7 December
Sacrifice of Isaac: Genesis 22 and Galatians 3: 6-14, 29
Have you ever been tested?
If we are honest, I think we all feel tested at times. In one way or another. It is difficult to know sometimes if it is God testing us directly, or just a situation we have brought on ourselves? All things come from the Lord as He has ultimate control, but He gives us free will to respond as we choose – wisely or unwisely.
This story of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his own son brings us maybe to a story of the greatest test of all. There may be no greater test of faith than this for any parent – the test of losing a child, in any way.
All things come from God and we may have to prepare in our lives to give up things sometimes for the greater good – our time, and to make sacrifices for others. But to give up our own child as Abraham was asked to? I cannot imagine what that would be like? It would most definitely be something most of us would want to argue with God about, and to do what was asked of Abraham fully and willingly would require:
- A verycertain knowledge that it was God speaking to us in the first place …
2 Also a saintliness perhaps, to obey – that few of us would reach – even as mature Christians.
Of course this Bible story ends with a positive outcome, as Abraham is told by God – at the last minute, through an angel, that he can stop the sacrifice of his own son Isaac, and sacrifice an animal instead…
“Now I know how you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your only son.“ the angel says.
He is then blessed by God and told that “he will have descendants numerous as the stars and sand on the seashore…” Indeed God says “All nations will be blessed because you have obeyed me …”
Abraham was a faithful man – but he was just a great man – He was not Jesus or God. However, He let God work through Him and trusted God with his son – even to a possible death. Wow – what a man and what faith he must have had in our Lord.
However, there is no greater ministry than that of Jesus Christ who came to Earth to show us God as man, and show us how we are meant to live. He lived as “one with God” – He and the Father were one – He did everything His Father asked.
For us it is impossible to do God’s will every minute of every day – we need Jesus to help us live our best life, and even then still need His grace daily.
Jesus took the sins of the world on Himself. He paid the ultimate sacrifice…. a sacrifice that also was to bless all nations – but a million times greater, than the sacrifice that Abraham was willing to do of his own son Isaac.
Abraham was a man of faith – Jesus became our living faith.
Jesus himself was sacrificed by His Father God on the cross for our sins – yours and mine – that we might know life in all its fullness.
That is a blessing to all nations indeed…
Prayer
Lord, we thank you for Abraham – a shining example, a man of great faith who was tested and proved faithful. But we thank you above all, for Jesus your own son, who gave His own life for us.
Living only to do your will. His life a sacrifice that we can never repay.
A blessing for which we are forever thankful. Amen
Alice Marsh
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