The Isaac perspective on human sacrifice (with four timeless principles for dying to self)

“Quick! Think of three taboo conversation topics…”

I came up with politics, religion, and sex.

Human sacrifice is another. Human sacrifice, though, lacks the stereotype.

No one thinks of it – not even Christians. Yet sacrifice, particularly human sacrifice, is how we let Jesus free us.

Sacrifice is the key element in much of the Old Testament. Why? Because sacrifice is how sins are covered.

Let’s play another word association game:

“Quick! Think of three Bible characters related to sacrificing…”

Mine were Jesus, Aaron, and Abraham.

This article was almost “The Abraham Perspective on Human Sacrifice”. But as I thought about it, I realized I rarely consider sacrifice from Isaac’s perspective. So without further introduction, I’d like to do just that…

Four Timeless Principles for Dying to Self – The Isaac Perspective

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Principle #1: Be the most valuable kid

“Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love…’” – Genesis 22:2

Why was Isaac chosen? If you also notice verse five, it says Abraham left his young men and donkey to hike the mountain with his son alone. Do you ever wonder why God didn’t use the servants or even perhaps the donkey?

No, I don’t wonder either. Why would God want some of Abraham’s lousy servants or a donkey? Servants are dirty and donkey’s used to go by another name. They’re not what you’d call, “Impeccable quality.”

God chose Isaac because he was THE most important part of Abraham’s life. I wonder if Isaac regretted his father’s love. Isaac probably knew why God chose him as the sacrifice – he knew he was the most valuable kid.

You’ve heard that dozens of times also. You know God loves you. You know He would have died even if you were the only person on earth. You know you’re the most valuable kid.

But you might not want to be. You might avoid the responsibility. You might regret being so valuable.

If you’re going to be a sacrifice, be valuable. Don’t be a nameless slave or a donkey. Be the prize possession, the person others want to jump out of bed in the morning to see. Be the reason a 100-year-old would want to stay alive. Be interesting. Be supportive. Be God’s favorite.

Principle #2: Prepare all the way to the altar

“So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son…” Genesis 22:6

Isaac carried the wood for the altar. Christ carried the beams for the cross (until his body failed). He called us to do the same:

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” – Matthew 16:24

Carrying supplies isn’t my idea of a sacrifice. I want everyone mourning over the loss they are about to experience. I want everyone to feel my pain. I want to be the hero in death but pampered in life.

That’s not sacrifice. Sacrifice isn’t a grandiose occasion. There’s no fanfare, no parade up the mountain. You don’t get a massage right before stretching out on the altar.

This seems obvious. But how many times have you wanted others to see you and make you feel good before your sacrifice? You want others to see you hurrying to open the door, scurrying to wipe the table, and worrying to make yourself look busy. (We’ll get more into this in principle #4.)

Instead prepare all the way to the altar. Isaac was going to be killed on the mountain, but still he carried the wood. He literally set himself up to be sacrificed. How can you do the same?

If sacrifice is such an excellent calling, we should actively pursue opportunities to prepare ourselves for sacrifice.

Principle #3: Focus not on the purpose but on the process

“…So the two of them went together.” – Genesis 22:8

You’ll want to care about why you’re sacrificed. It’s human nature. We are condemned to a life of meaning (Bonus points if you can figure out who said that). We want to know the purpose of everything. We want to evaluate whether that purpose is worthy of our sacrifice. You’ll question – whatever the reason, is it worth your life?

Problem is, you’re biased. You will always overvalue your own life in relation to whatever purpose is behind the sacrifice.

Suppose you’re working for a company that needs to cut costs. You don’t consider cutting your own salary. You naturally value your salary more than anyone else’s. Looking at it from a different angle, given the choice, do you give the $10,000 bonus to youself or your coworker? Naturally, you take it.

You are overvaluing your worth. All other things equal, you are always more important than the next guy. You always overestimate your importance so you can’t be responsible for deciding if your sacrifice is worth the purpose behind the sacrifice.

Instead you have to rely on someone else’s decision. That’s why your leader is more important than your purpose. You won’t always understand the purpose behind your sacrifice, but you can choose to follow One who does.

What makes this more difficult is that the purpose of the sacrifice isn’t in an end result. It’s in the process itself. God doesn’t need you. He doesn’t need your life. He doesn’t need your sacrifice. God wants you to die to self so you can find life in Him. He wants you to know real life, life that isn’t a slave to empty desires and passing pleasures.

The purpose of sacrifice is to benefit you through bringing glory to God. We were created to glorify God. In sacrificing, you and I fulfill our purpose. We don’t usually see this or feel this though. We usually center on a purpose outside the sacrifice, something that comes afterward. Instead our focus ought to be on what God has for us in the moment of sacrifice.

The process, in a sense, is the purpose of sacrifice.

Principle #4: Don’t kill yourself

“And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” – Genesis 22:12

Imagine if Isaac had crawled onto the altar and killed himself. He didn’t wait for his father. He just grabbed the knife and thrust it into his chest. Is that absurd?

Maybe. How often do you and I do just that?

My father calls it “being the martyr”. There are two groups of martyrs:

Group 1) Believers who are sacrificed for the gospel and…
Group 2) People who want to look like group (1)

The group (2) “martyrs” go out of their way to get themselves killed. If it weren’t for the gospel, we’d call them idiots. These are the type of people who win the Darwin Awards. Alas, since they say they represent the gospel, we don’t call them idiots. Instead they’re called hypocrites.

These “martyrs” pride themselves in their depression. They walk around proclaiming how holy they are because of the trials and tribulations they experience.

The trouble is, these “martyrs” are not acting in accordance with the Holy Spirit. They’re committing suicide.

God doesn’t want kamikaze Christians. He doesn’t want those who go out of their way to bring pain upon themselves. God has a better plan. Sometimes that plan will lead to pain, but many times, as in Isaac’s case, God will spare the sacrifice once you decide you are genuinely willing to sacrifice.

God is really looking for followers.

This goes back to principle #3. God isn’t concerned as much with an end product. Rather, He wants us to draw closer to Him through our decision to rely on Him through the sacrifice. He wants us to die to self for our own benefit.

God wants you to sacrifice your life so you can truly understand and trust His power and plan. Only through self-sacrifice can God fill you completely with His purpose and set you free.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” – 1 Peter 4:1-2

Serving Suggestions:

(1) What other principles of human sacrifice are evident in Isaac’s story? I encourage you to reread the story and meditate on ways God can use you as a sacrifice.

(2) Act on one or more of these principles. Sacrifice for someone right now.