Abraham and Sarah had longed for a child. Throughout their married life they had prayed to God for a son to be their heir. Thanks be to God, those prayers were answered. They were well past the age when one might reasonably expect the birth of a child when Isaac was born. How delighted they were. God had promised that Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens and with the birth of a male heir that promise was given tangible possibility.

In the scripture for today, Isaac is still a youngster when the Lord God speaks to Abraham and tells him to take his son into the mountains and sacrifice him. Can you imagine? Abraham is asked to kill his only heir, the promise in whom rests the people's future! We don't expect the Bible to tell us God ever makes such unreasona…