Isaac represented the fruit of the covenant to Abraham.  Represented the embodiment of all that which was naturally impossible. Not only was his conception a miracle and the pregnancy a miracle so the promises of a blessed bloodline was promised.

Imagine every day as Isaac grew and Abraham reminded of all that God had said. Abraham even sent Hagar and his other son away. They despised this son of promise.

Our children are the fruit of our love and hopes. No difference for Abraham.

There echoes in this test of Genesis 22 a bit of Job 1. I am not emphatically stating that this happened but something motivated God to test Abraham this way.

God asked Abraham to go to a holy mountain and kill off his son. It was not a request but an order.

I cannot begin to imagine the pain in Abraham’s heart.

I remember many times when I lived in Portugal that I would journey and what was a feature was that “knot” in my stomach when I would say goodbye to the family. Particularly to the children.

How much more Abraham to do far more than say goodbye; he had to offer his son.

It was a 3 day journey. A shadow of the Father when He gave up His Son to a cross for our sake. 3 days in death and then being raised from the dead. We cannot imagine the pain in God’s heart to see the sacrifice of His own Son. That image gives us an indication of what we mean to Him that He was prepared to give His Son for us.

When they arrived at the mountain Isaac realises that he is the sacrifice. He submits as Jesus submitted to His Father.

Today we may be facing our “killing Isaac” situation.

Let me illustrate in a simple way.

In 1991 I remember the Lord lead me to make a journey to Portugal.  It would be my first journey. My first journey outside of the UK. The Lord gave me an indication of when I would go.  I did not have the money. But God had promised. I waited and waited as the day passed. Then a man contacted me to say a payment was made to my account.

I went to the bank to find that no money had arrived. Day after day I went to the bank. No money.

I really struggled. Some friends who were prophets came to stay with me. They saw my struggle and as we walked along Brixham harbour the Lord was to speak to us.

The Lord said as Abraham gave up Isaac and all the prophetic promises God had given then Isaac was given back.

So right there I gave up, laid down my Isaac of Portugal on my altar. Finished struggling. After the weight of it went, and I thought I was not going that same day the Lord told me to go back to the bank. They said that the money had not arrived. But this time they went to look on the computer and saw indeed the transfer had been done. That day I booked my ticket and was travelling to Portugal for my very first trip. 

At times we can struggle to hang on to God’s promises but at times we can lose our focus. We need to focus on Him and not what He gives us.

If it is something material or a ministry promise we must always “lay it down” if we find we are trying to hang onto it, or try to make things happen of our own effort. Once we “lay it down” we then see God step in.

Jehovah-Jireh is far more than just a covenant name but it is the Name of the God who steps in and meets us when we are about to give up; surrender; kill off; that which is of Him.

In that moment our obedience to Him brings us into a new place of relating to Him.

Do not be afraid to “lay down ” those things which get us anxious. So that God can step in and be Glorified. 

God provided a lamb on that mountain top to substitute Isaac. And Isaac did continue the family line.

Just as Jesus is our lamb; He substitutes our defeat; our weakness; our ignorance and raises us up in Him to victory; strength; revelation. 

As Paul says in Romans 12; we need to be a living sacrifice.  In all times we have access to the impossible and the miraculous.