For the first time after reading Genesis 22 so many times, I see the distinct loving relationship between Abraham and his son Isaac. It was the kind of relationship where Isaac wasn’t scared to ask his dad anything. See Genesis 22: 7
”But Isaac told Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Genesis 22:7
Emphasis on My Father, I believe when one uses “My” it denotes confidence, possession, intimacy, closeness & affection. Jesus Christ gave us access to this kind of relationship with our Father in heaven. (Topic for another day). Now, let us go back to Isaac & His dad; Isaac had a trusting relationship with his dad. One where he knew the God of his father and trusted his father and even much more the God of his father. I believe this kind of relationship helped Abraham raise Isaac in the way of the Lord.
Let us explore together:
Abraham lived the Godly Life He Spoke About:
Over and over all through Scripture, we see how Abraham lived his life to please the Lord. From the comfort of his father’s house in the Chaldeans of Ur, God called him out to an unknown place and Abraham obeyed. Genesis 22 highlights Abraham’s complete trust in His father! The Lord gave him an instruction to sacrifice his only son, his child of promise. By the next day, early in the morning – Abraham was up to go sacrifice his son. Isaac saw his father’s devotion to the Lord, Isaac didn’t just hear about the God of his father but saw his father live for this God. I strongly believe that this shaped Isaac’s life because Isaac grew up to become a man who feared the Lord too.
Abraham was an Approachable Parent:
As Abraham journeyed to the mount that the Lord was going to show him, Isaac his son asked him the question as cited at the beginning of the blog post. – ”But Isaac told Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”. This points us to the kind of open relationship that Abraham had cultivated with his son.
I cannot emphasize the importance of parents having trusting relationships with their children. It changes the dynamics of everything. They would be able to come home to tell you every single thing that happened in school or at the party they attended. When the parents can earn their children’s trust, it is easy to influence them for the Lord.
Abraham Showed Himself a Trustworthy Parent
When Isaac asked about the sacrifice to be given; all Abraham said was- “God will provide Himself a sacrifice”. Isaac didn’t argue, didn’t question, he just believed! He believed because he had seen the God of His father through his father’s life – Abraham. Abraham didn’t just talk the talk but he walked the talk too. Abrahan must have lived up to his words over and over, he must have shown himself trustworthy hence his son Isaac believed him easily. Children are very observant, sometimes I like to think of them as sponges because they easily absorb the things around them. They easily adapt to the things they see in their environment.
Finally, Abraham tied Isaac to the wood to offer him a burnt offering. We do not see Isaac struggle or doubt his father’s word – “God will provide Himself a sacrifice”. May we trust God’s word even in the dying moment when things look or seem bleak in Jesus’ name? I am almost sure that Isaac asked his father questions on their way back home the same way he asked questions on their way to Mount Moriah. Abraham perhaps shared details of his faith journey to Mount Moriah. Even if Abraham didn’t share it at that moment, he must have shared it with him at a point in his life. These kinds of experiences leave indelible marks on the lives of the listeners. This must have shaped Isaac’s life and conviction in the God of. his father.
Abraham taught and Instilled in his household the way of the Lord:
The wise words of the king goes thus, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” – Proverbs 22:6. Abraham was a man and parent who understood this task to train up a child in the way of the Lord. To train up a child in the way of the Lord starts with knowing the Lord for oneself because there is no way you can train up a child in the Lord’s way when you don’t know the Lord in the first place. God was so confident in Abraham’s parenting and leading that He said in Genesis 18:19 “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
The second piece to this is doing what is right, doing the exact things that we preach to the children. I promise you it is usually hard for children to follow the way of the Lord when daddy or mummy’s actions do not correlate with their words. Therefore, dear mummy and daddy, I implore you to constantly evaluate your lifestyle to ensure that you are living and leading Godly examples for your children. Even more so, parents to be – start taking notes about leading and training Godly children.
May we be loving & trustworthy parents leading our children in the way of the Lord in Jesus’ name 
Praise to the Holy Spirit for this inspiration 