What About Isaac?

It’s astonishing the amount of warfare that one goes through to get ready for church.  Let me restate that.  It’s astonishing how much warfare I go through getting ready for church.  It was casual day so that should have made it easy.  It didn’t.  By the time I got it together what I was going to wear I had so over analyzed my appearance that I didn’t want to go.  Well, I wanted to go; I just didn’t want to go late.  I couldn’t bear the shame of missing praise and worship and the ever playing loop in my mind of the pastor admonishing the congregation about why no one should miss praise and worship.   I even visualized his Facebook post that ended with #dontbelate.  I’ve been late before but clearly the devil was messing with me.  I just happened to take it to the next level, self-sabotage being an annoying strong suit of mine.

To be most honest I feared the scrutiny of wearing open-toe shoes without a pedicure.  I don’t know why I notice my shortcomings most when I am getting ready for church- maybe because sometimes that’s where they are pointed out.  Nevertheless, I confronted my fear and headed out the door to the car and off to church.  I then stood beside the car door and stared at my feet.  Ten minutes I wasted staring and wondering about who might comment on my lack of pedicure and how everything was wrong with my feet.  I got into the car started it up and it was past “E”.  Seriously? Where did the gas go that I knew I had?  By the time I got to the gas station I knew I wasn’t going to church.  I also knew that my church home isn’t like what was playing out in my mind.  I put ten dollars’ worth of gas into the tank and went to a different church– late. 

I figured I would go where I would be lost in a multitude of people that not only didn’t know me and would not look at my feet but wouldn’t notice my lateness.  I believe I was picking a church to accommodate all ten thousand of my issues. 

The thing is this, if the devil was messing with me and trying to get inside my head he wouldn’t have sent me running to a place where a message was being released that I needed to hear.  Not only that I got a revelation that would have knocked my socks off had I been wearing some to cover up my lack of a pedicure.

I caught the tail end of the pastor’s series about being “all in” for the Lord.  It was a powerful, thought-provoking teaching that let Holy Spirit go to work on me doing some heart work, you know? As the pastor was wrapping up the service he showed a slide with a picture of a marina filled with docked sailboats.  It was a hard hitting demonstration of more boats being docked than out on the ocean sailing– which is what they are meant for.  He correlated it with Christians.  More of us are docked than doing what we are called to do because of fear and not being all in for Jesus. 

I was so moved by the teaching I stayed for the next service to join the praise and worship and hear what I missed at the previous service.  As the pastor gave examples of people in the Bible whom were all in for Jesus, I realized then that I hadn’t missed much of the earlier service.  As he began to speak again about Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac a revelation dropped in my spirit.  I then realized how much I missed- not just today but every time I’ve read about Abraham and Isaac.  Here’s the deal.  Clearly Isaac understood the concept of sacrifice.  He said to Abraham, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7) He knew the components of an offering.  It says in Genesis 22:9 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. 

There is no mention that Isaac resisted being bound.  Neither is there mention of a struggle when he was laid on the altar.  As much as Abraham was willing to offer his beloved son as a sacrifice, Isaac was willing to give his life as a sacrifice.  He trusted God every bit as much as his father did probably even more.  In Genesis chapter 21 verse 12 God tells Abraham “For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Isaac didn’t have the benefit of that conversation so there must have come a time when Isaac realized that he was the lamb God was providing according to what his father told him and he submitted to the purpose his father had in mind.

As a side note it could also be said that in the lands surrounding them child sacrifice was so commonplace neither Abraham nor Isaac would have thought it a great deal to participate in such an act.  Still, Abraham was obedient to God’s command and trusted Him at His word.  Abraham is credited with being the father of our faith but truly he is the father of our obedience.

 In Genesis 22:6 it says: And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son… This makes me mindful of Jesus, the burnt offering, carrying the wooden cross.  It’s interesting that, in the same verse, it says Abraham took the fire in his hand and a knife.  I saw in the spirit that fire was the Holy Spirit and the knife was the word of God.  In Abraham’s had was the fire of the Holy Spirit and God’s promise to him.  I saw unfold the scene at Calvary with God, the Father; God, the Holy Ghost; and God, the Son in those Genesis 22 scriptures and God’s promise to us, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God did not withhold is only begotten Son.  Neither did Abraham withhold his son and promise.

Isaac was a willing sacrifice and in return God spared his life.  God’s own Son, Jesus, was a willing sacrifice, an acceptable, unblemished sacrifice.  Lord let me be an acceptable sacrifice.  I wholly submit my life to you do to as you will, to fulfill the things you have purposed me to do through Christ Jesus who strengthens me to do them. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

As if that weren’t enough for a beautifully blessed day, between the two services I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen for quite some time.  You never know how much you’ve missed someone until you see them again.  When that person shares an idea that been on your heart, well, who could have orchestrated that chance meeting but God?  I am looking forward to joining her book writer’s club.  Not to mention the encouragement she gave me that blessed my heart.  The title of this piece is “What About Isaac”. It could just as easily have been “How Great is God!”

Now, warm fuzzy feelings aside, there is a subtext that we have look a certain way or have certain things if we are to be accepted as ministers of the word of God.  It's troubling that pleasing man has been made a religious step towards pleasing God.  One would not be hard-pressed to find saints given to comment or "help a sister out" saying "you should have worn earrings", or "I liked the way you did your makeup back then".  Being so helpful can just as easily be so destructive.  The world acknowledges that women dress for women.  The church has adapted that idea hook, line and sink her.  It can't be ignored that the church can, at times, be more of a fashion house than a disciple making house. 

Mark 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. 10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.  11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.  It is commonly said to "Come as you are" in church.  Really it's come as you are, get with the program, stay with the program and don't depart from it. 

When Jesus sent out the disciples He told them to be shod with sandals and not put on two coats.  That sounds minimalist to me.  I couldn't get out the house without makeup, jewelry, matching this, matching that.  Honestly!  Therein lies my real shame.  I am confessing a fault so please pray for me.  "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them."  We receive people conditionally looking for their Sunday best.  A few years back I was heading to church when I was stopped by a man outside a nearby apartment building.  He expressed to me that he had been wanting to go to the church but hadn't because he saw the people dressed nicely and he didn't have nice clothes.  People are shaking the dust from their feet before they enter the house of God.  Perhaps if everyday was casual day more people will feel welcome to not only visit our churches but dwell there.