Our Mount Moriah

Genesis 22:2 - Then He said, "Take now 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."

Mt. Moriah means chosen by Jehovah. It is where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac. It was where Solomon was to build the house of the LORD, God's temple. This is in the City of Jerusalem today. Oh, the details.

I have to admit I wrote this on Saturday, January 8. I was compelled or I might forget.

I read the account of Abraham being commanded by God to sacrifice his son, his only son. Here again we see, like Noah, another man's ability to trust God implicitly, without question. He just did as God said. He didn't understand but he knew God would provide.

As you listen to the account, think about what Jesus did on the day of His crucifixion...

Abraham was told to take Isaac to Mt. Moriah. They traveled three days to get there and at the base of the mountain left their servants. This account is very moving for me. I probably posted a similar one last year! As Abraham and Isaac were about to depart from their servants, Abraham told them to remain their until they returned. What faith.

Abraham gave Isaac the wood to carry on his back. As they headed up the mountain it dawned on Isaac there was no lamb for an offering. (He did not know what God had commanded his father.) Abraham simply told him the LORD would provide. Isaac said not a word. An altar for sacrifice was built, the wood placed on it and then Abraham tied Isaac up and placed him on the wood. I think by this time Isaac had a clue what was going on, if he didn't already suspect. He still said nothing.

As Abraham had his arm positioned to make the sacrifice the Angel of the LORD spoke to him and told him not to continue, "for now I know you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Genesis 22:12). God swore to Abraham that He would bless and multiply his descendants because of this act of faith.

As I read this I was reminded that Jesus was very probably crucified on Mt. Moriah! More intricate detail from the Bible. No coincidences. 

Jesus was the only Son of God. He carried the cross upon His back as He went to His crucifixion. He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He spoke not a word in defense of His innocence. He became our sacrifice. Did you know that when sheep are led to slaughter they are silent? Do you think anything in the Bible is coincidence? Doesn't it just speak of a grand Designer?

So what is our Mt. Moriah? It's our place of sacrifice. It is our faith that when God asks us to go to that place He has asked us to go, and we give our lives, He will bless us and multiply us, as He did with Abraham. Oh, blessings not necessarily of descendants.

When we allow Jesus into our lives, we are to come in faith, quietly allowing Him to do a work in us, sacrificing our lives for a life devoted to Him. As we allow Him into our lives we are blessed. When we let go (such a hard thing to do sometimes) of stuff, thoughts, attitudes, words, He will fill those voids with goodness. He never takes something away without giving something, usually more, in return. Not always physical things, not always what we would expect. It can be a transformation that is more rewarding. It's more like you realize one day what you held on to for so long you are now free of! You realize you were held captive to things you had no control over. But God...

I'm not saying I've let go of so many things. It just doesn't happen all at once. Little by little He removes those things and I'm inclined to believe only when you allow Him to. Until you allow yourself to let go, you are in captivity. If we would only trust like Abraham that He will provide... We let go, He fills us. It's that simple.

Our Mt. Moriah is that place of sacrifice...where we are chosen by Jehovah. It's a time in our lives when we realize we've been chosen, chosen to make a decision for Christ that will forever change our lives...and we receive when we sacrifice. Isaac went there. Jesus went there. Isaac was saved from death temporarily and no doubt is with the saints in heaven today; although Jesus was crucified, He rose again and is alive today. When we follow suit we have an eternal, spiritual life to look forward to. We have that heavenly home awaiting us. 

All He has done for us... All that He has provided...if we just give Him our own personal sacrifice...of us.

Bear with me for a moment as I consider how this could relate to us. Isaac wasn't Abraham's only son, not the firstborn, but the chosen one. Jesus was God's only Son, but He was not the only son of Joseph and Mary, but their chosen Son, chosen by God. They key is, God chooses us. He makes the initial contact. When we recognize this and give ourselves to the Lord it is an individual offering. It's between you or me and God. In a way we are "only sons" at that moment. Does that make sense? You have to make the decision to be of the same faith as Abraham. You have to give yourself to the Lord. Let Him provide for you in ways the world or family, friends or the Church cannot. Let Him in and be your All in all. There are hundreds of names for God. One, however, is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Who provides.

Our Mt. Moriah is where we sacrifice to receive and what we receive is what we are to seek most...the things of God, the treasures of heaven. When we seek these all other blessings will come to us. But we need first to trust that as we sacrifice, God will provide. Sacrifice in the world has a negative connotation. But God's definition is captivating and heavenly!

We might very well be in for some trying times. It looks like God's plans are being shaped and molded. It would help us all to have the assurance that when all else fails us...government, people, the Church...we have One who will never fail us. One who will provide as we learn to trust in Him. Trust in our own personal sacrifice that He might give to us the wisdom, strength, provision in all circumstances of life...and even at the time of our earthly death. Are you ready to climb to your Mt. Moriah?
After writing all this I read Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest for January 8. Wanna hear what he had to say? My heart is pounding.   

"And Abraham built an altar . . and bound Isaac his son." Genesis 22:9 ... This incident is a picture of the blunder we make in thinking that the final thing God wants of us is the sacrifice of death. What God wants is sacrifice through death [the death of Jesus] which enables us to do what Jesus did, viz., sacrifice our lives... God nowhere tells us to give up things for the sake of giving them up. He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having - viz., life with Himself. It is a question of loosening the bands that hinder the life, and immediately those bands are loosened by identification with the death of Jesus, we enter into a relationship with God whereby we can sacrifice our lives to Him... He wants you to be a "living sacrifice," to let Him have all your powers that have been saved and sanctified through Jesus. This is the thing that is acceptable to God.

Matthew 6:32-33 - ...Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.