Abraham never allowed his calloused feet, or dusty sandals to be rooted in any certain place. Abraham’s longest stay would be in a tomb in the desert. Abraham moved constantly to the place God wanted him to go. From Ur of Chaldees to Haran to Canaan to Egypt to Gerar to Mamre to Beer-Sheba. He never stayed too long. He walked by faith and not by sight. He walked to get closer to the God who called him. Abraham had a desire to follow after God. It took faith to follow an invisible God. Abraham didn’t know where he would end up, he just followed the voice of God in hopes of knowing Him.
After Isaac was born God said, “Take your only son Isaac, the one you love and go the land of Moriah and offer Isaac there on one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” That familiar voice from heaven thundered in the soul of Abraham to come closer. God asked Abraham to get up and walk towards Mt. Moriah. The Lord wanted Abraham to take his promised son and offer him as a sacrifice. Wasn’t leaving his family, and homeland sacrifice enough? Wasn’t separating from Lot and Ishmael enough? But these aren’t the questions that Abraham asked. Rather than question God’s plans, Abraham obeyed.
Abraham rose up early the next morning and went towards Mt. Moriah. He took two servants along with Isaac. On the third day, he told his servants, “Stay here, I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” This is the first time the word “worship” is found in Scripture. Abraham viewed sacrifice as worship. Beloved, that’s how we should see sacrifice. We should see the sacrifices that we make for God as worship!
Abraham said they were going yonder. He knew about Yonder. It conveyed moving farther from where he was. It expressed God’s calling to go further than before.
Yonder was a place that separated Abraham from everyone else. This was a place he could take the next generation. Abraham’s servants couldn’t go with him to Yonder. Friends couldn’t go with Abraham to Yonder. Acquaintances couldn’t go with Abraham to Yonder. Facebook friends and Twitter followers couldn’t go with Abraham to Yonder. This was a place where the Master taught the student alone.
Friends, it is time we go to a place called Yonder. Go yonder in prayer this year. Go yonder in your commitment to Christ this year. Go yonder in your sacrifice. Go yonder in your worship. Its only at a place called Yonder that God will disclose that He is Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider.