Trust, A difficult task for those older than 6 years of age, and easy for those less than 2 years of age.
The later is easy to understand because they can do nothing for themselves and therefore are required to trust, in Dad, Mom and must trust that everything will be fine, because they do not know what they need; what will happen if they don’t or what will happen if they do get what they want.
The Torah and Tanakh present many examples of Trust and how we are to Trust GOD. Isaac is a great demonstration of Trust, in that at the binding(Genesis 22), he did not fight back but appears to trust both GOD and his father Abraham, that everything will be FINE. While the text does not explicitly say Isaac trusts, I will give you examples of his self restraint.
When Isaac is lead up the mountain he knows there is no sacrifice with them, when he asks his father he is told that the LORD will provide his sacrifice, Isaac continues on. When he is being bound by his father he allows this to happen(it does no matter the age of Isaac, Abraham was 100 years of age when Isaac was born, so at age 13 or 33 Isaac would be able to escape his father), Isaac allows it to continue.
Isaac must have been awake when the Word is Spoken to his father regarding the results of the test. Hence he would know that GOD wants us to trust HIS WORD and obey, everything will be fine.
Isaac is, in appearance, simply — “Simple”. I believe that he has a bad reputation, as he is demonstrating a trust in GOD. The kind of kind of trust that all of us should have. As evidence that this is what GOD is looking for, Isaac is ways, Abraham was actually tested the most because he did not understand that he needed to trust GOD. He is the first to set out on the path of learning who GOD is and what HE wants or expects from us.
As I started with the ‘Binding of Issac’ Story, we can move backwards from them and find Abraham’s evidence upon which he should trust the LORD. From Genesis 12 until the end of the ‘Binding of Issac’ story in 21 The LORD made a deal and then as Abram grew in knowledge, GOD increased the deal. A great read if you want to understand GOD’s teaching process for those that know nothing of HIM.
Anyway, why should Abraham just do what GOD has told him?
Everything up to this point consist of statements about Abraham and Sarah’s decendants, including this:
“Genesis 21:12 And God said unto Abraham: ‘Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee.”
After that statement, GOD decide to do a test. The ultimate test. Saying to Abraham give me your son, the one you treasure most. The Blessing is passed on to Isaac after completing this test.
O.K., it is time to stop. Except to say: if the MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE, the GOD of Fathers, ask you to Do or give anything that HE wants Do It. For HE gave it to you first. Trust HIM that HE always takes card of HIS OWN.
Yaakov