Genesis 20-23
I have never seen a beautiful piece of wall art with the words “Family Isn’t Everything”. I’ve never seen it on a Mother’s Day mug or bookmark, t-shirt, keyring or tombstone. Rather, we are all very familiar with the motto “Family IS Everything”. Whether it’s from the Walmart aisles, Etsy and Pinterest sites or President Biden’s farewell address, we’ve seen it, we’ve heard it, we’ve lived it. It’s a societal norm or expectation. Those who can’t say Family Is Everything might have really really bad families or really screwed up priorities. OR – they just might be listening to and obeying God and working hard at keeping God and God alone first place in their life. I have a feeling we wouldn’t find Abraham wearing the “Family is Everything” t-shirt. And God blessed him for it.
No doubt Abraham loved and cherished the family that God gave to him. Can you imagine waiting 100 years for the child you could keep? Today’s reading also describes his heartache over losing/sending away his firstborn son Ishmael. Being a parent is hard. Being a godly parent is also not easy. But I am reminded, perhaps as Abraham was, of the purpose God had in giving Abraham a child which was recorded in yesterday’s reading. In Genesis 18:19 God said, “For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” In teaching Isaac to keep the way of the Lord, Abraham needed to live it out himself – not by doing what the world says is right (“family first”), but listening to and following through with what God says, even when we don’t understand why.
And Abraham did. When God said “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” – Abraham did – “and he rose early in the morning” and got moving. (Genesis 22:2,3 ESV). I admire not only his actions but his speed and timing in listening and obeying. He got going and followed through. He also had a three day journey in which he could have changed his mind, turned around and decided family is everything. But he didn’t. He continued onward to the exact place that God told him to go. At the start he knew he was heading toward the region of Moriah and God would tell him which mountain to go to. I read online that some say the mountain God sent Abraham to was Golgatha, in case you are looking for more foreshadowing and similarities between what God was asking Abraham to do and what He Himself (the loving, righteous and just God) would do for us with His only son whom He loved. Thankfully God did not let His perfect love for His perfect Son keep Him from offering Jesus up to save the guilty condemned, you and I. God’s t-shirt would not say “Family is Everything” but maybe more along the lines of, “I gave everything for my adopted family”.
But, one more point about this mountain that God sent Abraham to…for it was there that God had a great surprise hiding – a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And it was there that God provided for Abraham and Isaac in a very big way. If you haven’t read Genesis 22 yet today, please do. I am guessing God didn’t place a ram stuck on every mountain nearby just in case Abraham decided to end up at a different mountain than the one God told him to go to. Similarly, if we are looking for God to provide – let’s show up on the mountain He tells us to go to.
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
- What does it look like when we live by “Family is Everything” and put family before God? What does it look like when we love the family God gave us dearly and set an example for them of being righteous before God and putting God first?
- Is there anything you have tried to withhold from God? What does it mean to you that God did not withhold His Son?
- Have you ever been upset God didn’t provide as you wanted Him to – and then realized you were in the wrong place to receive what He had all prepared and ready to give? Does it count to do most of what God says if you aren’t prepared to do all of what God says?
- What do you think of Abraham? How do you think he earned the title “Friend of God”? Would you like to be known as a friend of God – could you honestly wear the “Friend of God” t-shirt? What specifically can you do today, this week, month and year to grow more and more like a true friend of God?
Seek Grow Love 