Genesis 22:12-14 - But the angel of the LORD called to
him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said,
"Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the
lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have
not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham
lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a
thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a
burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of
that place The LORD will provide; as it is said to this day, "On the mount
of the LORD it shall be provided."
Abraham had been given orders to sacrifice the promise God
had given him. I imagine that he did not sleep much the night before he left….and
my mind wonders what prayers he must have uttered. But this story..as the Bible
records it….says that Abraham got up early…cut wood…and did exactly what God
told him to. He had to travel 3 days with this dreadful order in his head…but
the bible does not record any vocalized doubt…no pitiful cries to the father to
let him sacrifice something less meaningful to his life. The conversation
between Abraham and his son is not recorded….maybe Abraham’s heart was so heavy
with sadness he walked the whole three days in silence…praying God take this
horrible task from his hand.
But Abraham …in the most revered act of obedience recorded
in the old testament….raised the knife to slay the sacrificial lamb…his own son.
In that moment…Abraham decided to follow God completely…he believed that if
indeed this son must be a sacrifice…he trusted God to provide another to
fulfill his promise. And in that moment …God was sure that Abraham would indeed
choose him above the son that would carry on his seed….and an angel calls out
from Heaven…and tells him that he has the evidence he needs…the proof that God
is first in his life. Then God provides a substitute….a ram caught by his very
horns in a bush. I wonder what Isaac
thought as his father untied him and they killed the ram and burned it on the
altar. I wonder if Abraham shared the whole story…of why he almost killed his
own son.
Makes me wonder if I am as ready to place God first in my
own life….if I can give up every single blessing he has given me to prove that
I love him the most! I am pretty sure
God is not going to have me slay and sacrifice my own child….but I remember
that God actually carried out a similar plan when he gave up his own son on the
cross. He allowed a precious human woman
to carry the seed of his precious son. He trained him for around 27 years…then
launched a ministry that lasted 3…before the world decided that he must be done
away with….and they killed him on that cross. God did not stop the angels that
day…he let the nails rip through his flesh…he let the sword pierce his side…he
even allowed death to overcome this precious son who prayed the night before to
have this cup taken from him. And in
that moment..the perfect sacrifice of Jesus …split the gates of hell wide open
and made a way for all of us to be saved….no more blood sacrifices are needed….Jesus’
blood paid the full price for all our sins.
Father…I am continually amazed at how much you love me. I
thank you for sacrificing your son….for watching him suffer so. I ask that you help me to remember this
sacrifice the next time you tell me that I should give something up…because it
trying to take your place. Open my heart
to see anything that I have made a little too important in my life. Reveal to
me anything that I need to remove from my life that endangers my relationship
with you. Thank you for this story…that
not only reminds me that I need to place you first in my life….but that I also
need to obey you in all that you tell me to do. Help me to always remember that
you have a plan for my life…and it is to prosper me…to give me hope for my
future..and that you love me more than I could ever love myself. Amen.
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