Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends, as we begin another week together.
As you look ahead into this week, I wonder what the biggest issues are that you are anticipating? A major medical issue; a huge decision that may have widespread implications; a financial crisis; a family challenge; a deadline that is finally right ahead of you; a spiritual issue that has come to a head? Whatever it is ahead of you, I doubt it is as significant as what Abraham faced as he walked with his son Isaac toward mount Moriah.
We’re in Genesis 22 and yesterday we began this journey toward Moriah with Abraham. God had blessed he and Sarah, with a miracle son, Isaac, in their old age, as promised. But now, unexpectedly, God had instructed Abraham to take his son on a three day journey to Moriah and sacrifice him as a burnt offering! It was a preposterous thought. If Abraham had not been absolutely certain that he had heard God correctly, I’m sure he would have simply ignored the idea. But we saw yesterday that the very next morning, Abraham saddled his donkey, cut his own firewood, and set out with his son Isaac and two servants toward Moriah. We ended in verse 5 where Abraham had stopped his donkey and said to his servants: “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” (Gen. 22:5) I’m sure you hear the confidence in Abraham’s declaration. But down deep in his heart I imagine there was gut-wrenching turmoil.
The record says “Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife.” Can you put yourself there, walking along with the two of them? I assume ‘the fire’ was likely some flint stones and the knife was the sharpened killing knife Isaac had seen his father use many times with his sheep. As they walked, finally Isaac spoke: “Father? The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Do you see the tears welling up in Abraham’s eyes? Do you see him swallowing hard, clearing his throat? What should he say? He agrees with his son’s question… where is the lamb? Surely God cannot really intend for Abraham to kill his son. But as they walk along, there is no lamb. God’s instructions had been very clear, even though unthinkable, unimaginable. Finally Abraham is able to speak, looking ahead to Moriah as the tears roll down his cheeks… “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
Have you been there my friends? Have you been in the place where your children or grandchildren ask you very hard questions that don’t have easy or simple answers? What were those questions… how did you answer them? Isaac had asked a good and fair question. Abraham had given the only answer he could give… but did he really believe what he had just spoken? The record says: “The two of them walked on together.” And what do you suppose Abraham was whispering to God as they walked? Do you think Isaac noticed the tears rolling down his father’s weathered cheeks, or was Abraham walking ahead of Isaac so he wouldn’t seek his trembling chin and tears?
Finally they reached the top of Moriah. I imagine Abraham asked Isaac to help him gather rocks and dirt and build an altar. Oh the agony with each stone piled one on another! And then Isaac brought the wood he had been carrying and arranged it on the altar, as he’d seen his father do many times. And then they stood there, just looking at each other, father and son, and looking at the altar ready for a sacrifice. Look closely at their faces. Isaac’s face is innocent, looking around for a lamb, looking at his father, wondering what they should do without a lamb? Abraham’s face is contorted with pain, tears flowing in streams down his face. Looking up to heaven often as he searches the sky for some sign, some word from God that will explain what he should do next. Finally Abraham places his hand on his son’s shoulder lovingly but firmly, and takes the rope which had been tied around his waist, and begins to wrap the rope around his son. Listen… do you hear anything? What does Isaac ask? Does Isaac object in anger? Does Isaac try to run? Or does Isaac stand firm, making it easy for his father to bind him with that rope? Perhaps Isaac says “My father I love you and I trust you. I know you love God and you trust Him. I don’t understand… but I trust.”
The record simply says: “Abraham bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham”. ‘Here I am’, Abraham replied. ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy, do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.‘” (Gen. 22:12) Let’s pause right here a moment. Can you begin to imagine the fear in Isaac’s eyes as he saw his father raise the knife? Can you imagine the broken heart Abraham had as he raised that knife? I assume BOTH Abraham and Isaac heard the voice from heaven. They both knew God was speaking directly to them. Neither of them would EVER forget this moment and its significance.
Abraham had proved to himself, to his son and to God, the supreme trust He had in God and the unwavering commitment in his heart to ALWAYS be FULLY obedient to God’s instructions to him. Abraham had determined to never again do anything contrary to what God instructed him to do. His life had been wounded, scared by too many times of either doing something important before he asked God for guidance, or doing something contrary to God’s instructions. Abraham passed the greatest test of his life because he was finally living with his life in full alignment with the heart of God.
The record says Abraham lowered his arm, began untying the ropes on his son Isaac. Oh can you imagine the embrace they enjoyed as Isaac was freed? Then “Abraham looked up and there in the thicket he 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.” Oh my what a worship moment that was for both Abraham and Isaac as they watched the smoke rise up from that altar, and smelled the burnt flesh of a ram instead of a son! Abraham gave that place a special name: Jehovah Jireh “The LORD Will Provide.’ And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” (Gen. 22:14)
I wonder if the servants could see the smoke rising from that hill top, from afar? I know God could see the smoke and I wonder if God the Father and God the Son had a conversation as they watched that altar fire? You see my friends, in that very same place, on that same hilltop stood the Jerusalem temple, very busy with Passover festivities, about 2000 years later. Over there, just outside the city wall, was another hill called Golgotha. On that hill, Jesus, the Son of God, was nailed to a rugged cross, and hung to die in the afternoon sun, as the people of Jerusalem and Roman soldiers watched. They had totally rejected God the Son and His wonderful message of truth and God’s salvation.
Standing at the foot of His cross was only one of the 12 disciples who had walked with Jesus for those many months, John. Peter had denied he even knew Jesus, not one or twice but three times! Judas had betrayed Jesus to an arresting mob. The other 9 disciples had fled into the night as Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. But at His cross that day stood his mother Mary, His friend John, Mary Magdalene whom Jesus had delivered from the bondage of demons, and Mary the wife of Clopas. (Luke 8:1; John 19:25-27) Jesus cried out “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani’ which means “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46) Even though it was mid-day, darkness suddenly fell over Jerusalem that day. God the Father turned His back on His Son Jesus, for Jesus had taken upon Himself the sins of humanity, and God poured out His justice wrath on His Son.
Unlike Abraham and Isaac… God did NOT stop the judgment and spare His Son. God did NOT provide a ram to replace His Son on the cross. Jesus, the Son of God, had to take the FULL wrath of God’s judgment for humanity’s sinfulness IF God was going to then accept Jesus’ ransom atonement death as payment in FULL for my sin and yours and extend to us forgiveness for our sin and declare us Justified, Righteous! Romans 8:32 says “God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all.”
How long Abraham and Isaac stood watching that ram burn on that altar, we do not know. Nor could they have possibly imagined what God would do with His Son Jesus on those hills 2000 years later. The record says as they stood there, “The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time…” and God repeated the great covenant promise He had made several times before to Abraham… that he would be blessed with descendants more numerous than stars in the sky, and that they would inherit the land upon which they stood, and finally “…through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me.“ (Gen. 22:15-18)
2000 years later, on the night before Jesus was hung on that cross, on that nearby hillside, Jesus had similarly said to His disciples “If you love Me you will obey what I command… If anyone loves Me, they will obey My teaching. My Father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching.” (John 14:15,23,24) So I end today with a simple question for all of us… what is the evidence of God’s unlimited LOVE for us, sinful humanity? And what is evidence of our love for Jesus Christ?
Here’s a song to ponder these powerful truths, my friends… it was recorded in Jerusalem about two years ago, very near where BOTH these unforgettable Biblical events took place. What is Jesus saying to you today as you worship and pray?
Today’s Scripture is Genesis 22:6-18.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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