a beautiful mess

“Abraham returned to the child servants and they arose and went together to Be’er Sheva and Abraham remained in Be’er Sheva.” – The Akeidah Story, Genesis 22

i don’t have much to put forth yet. in regards to this: this whole akeidah story. but i do have some questions.

over the years, though, this has become one of the most common stops along my scriptural journey. this mountain. this father and this son.

“would you bring your isaac?” has become a phrase as synonymous with the story itself. the willingness to sacrifice. the exchange between avraham and YHWH. the whole thing.

but. i was reading through the story again. just the other night. and, as these living words often do, the story unfolded in a different way: everything about it was different.

and all the sudden, the weight was not on why avraham would get up early to sacrifice his son. it was not on how he, a 100+ year old father, managed to convince his healthy adult son to be bound on an altar. it wasn’t even on the incredible faithfulness of our mutual father, the sovereign LORD ALMIGHTY.

it was on the absence of one person: isaac. i am disturbed to the point of meditation and contemplation and conversation: why didn’t isaac go back down the mountain with his father? where did he go? what was he feeling? and what have others come to gain from meditating on such things?

[selah]

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