The Sacrifice

I have loved Pa from as far back as I can remember.

Even more than Ma. Even though she was nicer to me, spoiled me with gifts and allowed me get away with stuff I'd never dare around Pa.

After the two of them, the next most important person in my world was my brother. I later learnt half-brother was the accurate description. He was my buddy and playmate. Despite the age difference (fourteen solid years), or maybe because if it, I followed him everywhere and he taught me all the tricks in the book.

He also loved to tease me.

On one occasion, he was poking fun at me and all the other kids were laughing (even his mother who walked in on us could not help but join in). Ma came in at that moment, and she was livid.

That incident led to their leaving the house. And I did not see my brother again for many years.

After that Pa was the dominant male figure in my life. Eliezer, his manager who lives in the outbuilding, had some influence but he preferred to defer to me, I was the boss's son -- something I found ludicrous).

Then one day, Pa called me.
"Get your stuff, we are attending a worship meeting. We'll be gone for about 6 days."
Service and sacrifice were big in our home, even the servants knew it. I'd heard, several times, how my birth was a result of that.

So, we set out. The outbound journey took three days.

At some point on that third day, Pa asked the others to wait for us, there was something we had to take care of.

I noticed that we had everything we usually used to offer sacrifice but one. I turned to Pa:
"Where is the ram? Everything else is here."
"Elohim will see to that Himself, my son."

The cryptic response, rather than reassure, raised a legion of questions. But we continued anyway.

When we go the top of the mountain, I helped Pa set up -- still wondering how this would play out.

You can imagine my surprise when he suddenly grabbed me.

So, this was what it was about?

Pa is a strong man but at that moment, with my life at stake, I knew could knock him down. I tensed my muscles, planted my feet and was about to push back. He felt it too, for, he faltered for a moment. Then I relaxed and allowed him.

If it was God who gave me to Pa and now demanded me back, it was either he no longer had use for me here or he had other plans we were not privy to.

I went and laid on the wood, refusing to think about what I was doing or the finality of it.

When Pa lifted his hand and the knife began to descend, I blacked out.

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