The High Water Mark of Faith

"He said, "Take 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." (Genesis 22:2)

In the Delta stands a building whose walls bear the marks, the waterlines, from many different floods. If such a building could bear the high water marks of faith, this chapter would be the second highest mark. God calls Abraham to sacrifice more than a son, to sacrifice an only son whom Abraham loved dearly.

More than this, God asked Abraham to put the knife to any hope of redemption for the world. Abraham knew that it was "through Isaac shall [his] offspring be named." (Gen. 21:12)

Isaac would be that seed of promise through whom the blessings of nation would come, from whom the Seed of the Woman would descend. To cut Isaac out of the land of the living would be to cut any hope of salvation from the world.

Abraham knew, Abraham knew, Abraham knew, and he obeyed.

Abraham obeyed unflinchingly, unhesitatingly, unwaveringly. Abraham took the lad to Moriah with the expectation of bringing him home, even if that meant the Isaac's very resurrection from the dead (Gen. 22:5; Heb. 11:19).

From the sharpening of the knife to the lighting of the flame, faith kindled both. He had more faith that God would keep His Word than that knives would cut or fire would burn. He is God's very nature to keep His promises. But we all know how the story ends. The Lord calls to Abraham at the last second, sparing his son by providing a lamb.

The high water mark of faith would be the death of Jesus Christ. On Calvary, God provided His Son, His only Son, the only Son whom He loved. It was His will to crush Him, to put Him to grief. For what reason?

As Abraham was willing to wield the knife and Isaac to take the blow out of faith in God, the Father was willing to crush the Son out of love for us.

No lamb came bleating in the thicket, no voice came hurried from heaven. No, the blow was laid, the Christ was slain for us. Christ endured all these things because He knew His Father would keep His promise to resurrect, to save. He could cry "My God, My God" because He trusted in the dark what He saw in the light.

His faith shined, being "obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil. 2:8) And we stand to benefit from His perfect doing and dying.

His trial went further, His faith rose higher, and He lifts all those with Him who place their faith in Him.

Have you? Have you placed your faith in Christ? If so, do you act upon that faith? Unflinchingly, unhesitatingly, unwaveringly? Is it growing day by day? Where would you leave your mark?