Year 2 day 239

Year 2 Day 239


Pray (ACts)


Read - Genesis 22


Message - Scott Woodburn
It has been said about Genesis 22 “So long as men live in this world, they will turn to this story with unwaning interest. There is only one scene in history by which it is surpassed; that where the Great Father gave His Isaac to a death from which there was no deliverance.”


This is a famous chapter and one that captures our interest. This is the chapter where we hear the Lord’s command for Abraham to take his only son Isaac and sacrifice him upon a mountain in the land of Moriah (v2) and it is a chapter where we see the extraordinary faith of Abraham.


He had waited years for the birth of his son Isaac. You can imagine how he would have loved and cherished and adored his child and yet at the command of God Abraham rose and began his journey to the mountain where he would take his son’s life. What on earth was going on?


Scripture interprets Scripture and later in Hebrews the Apostle shines Gospel light on Abraham’s dark day. We read in Hebrews 11v17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”


Faith is a receiving and resting in Christ as He is offered in the Gospel. The Gospel had been preached to Abraham (Galatians 3v8), he believed it and it was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham had received and rested in Christ and therefore he knew whatever God commanded was right. If it was the Lord’s will for Abraham to kill his only son, then it must be for good. If it was the Lord’s will for Isaac to die, then Abraham believed that God could raise him from the dead.


We have seen that Abraham was no perfect man but on that day long ago, by faith, he raised a knife to kill his son at the Lord’s command. Now of course the Lord does not require human sacrifice, indeed to God such an action is an abomination. So what we see here is the refining of Abraham’s faith and it was proved to be pure gold. As he lifted his eyes he saw that the Lord provided a ram as a substitute for the sacrifice (v13).


The Gospel is everywhere in this chapter. If Abraham was anguished at the death of his son, we can only imagine the anguish of the Father as Christ was nailed to the cross. If Abraham rejoiced to hear Christ (THE angel of the Lord) telling him to stop, we can only imagine the horror of Calvary when no voice stopped the cross. If Abraham journeyed to the mountain to sacrifice his only son, we marvel as Christ willingly makes his way to Golgotha where He would be the sacrificed substitute.


In type and in shadow we see the glory of the Gospel in Genesis 22. Abraham believed that all the promises of God would come to pass and not even death could stop the Lord. We believe this too. The Lord does not require you to kill your child but from all people everywhere he requires repentance and faith. The one who has trusted in Christ will not be put to shame and by faith in Jesus not even death can rob us of our inheritance.


Jesus is the greater Isaac. He is the true sacrifice. He is the substitute for His sinful people. Hear Him today “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11v25-26)


Pray (acTS)


Sing

WSC
Q7 What are the decrees of God? The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.
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