“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’
‘Here I am,’ he answered.
‘Take your son,’ He said, ‘your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.’
So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship: then we’ll come back to you.’
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.
Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, ‘My father.’
And he replied, ‘Here I am, my son.’
Isaac said, ‘The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’
Abraham answered, ‘God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ Then the two of them walked on together.
When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’
He replied, ‘Here I am.’
Then He said, ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.’
Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns.
So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham named that place The LORD Will Provide…”
-Genesis 22:1-14
Message
As the Advent season progresses, we see that the story of the birth of Jesus is just the beginning of the greatest sacrifice God would ever make for His people, and for all people. In this passage from Genesis we see that God provided a foreshadowing of the price to be paid for all mankind. He asked Abraham to do the impossible! To sacrifice his only son! Abraham followed God’s lead and went as commanded, knowing that either the LORD would provide a replacement or He would accept Isaac as an offering. God did exactly that same thing 33 and a half years after the First Advent. He gave His Only Son as a sacrifice for us. Because of this sacrifice, we have the Hope of the Second Advent.
I wanted to point out this foreshadowing that is shown to us in Genesis so that we could understand that God does not leave us without promise. Abraham knew that God had promised him a family with great numbers. He also knew that God would provide the sacrifice needed for the burnt offering. God promises us that Jesus will return and establish His kingdom among us. We can hold to that promise even if we do not see how it will come about. We have Hope!
Prayer
Dear LORD and Heavenly Father,
We ask that You hold to Your promise of Hope. We trust in Your Word and want to be used by You in ways that we will never understand. Like Abraham, we stand ready to give everything You have provided for service to You. We know that You provide for the sacrifice, and trust that Your promises will come to pass. It is in You that we find our Hope! And it is in the name of Your Only Son, Jesus that we pray.
