A Man Of Principle (2)
for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. Genesis 22: 12
Only – Do you have a collection? Maybe baseball cards, maybe souvenirs, maybe stamps, maybe dolls? Then you know the value of a “one-of-a-kind” item. Sometimes such things are literally priceless. What is the value of the Hope diamond or a signed Picasso? In the ancient world, these kinds of collections carried far less value than “arrows in the quiver” – children. And when there was only one child, the value was priceless. All the legacy, all the name and all the inheritance depended on the life of that one child. When Abraham went up the mountain in devotion to the God that he served, he took with him a priceless offering.
This demonstration of the concept of the fear of the Lord rests on the Hebrew word yachiydh (only). Bring your offering to God. If it is the first fruits of your labor, the first profit from your business, the first receipt from your earnings, there will be more later. But let God ask for the one-of-a-kind offering, and suddenly the act of obedience must be based on something far deeper. Then the test is one of devotion.
Serving God is always subject to principle sabotage. Because serving God is such a fragile thing, based as it is in the inner workings of a heart relationship, I am always tempted to convert my obedience to the letter of the law. In fact, I find this quite easy to do when it comes to everything but the one-of-a-kind situation. Why? Because I know that replacements are possible. As a matter of principle, I can offer something from multiple items because there are more to come. But what happens when there is only one? What happens when, in my whole lifetime, there is only one like this one? Principle cannot sustain me because principle is ultimately based upon self-interest. I live according to principle because I believe that the principle I accept is for my own well-being. That is why God must break through my principled life. A sacrifice based on devotion is required precisely because it is not in my best interests. It is in the best interests of the one I am devoted to.
I love my wife. Doing all the things I am supposed to do as a husband is one of the principles of a good marriage. Doing these serves my best interests. Happy wife – happy life. That’s a principle. But how would I behave toward her if I had nothing to gain, if my actions would never result in reciprocity? That would be a test of devotion. In fact, what my wife really wants is devotion. Maintaining the principles is no substitute for true devotion any more than rule-keeping makes a genuine relationship. Devotion is demonstrated when there is nothing in it for me.
The story of Abraham’s obedience challenges each of us to take what is most precious, our personal one-of-a-kind treasure, and allow God to test our devotion through this “sacred” possession. Principles will fail in a trial like this. But that’s the point. If you are to truly fear God, your life must move beyond the principle of obedience. There are no rules when it comes to devotion. Engage your heart completely and experience freedom on another plane. That’s why it says love Him with all your heart, not serve Him with all your heart.
