God tests Abraham

Hello Issy, that was a terrible tragedy yesterday at the Holocaust Museum. Have you spoken with your parents about this?

< = = = Yes, but I do not understand. He wasn't stupid, he was a member of Mensa like my parents. Yet he did not believe the Holocaust happened. I can't make sense of it, in my own life I have spoken with people that were in the concentration camp. And this after the attempted bombings of the synagogues, why do people hate us Jews? What did we do?

God's chosen race, anyone that is against God is against you. But, make sure you see the positive, despite von Brunn's intelligence, his hatred blinded him. Of course the Holocaust happened, what did President Obama say?, "I am shocked and saddened by today's shooting at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. This outrageous act reminds us that we must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms. No American institution is more important to this effort than the Holocaust Museum, and no act of violence will diminish our determination to honor those who were lost by building a more peaceful and tolerant world." I don't know that you will see a more tolerant world as God's restraining force diminishes, but the more the saber rattles, the more you will see His hand on Israel. But you do not want to be one of those confused reformed Jews that doesn't know the scriptures from the Wall Street Journal do you? We will not have any more trouble from von Brunn, let us get started shall we?

< = = = May I ask one more question sir. They say von Brunn is a white supremacist, but I am white. I don't understand.

Issy, I say it again. You are sealed, you are different, you are chosen. And not everyone, but many people can see that, sense that, know that. Those that hate God, hate you. And the time is coming soon when those that hate God will vastly outnumber those that love God.

<= = = What happens then?

That, I will share with you after Bar Mitzvah, but the short answer is: God prevails. Now, time is ticking and we must get to the lesson, so some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," Abraham replied.
Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Now notice this characteristic of Abraham, he embraces each day, he does not sleep when there is work to be done or a mission to be accomplished. Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place, Moriah, in the distance.

Abraham 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."

< = = = Hold it! "We will come back to you" God has told Abraham to sacrifice Issac.

And so he will, but he believes God's promises as well. All of these years Abraham has listened to God and mostly followed, they have a relationship, Abraham has trust. Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

< = = = Woah, as a son, I would like to comment this is really heavy, especially if you read the news.

Sure Issy, but there was no news and we learn something about Issac's character as well. He trusts Abraham who told him God himself will provide the lamb. Keep in mind Abraham is of seriously advanced age, but Issac is a strapping young man. Who carried the wood? Issac carried the wood. Ever carry wood? Enough for a sacrifice? Issac carried it a long way. Issac was twenty five years old at the time at the peak of the speed of his reflexes. Abraham was an awesome warrior, but Issac had Abraham's genes, in a pitched battle there was only one possible outcome Issac wins. However Issac, who carried the wood, the wood he would be sacrificed on, all the way up the mountain, laid down willingly; trust. And as we see, trust that was well placed. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. 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.