June 25, 2023
Reading: Genesis 22
Focus: Genesis 22:8 – Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
Father God, we praise Your name for all the blessings You have given us. Again, I ask for open minds and hearts. Help us to hear what You have to say. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I don’t know how many of you have watched Star Trek. But one episode is about the Kobiashi Maru. It is training exercise for Starfleet cadets to see how they manage a crisis aboard a Starfleet vessel. The good thing is that it weeds out the weak leaders from the strong. The bad thing is that it is a no-win situation. Fortunately, for the cadets, it was only a test. A real-life situation like this would have been catastrophic. But that is often what some of us face. A real-life, no-win situation. But I have to say, nothing in life is really no-win if you have Jesus in your life.
I was diagnosed with cancer a few years back. At first, there was shock and numbness. It seemed a no-win situation. Was I going to die? Chemo? Surgery? There were so many questions. I have known a lot of people who had had cancer. Many of them, now dead. Was that next for me? Then I began to pray. A lot. All day. Even in my sleep. It wasn’t until the week before surgery that I received an answer to my prayers. It was early morning and I curled around my pillow and began to pray. Then, as if someone was speaking it, came this verse, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me . . .” (Psalm 23:4). Peace flooded my soul. It was suddenly no longer a no-win situation. If I died, I would be with Jesus; if I lived, Jesus was still with me. It was a win-win. Now, we turn to a very familiar story from the Bible. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his promised son, Isaac, to the Lord. Now, please understand that this was common practice in many of the peoples in Canaan. People sacrificed their children to idols for any number of reasons. Rain, power, good crops and so on. We are not told any of Abraham’s thoughts here. God asked it of him and he obeyed. I have no idea what I would do in Abraham’s place. Could I be as obedient as Abraham was?
They prepared to go to the mountain for sacrifice as they most likely had done many times in the past. They gathered the wood, the fire and everything else that was needed. But one important thing was missing. The lamb for the sacrifice. After they had been travelling three days, Abraham and Isaac left the servants behind and as they walked up the mountain that God directed them to. Isaac was carrying the wood for the sacrifice. So, he could not have been a young boy or a toddler as many pictures indicate. I am thinking that he had to have been in his twenties, at least. Wood is heavy and Isaac carried it himself.
Now, Isaac noticed there was no lamb for the sacrifice. I wonder what Isaac thought when he noticed there was no sacrifice. His father wasn’t forgetful. I imagine he wondered what the old man was up to now. So, Isaac asked the obvious question. Where is the lamb? Abraham simply said that God would provide. This is a prophetic statement. We only have to look down through the ages to a hill called Golgotha. God Himself provided Jesus, the Lamb of God for the atonement of our sins. Isaac did not question this. He trusted his father and he knew God and what He could do. Finally, they reached the spot God had chosen on Mount Moriah. It is interesting to note that Mount Moriah is known today as Temple Mount where Solomon built the Temple to God. One of the most hotly contested pieces of real estate in the world.
Once there, Abraham went through the motions. He built the altar, placed the wood on it, and laid the knife on the stone. All the while, Isaac observed and probably helped to build the altar and lay the wood on it. He didn’t question about the missing lamb again. But then, Abraham turned to Isaac, bound his hands and feet, lifted him and placed him on the altar. I don’t know about you, but I think I would have fought. But it appears that Isaac didn’t flinch. There is no indication of Isaac’s questioning his father’s actions. In fact, we are not given any indication of Isaac’s reaction at all. But it is obvious that his faith in his father was perfect. Abraham’s heart had to be breaking. His promised son was to die. But God had asked for this. Why, after God had promised this child to him? And so, he picked up the knife, probably looked to heaven with tears running down his face and prepared to take his son’s life. The knife was raised.
I imagine that Abraham hesitated, waited, hoping. But it wasn’t until he began to lower his hand toward the throat of his son that Abraham heard the voice of the angel of the Lord. “Abraham! Abraham!” His head bowed, he answered, “Here I am.” The angel told Abraham not to harm Isaac because God now knew that there was nothing that Abraham would not give to God. When Abraham looked up he saw a ram with its horns tangled in a bush. He released Isaac and together they prepared the ram and sacrificed it to God. Abraham named the place “The Lord Will Provide.” Jehovah Jireh, God, our provider. God reaffirmed his promises to Abraham. Because of his obedience, his descendants would be more numerous that the stars or the sands. They would possess the promised land. And from his offspring, all nations would be blessed. This is another prophecy regarding Jesus. The seed of Isaac will bless all nations. Jesus sacrifice on the cross is that blessing.
Here we have a picture of Jesus. The Lamb of God whose blood would cover our sins. At a time when we most needed it, God provided the Lamb. Before Jesus, there was only temporary atonement for sin. The sacrificial lamb was brought annually at Passover to the Temple for the atonement of sin. But Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, was sacrificed on the cross at Passover as a permanent atonement for the sin of all who believed and accepted it. Just as Isaac was obedient to the directions of his father, Jesus was obedient to His Father and laid down His life for us. Can you imagine God’s grief over the death of His Son?
Many of the religious leaders of the Jews of Jesus’ day refused to believe Jesus is the Messiah. These leaders, priests and even the high priest would not recognize Him as the Messiah. They were looking for a military Messiah, not a spiritual Messiah. They chose to misunderstand the message of the prophets. They had lost sight of God and His ways. They were going their own way. They chose not to believe and taught that Jesus was not the Messiah and have taught the same thing down through the centuries, even today. The Jewish calendar was even adjusted by a few years to ‘prove’ that Jesus’ appearance did not match up with the prophecies of Daniel about the Messiah’s appearance. They refused to see that the Messiah was a spiritual Savior, dying to save us from Satan’s power.
There are Jews who still cling to the teachings of those who lived in Jesus’ day. They do not recognized Jesus as the Messiah He is. But there are Jews today who have met the Messiah and have believed. They, in turn, are reaching more of their own people than ever before. And in the same way as the early Christians and the apostles, reaching out to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. Today, Christians are reaching more and more people, telling them about Jesus. First at home and then to the world. God is opening eyes and hearts to hear His word.
Do you withhold anything from God?
Father God, thank you for the lesson of Abraham complete faith in You. Help me to be just as faithful. Open my heart, show me what I am holding back from You. Help me to be obedient to You. Give me the strength to give my all. In Jesus Name, Amen
Food for Thought
- What do you think Abraham was thinking after God asked him to sacrifice Isaac
- What do you think Isaac was thinking when his father bound him and laid him on the altar?
- Why do you think the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were so blind to who He is?
- How hard is it to give up a dream when it seems that it is just within your grasp?
- Have you got anything that is not fully surrendered to God? What are you going to do about it?
