Through the Bible - Genesis 25-29, Matthew 10
Good morning,
If you're reading through the Old Testament you've recently been reading about the life of Abraham. He came to realize the truth of this verse:
Gen 18:14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, NKJV
The other day I quoted C.S. Lewis statement "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains". It is fitting for today's devotional as well where we go to Genesis chapter 22.
Abraham had followed God, he had left Ur, a thriving, Godless city, to follow the Lord. Now his faith is being challenged to the utmost. He is asked to sacrifice his son, his only son. At the last moment God shouted to him and stopped him.
Gen 22:11 At that moment the Angel of God shouted to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Yes, Lord!" he answered.
12 "Lay down the knife; don't hurt the lad in any way," the Angel said, "for I know that God is first in your life-you have not withheld even your beloved son from me." TLB
or from the NKJV
or from the NKJV
Gen 22:11 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."
What did God's shout reveal about God? What did Abraham find out about God?
When my daughter Laurie was little she was once asked in school what her dad did. She didn't know my title or actually what it was exactly that I did for a living, so she answered, "my dad fixes things". She had seen me fix things around the house, sew a new zipper on a jacket, or put a band aid on an "ouie". It was a natural response.
We can be come very self confindent in our abilities to fix things. But there comes a time in our lives, like in our son Jeff's car accident where he suffered his brain injury, or our son Jason being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, where we realize that we cannot fix things. In these times we must rely and trust in God and His mercy in faith.
In Jeff's circumstance, I was travelling when I received word of his accident, Jean was on her way to the hospital while Jeff was air lifted in. Calling the hospital before Jean arrived I asked if they could tell me word about my son. All they would tell me was, get here as soon as possible, they would not tell me if he was alive or dead. I feared the worst for a couple of hours while driving. He was left in God's hands. Jeff obviously survived but with lasting complications and ramifications.
I have other friends and family members whose children have been taken from them. It is in these times that we feel that God is shouting at us. Sometimes these circumstance, these shouts, will draw us to him,(maybe not initially, but eventually). Others will turn away from Him.
Abraham was asked to offer up his son, his only son. Pagans following after other gods in Old Testament times did offer up their sons, their children to the "gods". People do so today in some respect, offering up their children to abortion in order to make more money, or because it would mean they'd have to give up "things" and change their lives.
Reading in Genesis we see how Abraham "fixed" many things over the years (often not the way he should have) but he couldn't "fix" this one, he could not come up with a solution, he thought he would have to offer up his son, but God would not allow Abraham to go through with it. His shout, showed His love for Abraham. God offered His Son for us. How could He do so? He knew that He would arise, bringing salvation to those who will believe and glory to His name.
My Bible reading this morning brought me to Psalm 100 which begins with - "Make a joyful shout to the Lord", and ends with (v.5)" For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations" The commentary in the Nelson Study Bible states "The shout of the goodness of God is buttressed by an appeal to His mercy and His truth.... God's goodness is based on His loyal love and His truth."
If our children, our spouses, and parents know the Saviour, through Christ, we can know by faith that one day, they will rise, we will all rise, we will once again be united and will "Shout to the Lord" in praise for this truth in what He has done for us.
In Christ,
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.
T
NKJV
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