Persons: Isaac
Theme/Event: Offering of Isaac
Symbol: Ram
How excited Abraham was to have his son, Isaac. Abraham and Sarah had waited all those years and God had fulfilled His promise and given them a son. We always need to be careful when God gives us a wonderful gift that we do not love the gift more than we love God. We may get many gifts this season, but we must always remember to put God first in our lives. God tested Abraham’s obedience and Abraham’s love for God.
Genesis 22:1-19
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
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.”
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. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 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.”
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. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
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. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
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.”
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. 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.”
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— 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. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Abraham obeyed God without question and in absolute faith. Abraham showed the world through his faith that God can be trusted with those things that are most precious to us. God rewarded Abraham for his obedience and his faith. God provided the sacrifice, a ram. God blessed Abraham with many more descendants and told him that through his seed, or descendants, that all the nations of the earth would be blessed. One of the ways that all nations would be blessed is when God’s only Son Jesus would be sacrificed for us, giving us eternal life with Him forever. God was showing us His plan through the story of Abraham and Isaac. That is the blessing we are celebrating this Christmas season.
Questions:
• Why is it so important to give God first place in our life?
• Did Abraham obey God, even when it was hard?
• How did God reward Abraham?
Prayer: Dear God, help us to always put you first in our lives. Thank you that You always keep Your promises.
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