Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Genesis 22:8
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 |
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering: so they went both of them together.
For further study - Genesis 22:1-24
In our devotional reading for today we read the wonderful story of a father and son who travel together to the most sacred place on earth with both hearts ready to do the will of the Lord. As we read this passage we will watch as the Lord intervenes to give the “son” back to his “father”.
This passage gives the account of Abraham taking his son Isaac to Mount Moriah, which is today the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, for the purpose of “sacrificing” his son, as directed by the Lord, verses 1 and 2.
Notice that Abraham never questioned the Lord about this directive. Instead, he “rose up early in the morning”, verse 3, and took Isaac with him the three day journey to the peak of Mount Moriah to the site the Lord had set for the sacrifice to take place.
I love verse 5 where Abraham tells the others with him that they should wait as he and Isaac will go to the place of sacrifice, and “come again to you”, both of them. That is a wonderful faith that is displayed as obedience is followed.
Verse 8 is another great example of Abraham’s faith, he told his son that “God will provide himself a lamb” for the sacrifice. Abraham had trusted the Lord in the past and that experience helped him in the way that he would again put his trust in the Lord to do what was best for him and his son.
The word "fearest" in the text is not the thought, "afraid", but instead a "reverential trust" in his willingness to obey the command to sacrifice his own son, the "son of promise". This is the kind of "trust" we all need in these the end of days.
The Lord would provide to Abraham a “ram” as the “substitute” for his son in the sacrifice, verse 13. Notice that the ram was caught in a thicket by his “horns”. It would be a “ram’s horn”, the “shofar”, that the Lord would use later as an instrument to give direction to the Jewish people.
Because of the faithfulness and obedience of Abraham, the Jewish people, and even the rest of humankind, will be blessed, verses 15-18. This is the prophetic aspect of this passage for our reading today.
There is so much more we could say about this passage. Let me encourage you to spend more time reading and meditating on this passage for what the Lord may reveal to you.
It is because of the promises made to Abraham, and kept, that we can believe God will be faithful to His promises made to each of us for salvation, and His promise to come get us to join Him in the heavenlies, at the Rapture of the Church, an event that could happen today. Keep looking up.
PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for the promises that You have made to me about salvation and Your return to gather me to be with you. I also thank you for your Word that gives me the evidence that you will keep your promises.