When Abraham was 75 years old God called him. He asked him to leave his country and his people. (Genesis 12:1-4) God made a promise to Abraham. He promised to make a great nation out of him. He promised that all people would be blessed through him. Think about that, ALL People. Not just some, but all people. Abraham was a man who put his trust in God. He packed his things, left his family, and went where God would lead him. The only family the bible says he took was his wife Sarah and nephew Lot. I’m guessing that Lot was like a son to Abraham. Sarah was sixty-five and Abraham was seventy-five and they had never had children of their own, though it was the wish of both of them. When Abraham and Lot’s herdsman started quarreling Abraham let Lot chose the land he wanted. (Genesis 13:8-9) When Lot was taken captive by the four kings it was Abraham that went after him. (Genesis 14:11-16) When God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, it was Abraham who pleaded on behalf of Lot. (Genesis 18:22-33) Abraham treated Lot as his son. He still did not have his own son with Sarah though! When the Lord came to Abraham and offered him a reward, Abraham said “You have given me no children. A servant will inherit my land.” (Genesis 15:1-3) God took Abraham outside and promised him his heirs would be as numerous as the stars. (Genesis 15:4-5) Several years later Isaac is born. At the age of one hundred Abraham gets his son. Think about this, all Abraham ever wanted was a son. He raised Lot, but Lot was not his flesh and blood. He had Ishmael, but that went badly. (Genesis 21:8-10) Now in his old age he gets his son. (Genesis 21:5) Isaac grows into a young man and then God tells Abraham take your son and sacrifice him for me! (Genesis 22:2) Now notice Abraham never questioned God. He didn’t say let me pray about this for a few days. He didn’t try talking or bargaining God out of this. He got up the very next morning and went to do as God told him. (Genesis 22:3-5) I wonder what Isaac was thinking during all this. So they been traveling along for three days, (Genesis 22:6-8) Isaac’s thinking that the old man has really lost it now. He is getting senile in his old age.
He asks “Hey Dad, you forgetting anything.” Abraham said “Nope nothing I can think of. Why you ask?”
“No reason. I was just wondering where this lamb you are going to sacrifice is at?”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that, “God will provide the lamb.””
So they get to the top of the mountain. Build an Altar and Abraham says “Hey Isaac, Why don’t you lie on this firewood and let me tie you up. Doesn’t that sound fun?” (Genesis 22:9-10)
All right I’m going to get serious now. Isaac is in his thirties he is a grown man able to carry all the firewood up the mountain by himself. If he did not want to be placed on the altar he could have stopped it. He trusted God and his father enough to allow himself to be tied up. Think about that. We have been looking at the trust and sacrifice Abraham had been willing to make for God. Isaac was going to give up his life. Now Abraham lifts his knife and prepares to plunge it into his son whom he loves. Next, God says stop. There is a lamb over there sacrifice it instead of Isaac. (Genesis 22:11-13)
Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, which he had wanted for so long. God did sacrifice his son. Look at Genesis 22:8 “God himself will provide the lamb for sacrifice.” We can’t make it to heaven without blood to atone for our sins. God provided a sacrifice for us. God loved us so much and wanted us to have eternal life with him so he provided the lamb.
John 1:29 NIV “… look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
John 3:16 NIV "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Everyday we should think about what God has done for us and thank God that he provided that Lamb in the form of His Son.
MSW
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