The Entire World

Sometimes people lie to their kids. It seems that this is most often dismissed as okay when the child asks an awkward question.

Imagine being a kid. There is so much that goes over your head. You want to learn and be included. You ask an honest question with complete sincerity. You get lied to. You remember this lie. When you are older you are confronted with the truth. This maybe the first time you started thinking that your parents are liars.

You are an adult. Imagine a child asks you a hard question. You don’t want to be transparent. You don’t think it is appropriate for the child to hear the full answer. You don’t want to lie. “But it’s only a child,” you think, “He might totally forget about it.”

I think Abraham told an amazing truth to the hard question that Isaac asked on the way to the sacrifice. The full truth was, Isaac was the sacrifice. Abraham’s answer wasn’t full disclosure. This difference between withholding information and deceiving is importing in avoiding lies. Abraham didn’t have to be totally open, but totally honest. His answer was a resounding truth. (It was also on topic. I don’t think that an appropriate answer to, “Where do babies come from?” is, “Christ died for your sins, son.”)

It may not have been difficult for Abraham to come up with this answer. It was the truth behind Abraham’s action. It was the truth behind pretty much his entire life. He left his homeland believing that God would provide a new home. He had belief that God would provide him a son in the first place. He had belief that God could resurrect his son. He believed that God would provide.

Wow. No wonder he was chosen to be a blessing to the whole world through his descendants.