Scripture
Genesis 22:1-19
John 3:16-17
For a class in college, I read the book, The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer, and there was one section in there that impacted me so much, and it was about this story we read in Genesis 22. This story is a tough one to read. It’s confusing, complicated, intense, but one that contains a very important lesson all of us need to learn, and that is about the temple of our hearts, and what, or rather, who, belongs there.
Isaac was the fulfillment of years and years of waiting, the fulfillment of a promise God made to Abraham that he would have a son and that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the sky. It wasn’t until he was 100 years old that he finally had that son, the fulfillment of that desire of his heart, of all the waiting, of that promise from God. So of course, Abraham greatly valued his son, probably held him so tight, loved him so well, he threw a great feast for him when he was just a few years old. Isaac was probably the light of his life, the apple of his eye.
Then, we get to Genesis 22 and see that God tells him to take his son, Isaac, and go sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Now, child sacrifices were common in other religions in the day, but that is something that seems very contradictory to God’s heart. Nonetheless, Abraham obeys, his mind probably flooded with questions, and trying to reason this out. The journey to the mountain takes 3 days. Can you imagine how miserable those 3 days would have been for him? Pure torture. How is he supposed to sacrifice what he loves the most?
Thankfully, God stopped Abraham and told him not to touch the boy. I’m sure Abraham was flooded with relief and gratefulness. But that leaves us with the question of, why did God test Abraham in this way? Well, Tozer said this in his book, what God might have been saying to and teaching Abraham. “It’s all right, Abraham. I never intended that you should actually slay the lad. I only wanted to remove him from the temple of your heart that I might reign unchallenged there.” Isaac had taken God’s place on the temple of Abraham’s heart and God needed to go to drastic measures to show Abraham who belongs there. God loved Abraham so much that he didn’t want to watch him choose anyone else over him, to love anyone more than him. God gave Abraham his son, Isaac, but Abraham needed to hold him with open hands, surrendering him to the Lord, trusting him with his precious son.
We too often place other people or things on the temple of our hearts instead of God, or maybe we just try to fit them all on there, but that’s not how God works. He wants to reign unchallenged in our hearts, because he knows that is what’s best for us. Those things aren’t always bad either.
A definition I like to use for idols is, “a good thing made into an ultimate thing.” Isaac was a good thing, but Abraham let him become an ultimate thing. We cannot let anything or anyone take the place that God alone should occupy, even really good things. For me, that was ministry, and God did a lot of work in my heart and life to get ministry off the temple of my heart so that God may reign their unchallenged.
This story also reminds me of another passage, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God didn’t let Abraham go through with sacrificing his son, but God did go through with it himself. He gave his one and only Son, Jesus, so that we could have a relationship with him and live with him forever. Abraham’s story points to Jesus, not only in being a part of his genealogy, his family, but it also foreshadows the greatest story of all, Jesus’s death and resurrection.
Prayer
God, I confess that I have let other people and things take your place in the temple of my heart. I am sorry for the idols I have worshiped, both intentionally and unintentionally. Show me what those idols are and give me the strength to remove them from the temple of my heart. Have my heart Lord, reign there unchallenged.
Questions/Journal Prompts
Feel free to use these questions as a guide as you journal and/or pray.
1. What idols have you let into the temple of your heart?
2. What do you feel like God is asking you to “sacrifice” so that he can reign unchallenged in the temple of your heart?
Songs to listen to
Spend some time listening to this song, reflecting on the words, and sitting with Jesus.
“Idols” by Jessa Anderson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV3Gl5rC2lM
“Clear the Stage” by Jimmy Needham https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6smGew7dGto
“Here’s My Heart” by Lauren Daigle (not original – there are many versions of this song you can listen to) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFw42tZVDKI
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