You experience your share of disappointments and delays, but
after decades of working and waiting you finally reach your golden years.
Now it’s time to settle into retirement, spoil grandkids,
snowbird, swim, golf, bingo, bean bags, bocce ball, pickle ball, shuffle board,
have fun being bored, eat, and eat some more.
But then, the unthinkable happens.
God tells you to give it all up. He has a job for you to do.
He hands you a test; the toughest test you’ve ever taken.
Yeah but, God, I’m retired. I’m done doing stuff,
especially taking tests. I’m relaxing. I’ve earned it. I’m tired. It’s my time.
God says, I’m not through with you.
That’s where we drop into Abraham’s story today.
After decades of disappointments and delays, they finally got what
they’d been waiting for. The promise finally arrived. Isaac was born. By now,
he’s actually grown into a fine young man.
God says, you’re not through, there’s still work to do, and
He hands Abraham the toughest test he’s ever taken.
22 Now it came to pass after these things that
God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
And it came to pass after these things, tells
us some time had passed after the prior events; Isaac’s weaning, Hagar
and Ishmael’s leaving, the peace treaty with Abimelech; and Abraham planting a memory,
a tamarisk tree by Beersheba, the well of seven. Genesis 21.
God tested Abraham. This test was to
reveal the faith developed in Abraham over the decades.
Tests from God are
for the purpose of promotion.
Abraham, God called.
Here I am, responded, Abraham. Remember that
phrase; he will repeat those three little words, three times today.
2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son
Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him
there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall
tell you.”
Your only son Isaac.
Ishmael and his mom are gone, sent away years ago. Genesis 21:14.
Isaac remains.
Isaac is the only son, promised by God. Genesis 17:21, 21:12.
Isaac is the one and only begotten son, uniquely called and
qualified to carry the seed of Abraham (Hebrews 11:17-18) to the Seed,
Jesus Christ—the One who will bless all nations of the earth. Genesis 12:13, 18:18.
Whom you love. This is the first mention of this
word, love (Hebrew: aheb). In context, this shows a loving father
willing to give his only begotten son. Ring any bells? John 3:16.
Go to the land of Moriah. This was the land
that would become the area of Jerusalem.
On one of the mountains which I shall tell you.
Go to the land of Moriah, then, I will show you the specific place, when
you get there.
This will be the place, where about 2,000 years
later, the only begotten Son of God, is sacrificed, on a place called
Calvary.
Offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham, slay
your son, and then burn his body on an altar, as a sacrifice.
Human sacrifice, was not uncommon among the heathen of that area
and era.
But this was unheard of among those who served Elohim,
the God of Creation, God Almighty.
However, we’re told in Hebrews 11:17-19; By faith
Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said,
“In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was
able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him
in a figurative sense.
Because way back before Isaac was born, Abe and God already
established that:
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and
saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac
his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and
went to the place of which God had told him.
Abraham rose early. Abraham obeyed right away.
Abraham saddled, Abraham split, Abraham went. Abraham
had hundreds of servants, yet he did not delegate to others what God had
delegated to him.
Arose and went to the place. Abraham did
not hesitate or deviate from God’s command.
He did not make an alternate plan. He’s already tried that,
repeatedly. It always caused more trouble than it was worth.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes
and saw the place afar off.
On the third day. For 3 days they journeyed,
for 3 days Isaac was as good as dead. Like the 3 days Jesus body was as good as
dead, in the tomb.
Saw the place, afar off. Abraham saw the place God had chosen
from afar.
God saw the place from even further, from all the way back, in
the Garden of Eden, just after the fall. Genesis 3:15.
He chose the place as ground zero, where the price would be paid
in full, where He could cry from a cross, tetelestai! It is finished!
From that moment, back in the beginning, back in the garden, He searched every avenue of
mankind. Like searching through the maze of humanity for one path that would
lead to the other side.
The Blood Path. The Scarlet Thread, of Redemption.
His Divine Justice demands He follow Divine Rules of
Engagement.
In other words, He willingly works within the willingness,
and obedience, of man.
The world was doomed, it had come to a dead end, but Noah
found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah willingly, by faith, obeyed, and built
the ark. Genesis 6:8-22.
So, God was able to work His way a little further through the maze.
