body of his only son, God stopped him. Make no mistake God already knew how he would react, just as he knows how we will react in all situations, but when Abraham went all the way to raising the knife, he proved to himself and to God that his love for God was supreme to any other love. It also proved his trust in God as a miracle worker. He believed God when he told him he would be the father of many. Therefore, somehow God would have to either raise his son from the dead or spare him now. In verse 12, God tells Abraham that he knows he fears Him. A superhero always keeps his focus and listens only to those in command. Nowhere do we find Abraham discussing the situation with Sarah or anyone else. He leaves his servants at the bottom of the mountain so there would be no one to stop him. He wasn’t going to allow anyone to talk him out of obeying God. There is also no mention of Abraham being upset and tipping his hand to Isaac. Only God can give that kind of self-control.
Genesis 22:9-13 “And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”
We too need to be a superhero when it comes to our obedience to God. We have not obeyed until we have done it completely, with the right attitude, and upon the first command of God. When we learn to live our lives this way, we too can be an Abraham superhero.
