"Greetings Everyone in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"
Today's Blog Title: "Abraham's Faith Confirmed"
Today's Scripture Reading: Genesis 22:1-19
Today's Key Verse: 7-8: "But Isaac spoke to 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?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.
Wow!!! Without question, Genesis 22:1-19 is one of the most shocking and most memorable in the whole Bible. Yet its outcome, is one of the finest examples describing the loyalty of God to His covenant and to Abraham, and to us even today. It revealed remarkable faith on the part of Abraham, and it would point to the future sacrifice of God's only son, Jesus Christ.
As this Chapter opens up we see that the Lord calls to Abraham, and Abraham replied "Here I am." This is now the seventh time that God has revealed Himself to Abraham, since he had been in the land of Canaan. God then tells Abraham to take his son, his only son Isaac to the land of Moriah, and there sacrifice him there on one of the mountains that he would will show him. I can't even imagine, what thoughts were going through Abraham's mind. What painful thoughts must have racing around in his thinking. Isaac whom was born to him when he was 100, and whom he had so long waited for from the promises of God, was now to be sacrificed. In this passage of scripture, there is nothing to indicate that Abraham said anything. You remember in Genesis 18:
27-32 how he had pleaed with God to save the city of Sodom for the sake of 10, yet here in this passage, all we read about is Abraham complete obedience to God. It doesn't say whether or not he even told Sarah what the God had instructed him to do. I would think that Abraham keep all this between himself and God.
We see the next morning, (not 3 or 4 days later), that Abraham arose and took Isaac, and two servants and the wood needed for a sacrifice, and headed off to where God had told him to go. What a long journey that must have been for Abraham. How hard it must have been for him to hold a conversion with Isaac on the way to the sacrifice.
As they approached the place God had instructed him, he told his servants to wait there, as he and the boy would go and worship, and "we will come back to you". Perhaps Abraham in saying this, believed that he and the boy would return, and was remembering God's promise to create a mighty nation through Isaac, and he still believed it. Maybe he had concluded that even if he were to kill his son, God would bring him back from the dead. What a picture this is of God, sending his only Son for our sacrifice, and bringing Him back from the dead.
Now we see that as Abraham and Isaac are heading to the area to do sacrifice to the Lord, that Isaac says, " Father where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" Abraham's reply was, "God will provide Himself a sacrifice. What faith Abraham had in Almighty God.
Abraham then begins to built an altar. After he had completed it he then took Isaac, and bound him and laid him upon the altar. Isaac at this time would have realized that he was the sacrifice, and there is nothing recorded that he cried out, or made any sound of pleas to his father. This would be another example, of when later we see Jesus not saying anything, as He became the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Perhaps because of Isaac's upbringing, and worship of God with his parents, he was being obedient to his father in what God had instructed him to do.
As Abraham raised his knife and was about to sacrifice Isaac as God had instructed him to do, we read that God called from heaven, and twice said, "Abraham, Abraham do not lay your hand upon the child, or do anything to him for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me." Abraham now saw the ram and in an amazing manner his words of God's provision in verse 8 where he said, "My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for burnt offering" came to pass.
Because of his faithfulness to God in not withholding his son, the Lord now tells Abraham that his descendants would be many as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. In verse 19 we see that Abraham and Isaac return to the two servants and they went together to Beersheba. What a wonderful trip that must of been for Abraham as well as Isaac as they rejoiced in the Lord.
Today's Closing Question and Comment: "What do you have trouble giving up to God?" The purpose of God's testing us, is to strengthen our character and deepen our commitment to His perfect timing. Through this testing we strengthen our commitment to obey God. We also learn about God's ability to provide for us.
The Lord is our rock, in Him we abide, the shelter in the time of a storm
Secure whatever ill betide, a shelter in the time of a storm
Oh, Jesus is a rock in a weary land
A weary land, a weary land
Oh, Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm
Heavenly Father, How we thank you for Jesus, the innocent Lamb that offered Himself as a sacrifice for us ,and because of His suffering, the sinless Son of God purged our sins, and made us clean. May we like Abraham, put our complete faith and trust in You at all times as we serve You.
Amen
Have a God Filled and Spirit Led Day. Go In Peace, Serve the Lord and Love God More Today.
Yours in Christ
Cindi
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