And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” - Genesis 22:5 (NKJV)
We've possibly read through this passage a hundred times. This passage being the first time worship is mentioned in the bible, makes it incredibly significant that this testing is our first example of worship. I like how the NKJV entitles the passage with "Abraham's faith confirmed", whilst the NIV has the title of "Abraham tested". The way I see it, this isn't really a situation of "either or", but is truly a time of both confirmation and testing.
There are a million and one lessons to learn from this faith-filled passage. But for my life, for right now, it is this: Worship is sacrifice. Whether it is the blood of your own son, your pride or your money, worship = sacrifice.
When we come to the Lord in worship, aren't the most powerful times, the life-changing moments, those tear stained memories, founded on a sense of sacrifice in worship? Surely we (and Abraham) would have not had a taste of the Messiah to come (for us - a Messiah that has come), without the willing sacrifice in worship.
God asks us to come to the alter and make an exchange - A piece of Me for a piece of you. This trade it would seem, is completely unfair. A fractured piece of humanity for a glimpse of the Eternal God.
Abraham was asked to offer his son - all of his prayers, love, affection, pride and hope were in Isaac. Isaac was truly a part of Abraham: his own flesh and blood, his miracle. At the alter Isaac was replaced by a ram. As they came down from the mountain, they descended into life with an insurmountable, unsurpassed and eternal blessing, the likes of which no man could comprehend.
It is therefore the willingness to come to worship intentionally with a sacrifice ready to be burnt that draws us closer to God and further from ourselves.
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