You want me to what???

Chapter 22 in the book of Genesis has an incredible true story that many people don’t really like to talk about and will often shy away from and yet I love this story for many reasons, one of them being that our daughter was named after this story. Verses 1-19 tell of the time Abraham bound his son Isaac, placed him on a bed of wood to sacrifice him to God. You can see why people don’t like to talk about this story and yet there is so much to it’s meaning that lies beyond the surface story.

I am a lover of words. I love to research them to understand not just how to say them and use them, but to find their true meaning. This passage caused me to look at the words “offer up” and “sacrifice”, but in the Hebrew language so I could truly grasp what was happening on Mount Moriah the day Abraham and Isaac left the servants behind to go and worship God.

In Hebrew, the word for “offer up” is qæræb, which means “the inward part (of body)” the word “sacrifice” in Hebrew is korban; however the meaning of this word doesn’t actually indicate giving up something. The word, Korban actually means the “idea” of coming close, of drawing near; which means bringing a sacrifice, letting go of, giving up, surrendering draws us closer to God, giving our lives to a much higher purpose.

When I contemplate these two meanings and the act of Abraham, I see a man who is bonded with God. That with each sacrifice, his life and heart…his inward part is drawn even closer to God. Think of it. God called him to leave a land that he knew and to go to a place that was not his home, taking him out of his comfort zone. During that “korban” he bonds with God. Now God asks him to “korban”, sacrifice, offer up his one and only son. He agrees knowing well from his past experience and relationship with God that his willingness to offer up everything will bond him closer to God.

This past weekend I heard a converted Muslim named Hamas sharing about his faith in Christ, and how he had to leave everything, even his family. When asked about his family back in the East and how they must miss him and that his life and theirs could be in danger. He looked at the reporter and shared that nothing he goes through here can compare to the “sacrifice that Jesus did for him.”

Abraham and Hamas grasped and lived the key of “korban”, of what it means to “sacrifice”. It is the movement, the act of drawing closer to bond with God. It wasn’t that Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac…it was his willingness to “korban”, to let go of what he held best.

We lost two children in between the birth of our son and the birth of our daughter. We were told that I would not be able to sustain another pregnancy, they were not sure why. Our desire for another child after our son just blew away in the wind. I can remember going to God and laying down…korban…the desire for more children. With that surrender, Matt’s and my bond with God grew. 10 months later we were blessed with Faith Moriah.

What in your life is God calling you to “korban”, to surrender to Him? Often times we think it is something that is hindering or painful that God calls us to surrender and many may kick back and say “I have nothing that is hindering me and nothing that is painful.”

Surrender is not always something that is of “hindrance”. Take time this week to talk to God and ask Him what it is that He is asking you to “surrender” that brings the act of drawing closer to bond with HIM.

Angel Thompson