Abraham and Sarah had received the beginning of their dream with the birth of Isaac. (See my previous blog – Waiting for the Dream). Isaac’s birth was only a small portion of Abraham’s God-given dream. God promised to make him the father of many nations and bless all people through his descendants. Abraham and Sarah were to raise Isaac, teach him about God, and prepare him to continue with God’s purpose.

Can you imagine Abraham’s shock when God told him to take Isaac to Mt. Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice? By doing so, God asked him to surrender his dream.

God said to Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you” (Genesis 22:2). Abraham responded with immediate obedience. The very next morning he cut the wood for the offering, loaded his donkey, took Isaac, and headed toward the place God had instructed.

The Bible records no arguing or questioning, only preparation and action. How could Abraham respond so quickly in complete obedience? I can only assume his relationship with God was so strong that the following were true:

▲When God spoke, he knew without a doubt that it was God speaking.

▲He knew God so fully that he trusted Him explicitly.

▲He loved God more than he loved anything or anyone else (including his own son and his dream).

Abraham, Isaac, and two servants traveled for three days. When he saw the place God had appointed, he said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5). These are words of great faith. Not necessarily faith that God would spare Isaac, but faith in who God is. Abraham regarded God worthy of being worshiped and obeyed at any cost.

Abraham carried the knife and fire while Isaac carried the wood as the two of them headed up the mountain. Isaac asked Abraham where the lamb for the offering was. “Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering’” (Genesis 22:8). Abraham remained resolved to obey, even if it meant surrendering his dream by sacrificing his only son.

How was he able to do this? Hebrews 11:17-explains:

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death."

Abraham believed God would fulfill His promise even if it took resurrection power.

Arriving at the place God had designated, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, bound Isaac, laid him on the altar, and raised the knife (Genesis 22:9-10). At that very moment, not a second before, God called to Abraham and said, “‘Do not lay a hand on the boy … Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.’ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son” (Genesis 22:12-13).

God provided the ram as a substitute sacrifice, which is a picture of Jesus dying in our place. We all deserve to die because of our sins, but God provided for Himself a perfect and acceptable sacrifice, His one and only Son, Jesus.

In response to Abraham’s obedience, God renewed the covenant, saying, “Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars … and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Genesis 22:16-18).

Abraham passed the test. By offering back to God what God had given him, he proved he loved God more than he loved his God-given dream and showed he fully trusted God to fulfill His promise.

We can also trust our dreams to God. If they are truly God-given dreams, He will fulfill them in His perfect time and way. God will enable us to surrender all to Him and obey Him as Abraham did. When we love Him supremely, not even our God-given dreams will matter more to us than He does. We can surrender them to Him by trusting Him to fulfill them however He sovereignly decides.

How will you surrender your God-given dream back to God?

What practices can you implement to grow in your love of and trust in God?

If you have experienced a surrender to God that led to a greater victory, would you share your experience to encourage others?

*All Scripture is quoted from the NIV