Abraham and Sarah, willingly by faith, received the Promise,
which would eventually birth the Seed that would save the planet.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it
unto me according to thy word. Luke 1:38.
Then Jesus prayed, “Not My will but Thine.”
Luke 22:42.
And with that the Lord made a Way through the maze, from womb to tomb, and back to Life, forever more.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here
with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we
will come back to you.”
Young men and lad, are the same
word in the original text. In Hebrew it means, boy, youth or young man or young
men.
Abraham told the young men, to stay with the donkey,
while he and his young man (Isaac), went yonder to worship.
So, Isaac was probably in his late teens, or early twenties.
Some suggest early thirties (perhaps the age of Jesus on the cross).
Don’t miss the next, powerful, faith-filled, phrase.
We will come back to you.
We.
Remember Hebrews 11:19; Abraham believed God was able to
raise Isaac up, even from the dead.
Abe simply believed, if he was willing and obedient, God
would keep His promise.
Oh no, whaddya gonna do if your dream dies? your promise
doesn’t pan? Then what? How’s that gonna work?
I don’t know. It’s not my job to figure it out. It’s God’s.
My job is to simply trust and obey. The results are up to
God.
Obedience brings understanding.
I’m not going to worry about, or figure out. I’m just gonna
walk out, each day, with God. One step. One breath. At. a. time. period.
Smile real big and say in the mirror, or say to your
neighbor:
And then, feel a world of worry lift off your shoulders.
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering
and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife,
and the two of them went together.
Abe took the wood and laid it on his son. Just as God, would
allow an old rugged cross to be laid on the raw, bloody, back, of His Son.
All the while the fire of the Holy Spirit burned in His hand;
so at any time He could've called it off, destroyed the world, and set Himself free.
Yet, instead, willingly they went, the Father, the Son, the
Holy Spirit. Together they walked up the steep via Delarosa, the way of
suffering, the place of the skull, Golgotha’s hill, the place called
Calvary.
Like Abraham and son had done on that same rock, called
Mount Moriah, so many years prior.
The Roman soldier held the nails.
Abraham held the knife.
Both meant to pierce the skin and take the life of an
innocent man, an innocent Lamb.
But God meant it to give Life, to all, by way of the Lamb.
7 But Isaac spoke
to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
The second time today we hear Abraham say, “Here I am.”
The first time was to God. This time is to Isaac, his son.
He will say it once more to God.
Each time, it’s a great answer. We all should use it too.
To God, the Great I AM. Here, I AM. It’s an
invitation. I’m not hiding, I’m listening. Where I am, You are welcome.
To Isaac. Here I am, my son. I’m present. I’m with you. I’m
paying attention to you. I’m looking you in the eye. I’m listening to you.
Your presence is the greatest present. God reminds us of this every Christmas.
“Behold, the
virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name
Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23.
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where
is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Isaac’s first ever recorded words form a timeless and powerful
question.
Where is the lamb?
His dad will answer in part, in a moment.
John the Baptist will answer in whole, about 2 millennia
later, as he points to Jesus and says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world. John 1:29.
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for
Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
Abraham answers in part, and prophetically.
God will provide for Himself a lamb; which we’ll see in a
moment.
And, God will provide Himself, as the Lamb;
which would happen about 2,000 years from that moment; and did
happen about 2,000 years from this moment.
We live in interesting times, my friends.
From where we sit to Abraham—the cross sits right smack dab
in the middle.
The two of them went together. Once again, we
see harmony, no one forced or coerced. Which is characteristic of our Lord’s
Love; liberty and life.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told
him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound
Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
The specific place, where one day the altar would be a
cross, the Son would be God’s, and what bound Him would be, not rope, not nails,
but… Love.
Did you notice, we’re missing a major part of the
conversation? What happened between building the altar, placing the wood, and,
binding Isaac his son?
What did he say? How did Isaac respond?
All we know is that Abe was over 100, and Isaac was probably
in the prime of his life.
So, for this to happen, it appears that Isaac, not only
carried the wood, like Jesus carried the cross; but also, like Jesus, he willingly
laid down his life.
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife
to slay his son.
Abraham didn’t know what was about to happen.
Nevertheless, he proceeded to go through with what God had
asked him.
Just as Jesus had said, “Not My will but Thine” and
willingly went through what God had asked of Him.
