Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20

Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20

Oh man. If ever an IBS verse convicted me, this one is it. The command to obey your parents is so straightforward and yet it is one of the hardest to follow. When I think of good examples of children obeying their parents my mind goes straight to Abraham and Isaac. I can’t even imagine what was going through Abraham’s mind when God told him to sacrifice Isaac. For 3 days he walked with Isaac to where God was leading him to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering. That Abraham was so obedient is incredible, but what Isaac did is just as mind blowing. Abraham at least had years of personally experiencing God’s faithfulness to keep His promises, Isaac was still a kid. Just because of the age difference, Isaac could have easily overpowered his dad. No matter how healthy, a 100+ year old is not going to be any competition for a young guy. Despite all the odds being in Isaac’s favor, Genesis 22:9 tells us that Abraham “bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.” There’s a chance Isaac questioned what his dad was doing, and honestly who could blame him? If my dad told me I was the answer to God’s promise and then tried to sacrifice me on an altar, I would at least question what he was doing. Whatever conversation did or didn’t happen, Abraham was successful in preparing Isaac as the sacrifice. For Isaac, obedience was enough of a reason to get on that altar. He didn’t demand an explanation or refuse to comply because what was asked of him didn’t make sense. Isaac simply obeyed the authority God had placed in his life. If I could go back in time and tell a younger me one thing, it would be to obey with the right heart. The amount of pain and frustration I could have saved myself if I had just obeyed would have been worth giving up what I wanted in that moment.