Genesis 22

26Apr08

This is the passage we are looking at in 5.20. 

God tells Abraham to take his only son Isaac and sacrifice him as a burnt offering! Quite extreme huh?

The thing that struck me most was God gives no explanation, and Abraham doesn’t question him, even though this command makes no sense whatsoever. God promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations despite the fact he had no children, now finally he has a child and God tells him to kill him! 

But get this, Abraham doesn’t even hesitate, he doesn’t try to put it off or think of ways to get out of it. 

“Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey” – v3

Interestingly Abraham says:

“We will worship and then we will come back to you” – v5

Hebrews 11:17-19 says:

“By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one an only son, even though God had said to him ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring shall be reckoned’. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead.”

Abraham had steadfast faith that God would provide:

“God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering” – v8

“Abraham looked up and there in the thicket saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son” – v13

Abraham didn’t have to sacrifice his son, but God did. 100s of years later God sent his own one and only son to be the ultimate and final sacrifice for everyone. God promises Abraham that he will do this:

“Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed” – v18

It all points to Jesus. God has provided.

Something that Jenny said was really challenging. Though we may not hear God’s literal voice today (at least not very often) every time we read the Bible God is speaking to us. So we should act like Abraham and respond immediately and obediently. 

Abraham was asked to give up something he loved so much and he didn’t argue or complain – he knew God would be faithful to his promises and that he knows best.  If God asked you to give up something you really, really loved, would you do it? We should be prepared to give up anything and everything for God, but so often we object to giving up just small things, complain when we are not as comfortable as we’d like. Because we’re selfish, too focused on ourselves and living for ourselves and not for God. It’s hard to be fully committed to God because it involves taking risks, doing things that we don’t understand and letting someone else be in control. But when that someone is an omnipotent God who knows the beginning and the end, and always works for our good there really is nothing to fear :)

 

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Tags: 5.20, abraham, genesis