Genesis 22:4 Commentary and Bible Study

On the third day: that is a long time when it is a trial as great as this. You may have a trial that last for months. Yes, but this is such a great trial. ‘Take the life of your son, and trust me’, and the shock that descended upon Abraham, he had to sustain and master for three days. ‘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.’ Do you see his faith? He knows he must go alone, first for the practical reason that if his servants were with him and saw what he was about to do, they would surely restrain him, so he could not have them with him. But anyway, they would not understand. This was a trial he had to bear alone with Isaac. There is little doubt that he could not even tell Sarah. She didn't know the purpose for which he had gone. Even Sarah, had she known, would have prevented Abraham going ahead with this. Is it surprising that some would find it hard to understand what God commanded him to do?‘I and the lad will go yonder and worship.’ He calls it worship. He has to sacrifice his son, but he calls it worship. That is real faith. ‘I trust the Lord. Everything I do in obedience to his word is an act of worship.’ That is the attitude he takes – ‘and come again to you.’ ‘I and the lad will come again to you.’ He could confidently say that they would both return to the servants. Was it a lie? He knew he was going to take Isaac’s life. No, it wasn't a lie. Abraham trusts the Lord, and as the result of that he knows he is going to return. This is an act of faith. Hebrews 11 tells us what he was thinking, the way he was working this out in his mind. Isaac must surely be raised up. God must fulfil his promises. These words to the servants are a tremendous prophecy of faith. He meant it; he wasn't lying.