"Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place, The Lord Will Provide; as it is said to this day, 'In the Mount of the LORD it will be provided."
One of the most gripping stories in all of scripture is the story of Abraham's response to God's call to sacrifice his "promised" son, Isaac. Though this act could only be fully understood in that time and culture, its emotion can be appreciated in any time and culture. Galvanized by hard lessons, so great was Abraham's faith, commitment and confidence in his LORD now that, even in the turmoil of unanswered questions, he knew his God would make a way of escape. Even if it had to be a resurrection! The writer to the Hebrews says, "By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Issac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son...He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead..." (11:17-19 NASB). And, from this gripping act of raw faith, we are blessed with the best of the story, giving us a lesson in the provision of God like we will never forget. And hundreds of years later, when our Father gave His only begotten Son, we can see and feel the incredible depths of this provision on our own behalf. Aren't you glad to belong to this God and to a God like this? Does your faith allow for the best of the story?
One of the most gripping stories in all of scripture is the story of Abraham's response to God's call to sacrifice his "promised" son, Isaac. Though this act could only be fully understood in that time and culture, its emotion can be appreciated in any time and culture. Galvanized by hard lessons, so great was Abraham's faith, commitment and confidence in his LORD now that, even in the turmoil of unanswered questions, he knew his God would make a way of escape. Even if it had to be a resurrection! The writer to the Hebrews says, "By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Issac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son...He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead..." (11:17-19 NASB). And, from this gripping act of raw faith, we are blessed with the best of the story, giving us a lesson in the provision of God like we will never forget. And hundreds of years later, when our Father gave His only begotten Son, we can see and feel the incredible depths of this provision on our own behalf. Aren't you glad to belong to this God and to a God like this? Does your faith allow for the best of the story?
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