A story based on the biblical account.
THE NIGHT AIR IN THE JUDEAN DESERT WAS COOL. Abraham felt the breeze caress his face, its gentle touch a weak but much-needed source of comfort in easing his pain.
The very thought of sleep was futile, Abraham knew, for his grief would not permit it. Instead, he lay awake on the desert sand gazing up into the star-filled sky. How often the sight had stirred his every imagining for it was God Himself who promised Abraham that his offspring would be as numerous as those same stars he was contemplating.
Now, however, his head pounded with the ceaseless battle of contradictions that assaulted his thoughts; his aging body ached from the long journey he was commanded to undertake, and his emotions were a frazzled mass of disorientation, the desire to obey God pitted against his love for his son Isaac wearing him down rapidly.
The aged patriarch raised himself up on his elbow and turned to his teen-age son. How serene he looked in the light of the full moon – so content, innocent, and … unsuspecting. Abraham gazed upon the kind, gentle face which reminded him so much of his wife Sarah, but also displayed samplings of what he himself looked like so long ago.
The eyes, however, were definitely Sarah’s. For Isaac, just as with his mother, the eyes were very much “the window to the soul.” For when either one of them rejoiced, their eyes shone, so much more dazzlingly than those stars Abraham now lay under. But whenever the mother or the son were hurting or in distress, how the eyes almost went dim, revealing whatever inner thoughts hounded them.
If Isaac’s eyes were reminiscent of Sarah’s, Abraham believed, then the long, thin cheeks were his. How precious this was to Abraham, for looking at Isaac was akin to looking at himself almost a century earlier.
As Abraham gazed upon the son of his old age, tears began to flow, falling from the red, sunken eyes, continuing down the rough, wrinkled cheeks, and finally being absorbed into the long, white beard. As the sorrow overcame him, Abraham rose, asked one of his two servants (the other was fast asleep) who was keeping watch over the donkeys and provisions to also keep an eye on Isaac, and set off some distance away where he could be alone. Finding a suitable spot, Abraham knelt low and poured out his soul to God.
“My Father,” he wept, “I have no greater pleasure than to serve You. In all things, my Lord, I seek to do Your will. I desire to be faithful. I strive to bring honor to Your great Name. And yet, my Lord, my very soul cries out to You, for what You now ask brings me inexpressible grief.
David Ettinger was born and raised in a Jewish family in New York. After moving to New Mexico as an adult, he suffered through many trials. The nudge of the Holy Spirit caused him to examine his heart and in 1986 he surrendered his life to Jesus and has walked with Him ever since.David holds a BA, and MA, in English from New Mexico State University. He began his journalism career writing for The Roundup, the university paper. After graduation he became the sportswriter for the El Paso Times. He has held many other positions as both writer and editor with major publications. David is active in providing his skills with Zion’s Hope, Inc., in Winter Garden, Florida. His publications include Lifeway publications, Single Parent magazine (Focus on the Family), Zion’s Fire magazine, and Real Life magazine. In addition, he served as managing editor for Zion’s Fire and Real Life. David’s book, Overcomers: 30 Stories of Triumph from the Bible, is available online. David is proud of his son and grandson. Please read his testimony here, on his website.
Featured Image by Jose Weslley from Pixabay
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