Abe was not only willing, but also obedient.
He raised the knife…
Remember Hebrews 11:19; Abraham believed God was able to
raise Isaac from the dead.
11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from
heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
The Lord called from heaven, Abraham, Abraham, to
stop the crushing blow of death from coming down upon the son.
However, the next time, the time that this time foreshadows,
the Lord cries, from the cross, My God, My God, and the crushing blow of
sin and death is not stopped, but comes down hard with the weight of all the
world, upon the Son of God, the Lamb who takes...our place.
So he said, “Here I am.”
Once again, for the 3rd time, on this 3rd
day, Abraham says, “Here I am.”
All at once, answering and praying.
Here I am!
And…
Here! I AM! Come quickly, Oh Great I AM, deliver us from this
sentence of death.
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do
anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld
your son, your only son, from Me.”
This test was to reveal to us, the faith of Abraham and
Isaac, not to reveal to God any new information.
He already knew, exactly what would happen—but He wanted us
to see and know and be part of the action.
Tests from God are for the purpose of promotion.
To test and prove and cause us to grow. So, don’t fear them,
or avoid them, welcome them, with joy. James 1:2-4
So, basically God was saying:
This was only a test of the emergency broadcasting system.
If this were thee actual emergency—I would’ve taken your place.
Which I will do, in about 2,000 years.
But for now, well done, Abe and son.
Oh, by the way, look over there.
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there
behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took
the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
The ram, reflects what will happen on that same spot several
years later when the Lamb of God, takes our place, to take away our sins, the
sins, of the world.
If you’re reading this or hearing this, you have Jesus to
thank; our sinless, spotless, Lamb of God.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide;
as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be
provided.”
The LORD Will Provide. Hebrew: Yhvh raah (yeh-ho-vaw raw-aw).
We say it like this: Jehovah Jireh.
On that mount the Lord provided a ram for Abraham and Isaac,
and the Lamb, for you and me.
Thank You, Jehovah Jireh, our Provider.
15 Then the Angel of the Lord called
to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I
have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have
not withheld your son, your only son—
Because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself. Hebrews 6:13-14.
Because you have done this… Abe’s deeds made a
difference.
Have not withheld, in other words, because you
have put God first before all else, even your son, your only son.
The New Testament counterpart sounds something like this: Seek
first God’s Kingdom, and all these other things, will be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33.
17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will
multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand
which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of
their enemies.
Abe’s actions (and ours) affect all those God’s given us, for
generations.
God kept His promise. Today Abraham’s descendants through
Isaac, include about 15 million Jews and the nation of Israel. Also, another
436 million Arabs through Ishmael (and brothers), and 22 nations.
That’s not all.
2.4 billion Christians call Abe the father of their faith.
2 million orthodox Jews do the same.
As well as, 1.9 billion muslims.
All this, through one old man who had a barren wife.
Nothing is too
hard for the Lord.
18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be
blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
The seed is, the Seed, Jesus Christ.
This is the first mention of the word, “obeyed.”
Because, you have obeyed My voice.
God noticed and rewarded, Abe for his actions, not just his
good intentions, beliefs, or feelings.
Actions have everlasting impact.
Faith without action, is dead.
James 2:21-22;
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his
son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his
works, and by works faith was made perfect?
19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose
and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Abe and Isaac returned together just as Abraham had said.
We know that, but notice, it doesn’t say that. Isaac, is not
mentioned.
He seems to disappear after his “resurrection.”
We don’t see him again until he comes again, to unite with
his Bride; Genesis 24.
Is the Holy Spirit whispering a message about Christ’s
leaving after His resurrection, and then returning for His Bride?
Not sure. Let’s ask when we get Home.
For now, let’s pray.
Lord, thank You for preparing, and portraying, Your plan so
perfectly, in so many different ways. So, all can see, and hear, and follow,
Your Divine Eternal Purpose.
According to Your Divine Eternal Justice, we all deserve eternal
punishment.
Yet, according to Your Divine Rules of Engagement, You
found a way through the maze of humanity, to become the Way, and satisfy Your
Divine Justice.
For this, we humbly bow, in awe, and…
Love You, forever.
Amen.
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Isaac, Genesis 22:1-19
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Isaac, Genesis 22:1-19
This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to
sow.
Thank you for sharing.
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