Imagine being tried by God to sacrifice one of your own children. This would be heartbreaking for sure. And we know that only very few people would actually do this. But did you know that this is exactly what God the Father had happen with His only begotten Son, Jesus? Praise God that Jesus went through with dying for us, as what Abraham was tasked to do was a symbol of what was to come with Jesus on the cross. This story of Abraham and Isaac reads, “and it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.” (Genesis 22:1-4)
We now see Abraham looking at the place afar off, where he would ultimately have to make an offering to God in the form of his son. I can just imagine how heartbroken he must have felt, but still knowing that it was God’s will. So as we read further in these verses it is recorded, “and they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” (Genesis 22:9-12) And now we know that it was God’s voice that Abraham heard. His faith was tested and He came through with flying colors. Little did he know that in the future Jesus would come and be sacrificed on the cross for the sins of the world. This was the Father’s will for us. Amen.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I know that not everything You ask of me is easy by any means. There are times that my faith is put to the test, but I am so grateful that You test me in this way. It helps me ponder upon my life and if I am really living for You or not. Surely, my ways are far from perfect, although I have learned to love Your ways. This love just doesn’t always translate into me doing your will each day and I am sorry. I wish I could be like this, but my flesh is weak and I need You to be the shield at all times in my life in order to not fall. So I ask that You come and protect me, God. You are my fortress and my high tower. Only You can lead me far from temptation that I may run from sin and into Your loving arms instead. Please help me to not be bombarded by evil thoughts of things I’ve done and seen from the past. It is my will that these things are removed from my mind and conscience once and for all. I want to do Your will, but these distractions cause me to drift from You. So Lord, come and heal me both body and soul. Give unto me a clean and pure heart. I love You more than anything this world will give me. I trust in You. Do a work in me that has never been seen before. I believe this will happen. Amen.
