Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together.”
(Genesis 22:7-8)

Abraham hasn’t told Isaac all the details. But Isaac isn’t a small child. He’s seen his father sacrifice before. Abraham was an altar builder. Isaac wasn’t stupid. He’s starting to put two and two together. He might even suspect that he is the sacrifice. However, he trusts his father’s character. The example of the last few decades. So he asks the question. It’s a question for his day and time, but it is also a prophetic question that echoes for thousands of years before Jesus answers it from the cross (John 1:29).

Abraham doesn’t give a straight answer. He doesn’t say that Isaac is the offering. He doesn’t say that the offering will be provided. Abraham was a smart cookie. He was getting his eyes opened to something that was really exciting. For more exciting than a standard raising from the dead (and that is pretty exciting!). Abraham is hearing the echoes of Isaac’s question. Abraham is starting to see the plan of the Lord in its fullness (John 8:56). What one covenant partner is willing to do, the other covenant partner must be willing to do. What one does, the other does. They are inexorably linked. Abraham was beginning to see that link. He was listening to the Lord and the revelation that was being unveiled before him was getting his spirit rejoicing. Abraham knew Isaac would be preserved. Abraham didn’t know how it was all going to play out. Abraham was giving credit to the Lord, leaving Him room to move, and eager to see what was going to come about.

Something in Abraham’s manner must have convinced Isaac, because they continued together with no more questions. They were synced up and heading to their appointment side by side.

The sage Kli Yakar writes: ‘“And he said, ‘My father,’ etc.” Isaac had not yet said anything to him, but merely called out my father and was silent. This was because Isaac sensed that his father’s intention was to offer him as a burnt offering, and he thought, “If so, he is not showing me mercy as a father should have for his children, and has turned cruel toward me” — for he did not yet know that this was the Creator’s will. Therefore, he called out my father to test whether he would answer him, [to determine] if it was still fixed in his heart that he was his father, or if he had already dismissed it from his heart as if he were not his son. Through this, he wanted to know who would be sacrificed. When Abraham answered him Here I am, my son, showing that he still had all his paternal longings for him, Isaac then said, “If so, where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham replied, God will see to the lamb for the burnt offering, my son — meaning, “It was not I who chose you, but God, and both you and I are obligated to honor Him.” Only then did they both walk together with one intention, whereas until this point they had been divided in their thoughts.’

The sage Rav Hirsch writes: ‘V. 7. Up till then the father and son had not spoken to one another, that is why it says twice ויאמר here; and from the silent solemnity of those three days, Isaac could well have made a shrewd guess at the truth. Perhaps that is why it adds the word אל אברהם אביו, here. Till now in his silent solemn demeanour in the presence of attendants he had seemed to be only “Abraham”, and did not appear to Isaac to be in his usual manner “his father”. V. 8. “All we have to do is to bring the wood, the fire and the knife, we have only to be ready for any offering; what He will choose, what will happen will only happen because it is the Will of God: the answer to your question we will leave to God”. And with that Abraham had told him everything which he had to know, which he needed to know. “We have to build the altar and leave it to God’s Insight to choose the offering which in His Insight is the right one”, — and they went on together.’

The sage Steinsaltz writes: ‘Now that they were alone Isaac said to Abraham his father; he said: My father. He, Abraham, said to him, as he had responded earlier to God: Here I am, my son, ready and attentive. Abraham has not become any less fatherly toward Isaac, and he listens with a loving ear, despite the knowledge that he must sacrifice him. He, Isaac, said: Here are the fire and the wood, but if our intention is to sacrifice an animal, where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham said, in a poignant response: God will Himself see to the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. At this point, Isaac surely began to ponder: What if we do not find a lamb? The juxtaposition of “burnt offering” and “my son” would have rung in his ears, as Isaac was no doubt aware of the practice of human sacrifice among the surrounding peoples. Nevertheless, the verse repeats the phrase indicating their solidarity: And the two of them went together. Earlier, Abraham was deeply troubled and Isaac was entirely innocent, and they went together. Now Isaac has heard Abraham’s frightening words, but he continues to walk with his father, without any attempt to escape.’