SACRIFICE

Does it seem like your faith, trust, and love of God are tested almost daily?  How well do you fare in obedience to the Lord?  God provides a great example for us in the man Abraham.  It is powerful to see how Abraham’s obedience foreshadows Jesus’ obedience to God in one particular story.

 

Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.  “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”  “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”  –Genesis 22:1-2  (NLT) 

Abraham and Sarah were barren and childless until they were in their 90’s, way past childbearing years, when God blessed them with the gift of Isaac.  After waiting so long for a child, imagine you hear God say to offer that child as a burnt offering to the Lord. Would you be obedient?

God tests our faith just as He was testing Abraham’s faith in this story.  Notice God tests our faith, whereas Satan tries to tempt us hoping to make us fall.  God is interested in knowing our sincerity of faith and our commitment to Him.   

When Abraham responds to God’s voice with “Here I am,” he is responding as a servant does.  He knows God is God, and he is His humble servant.

 ***Think how Jesus, in His humanity, was tested to see if He would follow through in obedience to go to the cross for your sins and mine.  Jesus was the perfect example throughout His whole life of being a servant, even to the point of death.  God sacrificed Jesus, His one and only Son, for us so we can spend eternity in heaven.  It is interesting to learn the land of Moriah, where Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac, is very close to the place Jesus was crucified.

 

Photo courtesy of Tito & Eva Marie Balangue under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

 

The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  –Genesis  22:3-4  (NLT)

Abraham took two of his servants, along with Isaac, to the place God told him. The journey took three days of travel.  The burnt offering, the sacrifice Abraham was to provide to God, required wood from trees.

 ***Jesus, being the ultimate sacrifice, carried the wood of the cross on His way to Calvary.  When Jesus hung on the cross, there were two thieves crucified, one on each side. After dying, Jesus rose on the third day.  What striking similarities to Abraham’s story.

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So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife…  –Genesis 22:6  (NLT)

On the way to the mountain where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac, Isaac carried the wood on his shoulders.

***As Jesus walked the road, which led to His crucifixion, He carried a heavy wooden cross on His shoulders.

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Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”  Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.  –Genesis 22:7-8  (NIV)

Through all of this, Isaac did not realize he was the burnt offering God was asking Abraham to sacrifice.  What faith Abraham continued to exhibit, knowing God would provide the perfect burnt offering.

 ***God did indeed provide the perfect lamb for the ultimate sacrifice.  God provided His only Son, Jesus, who is the perfect Lamb of God!

 

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Prata under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”  “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”  “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”  –Genesis 22: 9-12  (NLT)

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.  –Romans 4:20  (NLT)

Abraham, in faith and obedience, did what God instructed.  Abraham was faithful and willing to obey God no matter the request.  God saw Abraham’s sincerity of heart and did not allow him to sacrifice Isaac.  Since Abraham’s faith did not waver, rather it grew even stronger, more glory was given to God. 

 ***Jesus was faithful and, in obedience to God, sacrificed His life for our sins.  Jesus, despite the agony He endured in dying, was sincere in being the burnt offering for all mankind.  Jesus’ life and sacrifice gives all glory and honor to God.

 

 

Be encouraged this week to reflect on the story of Abraham and Jesus, seeing the ways they exemplified obedience to God. 

Take time to reflect on your life to see the ways you can improve in faith, trust, love and obedience to God.

It is important to know obedience might come before understanding.  We do not always understand why God wants us to do some things, but we need to be obedient.

~May God help increase your faith, trust, and love in Him.

~May God help you see the times when He wants you to be obedient to Him.

 

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.  The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”  –Acts 5:29-32  (ESV)