After all that Abraham and Sarah had been through, trying to have a child and finally in their old ages did indeed have that son that God had promised, Abraham was faced with the unthinkable. Now God wanted him to offer Issac as a burnt offering to him. (God) How could God ask that of him after all they had been through. But, God did. And Abraham did not resist but was obedient to what God was asking of him. He took Issac and two young men and the wood for the burnt offering and they went to where God told them they were to go. When they got close, Abraham told the men to stay and he and Issac would go on and worship and then come back to them. With that he took Issac and the wood and knife to where God told them to go. Issac asked his father where the lamb was for the burnt offering to which Abraham answered that God would provide the lamb for the burnt offering. When they had reached the place where the offering was to take place, Abraham built an alter and then he placed the wood on it and bound Issac and laid him on the alter as well. And then Abraham took out his knife and went to kill his son.
However, the angel of the Lord called to Abraham from out of heaven. Abraham answered, "Here I am." And the angel of the Lord said, "Lay not your hand on the lad, neither do anything to him. I know that you fear God because you have not withheld your son." And then Abraham saw a ram that had been caught in a thicket and he took the ram and offered it to God instead of his son.
And then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time telling him that because he had been willing to sacrifice his son to him, he was going to bless him and his seed would be multiplied as many as the stars in heaven and the sand on the sea shore. And that all nations would be blessed.
All because he had been willing to do as the angel of the Lord had instructed and obeyed God. Genesis 22:1-18
Questions arise in this story for me. Did Abraham really believe God would stop this whole thing so that he would not have to kill his own son? Did Issac struggle while he was being tied up and placed on the alter, knowing now that he was the one to be sacrificed? Did he try to get away? Did he yell at his father? Curse at him? Or did he allow himself to be a willing sacrifice to God? And what of his mother Sarah? Did she know what was about to happen to the son she had waited so long for? Did she try to stop them? Did she get angry with God? With Abraham? Or was she obedient to what God was asking of them as well?
More ever, could I ever have willingly been as obedient to God if he ever asked something like this of me? I can assure you that I probably would not have been able to. I have trouble even obeying God in things that are not near as big as this was. Thankfully, God has never required this of me. Nor anything like it. But we do know that, when God does ask something of us, no matter what it is, or how small or big it is-he provides us with the ability to do it. And sometimes he may provide us with a way out, just like he did Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead of his son. All because of his willingness to do what he asked.
We don't know the answers to any of the questions I wonder about. Maybe someday, when I get to heaven, I will be allowed to know the answers.The thing was God had required it of these two parents that undoubtedly loved their son. And yet, they or at least Abraham had been willing to do the unthinkable and trust God with the son that they had finally had after years of not having him.
What love God had for him that he spared his son from the death that had been coming.
And yet, God did not spare his own Son, Jesus Christ from the death that would come many years later. Jesus had to die as a sacrifice for the sins of all man kind. Yours and mine. How much more love did he have then that?
He doesn't require anything for his sacrifice. There is nothing we can give or do for it. We have just to acknowledge our sin, repent and accept his gift of eternal life. It is all he requires. It is all we can do.
August 28, 2019 Promise: The Lord is my Shepard. I shall not want. Psalms 23:1
Hello Friends. Thanks for your visit today. Up tomorrow on 'Who is the Angel of the Lord? (Jacob's story.) I hope you will be back to see what we can learn by his account.
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