JIREH [PT IV]

Continued...

After 6 hours of the strenuous climb up the craggy and harsh 3rd hill of Mt Moriah, Abraham and his son finally reach the spot he had seen from the plains... indeed an altar had been erected, by whom? Abraham knew not... He untied the leather band around the log that he'd piled up on his faithful Ass... 

"Help me arrange the logs on the altar" Abraham told Isaac who appeared to be searching the cleared space for something. Isaac pressed pause on his search and went about the task his aged and wise father had just assigned him... 

"Dad?" Isaac quizzed as he piled logs "I don't see any sacrificial lambs... what are we offering as the burnt offering?" 

Abraham paused in mid-stride... How was he to explain YHWH's demand to a 13 year old whose only knowledge of YHWH was of a merciful and faithful God? A 13 year old whose only knowledge of his father was of a loving and dotting dad...? 

"YHWH will provide for Himself a sacrificial lamb" was the first thing that came to Abraham's lips... 

"He has already" the tempter hissed from out of nowhere "Young, fresh, plump, unblemished and spotless Isaac" 

Abraham ignored the voice and dumped the logs on the altar... 

Then he took out a piece of leather from under his undercoat... knelt on the biting rock... and beckoned on Isaac 

"Son" He started as Isaac stood before him "Do you trust me?" 

"Yes I do dad" Isaac responded with a sparkle in his eyes... Abraham almost backed down... he bit his lip holding back the tears that were welling up in his throat... 

"There are some things in life that we cannot explain logically" He continued with a tremble now apparent in his voice "Some requests that YHWH makes that we cannot fully grasp the import... but being that He is God, we must obey... always" 

"Always" Isaac repeated and Abraham's tear glands won the battle "Dad, why are you crying?" 

"Someday in eternity I will explain" Abraham said as he cried freely "Close your eyes son" 

Isaac obeyed and Abraham blindfolded him with the piece of leather in his hand... 

"YHWH has provided a sacrificial lamb son" Abraham muttered in between sobs "He has" 

Then he turned Isaac around and bound his wrists with another piece of leather he retrieved from his overcoat... 

"Dad" Isaac said with a shaky voice "I love you" 

And Abraham hugged him... wailing openly... He knew... Isaac knew that he was the sacrificial lamb... yet he didn't struggle... how could such an obedient son be slaughtered...? 

"My point exactly" the tempter hissed harder than ever.... "Who slaughters such an awesome obedient kid...? Only an insane father... instructions from YHWH or not" 

Abraham sobbed for a good 5 minutes... as he hugged Isaac, he saw an olive brush some distance away and wondered why an olive tree was budding high up this rocky terrain.... 

"Dad, YHWH is forever good" Isaac whispered in-between his sobs and Abraham fell flat on his face in pain... "Dad, do what you must" 

Abraham rose with the torment in his spirit, soul and body... he lifted Isaac and dropped him on the altar... 

"I love you son..." Abraham whispered amidst the sobs and glob dripping from his nostrils "but YHWH must be obeyed"

"Always" Isaac responded... "Always dad" 

Still sobbing, Abraham retrieved the skean he had rubbed every night since they left their home in Beersheba... 

Painstakingly... he rubbed the edge hard... the skean bit in... and he felt an artery release...

The final episode drops soon...