GIVE ME ISAAC 1

How we long to be listed
As one of God's heroes of Faith,
That when we are tested
We will emerge as "Great".
As knowing God's impeachable Word
And standing on it as we should,
Pondering its depth and height,
And banishing darkness with our light.
But to tell the truth,
I am glad God chose a man,
Not like me, but like Abraham.
Hailed as a man who knew his God
He wielded his Faith like a two-edged sword.

I shudder to even contemplate
If it were me, how I would rate.
Imagine the Lord God Almighty
Making those requests of me.

"Abram, Abram, I want you to go
To a new place that you don't even know."

"You speaking to me Lord? But surely you jest,
First, at least tell me if we are heading east or west.
You said that I will be blessed. . .
And I quite like that part . . .
So, I have a list of questions and conditions,
Where do you want me to start?"

GIVE ME ISAAC 2

And that was just the beginning,
It was a long time before the end,
But there were many events and incidents
Where Abraham proved to be God's friend.
Look at the whole episode
on that mountain in Moriah,
If it were me, Would I have gone up higher??

"Abraham, Abraham, Take your son and go,
Sacrifice him on the mountain
that I will show."

"Oh sovereign God, Ruler of land and sea
There is no one mightier than Thee.

Everlasting God, with Your mighty right hand,
You are the one true God throughout the land.
You have asked for my son - and this is hard
But I shall obey you and with faith be glad.
I will go where you want and do what you tell
First thing tomorrow, I will take . . . Ishmael."

"Abraham, by my Word, which is not slack,
Take now your son, your only son, Isaac."

"Mercy Lord, what a time to get confused!
I only have two boys and I mix them up too.
I call one name, when I mean the other,
Then call the next the wrong name,
when I really mean his brother.

GIVE ME ISAAC 3

It's surely Ishmael that you really meant to say,
His mother is the Egyptian . . .
the cause of Sarah's dismay.
Now, that's a strategic and sagacious decision
And after all, You deserve to get my FIRST born.

"By my Word, which is not slack,
Take now your only son, Isaac."

"But . . . but Isaac, you forget, is Sarah's only child
Promised by YOU Lord, for quite a while.
We endured scorn and mockery until indeed,
She birthed this child, YOUR covenant seed.
This child has brought us such laughter and joy
You cannot now ask me to give this boy.

The void and heartbreak will be so immense,
So take Ishmael,
that is what really makes sense."

"My Word is not slack,
Take now your only son, Isaac."

"Father Lord, with all due respect and adulation,
I want to bring something to you urgent attention.
The Lord who sees all, is surely not bent
On setting such a terrible precedent.
I really don't get it and cannot see,
How this request can benefit thee.
I simply cannot fathom or understand
The advantage of such a savage command."

GIVE ME ISAAC 4

"Take your only son, Isaac."

"Lord, please consider our history together.
I've obeyed you in the past like no other,
But if in this request you must persist,
I am afraid that I respectfully must resist.
You are supposed to be full of mercy and of love,
But you're speaking as if from below and not above.
I think that I have to reconsider
my thoughts about you,
Because of this obscene thing
you are asking me to do."

"Take Isaac."

"Well the time has come, O Ancient of Days,
For you and I to go separate ways.
I thought I knew you and who you are,
But our thoughts and ways are really far.
This is just so senseless and so typical of you,
To ask me to do things that I'm not equipped to do.
Just feed me milk for I'm not ready for meat,
And don't refine me in your searing heat.
I can't see your plan, your request is insane,
I'd rather go 'round that mountain again."

"Give me Isaac!"

I'll stop here now . . . . you can imagine the rest,
If I were the one that God put to the test.

GIVE ME ISAAC 5

As a believer, I release my "Ishmaels" quite eagerly,
But "Isaac"?! That's a total different story!
I need to have the eternal perspective,
Whereby I shall not die but abundantly live.
I tend to "reason" with God, to my great peril,
And impose my "intellect" over His will.

What does your Isaac represent?
Your loves? Your bondages?
Having youth "well spent"?
Your marriage? Your children?
Your talent? Your stature and honour?
The areas you cherish over your Lord and Saviour?
Is Isaac the thing you won't let God touch,
And get damned vex at Him for asking too much?

And yes, I said "damned",
because when you deny Him,
You are damned by disobedience, rebellion, witchcraft
. . . . sin.
So, whatever the genesis of God's reason,
A test, a challenge . . . in and out of your season
God's plans are for His blessings to abound . . .
Even in those instructions that tend to confound!
Learn from Abraham and not from what I would say,
Remember,
Abraham set out with Isaac the very next day!!

God is Almighty, His Word is not slack,
So when he asks, give Him Your "Isaac".

S.P.J.