2 Samuel 23- 1 Kings 1, Luke 22:39-71
Good morning,
In yesterday's devotional we considered what it means to take a stand, what it means to be faithful. Christianity is all about faith, always has been and always will be.
Faith is best defined in Hebrews 11:1, I especially like the NKJV here: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen".
Faith is substance and is evidenced by things not seen, things not easily explainable.
For today's verse we'll go back to the book of Genesis to another famous chapter on faith. But we'll take a look and consider a verse that may not often be considered when reading this event. Abraham has just been told to go and offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. As they are preparing to leave the other men, Abraham speaks to them.
Gen 22:5 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." NKJV
John MacArthur writes, "The three day journey afforded much time of reflection upon God's commands but, without wavering or questioning the morality of human sacrifice or the purposes of God. Abraham confidently assured his servants of his and Isaac's return and went ahead with the arrangements for the sacrifice. Hebrews 11:17-19 reveals that he was so confident in the permanence of God's promise, that he believed if Isaac were to be killed, God would raise him from the dead, or God would provide a substitute for Isaac (v.8)"
Think back on the opening verse, Hebrews 11:1. "Faith is the substance", Abraham put his full weight, everything he had on his faith in God. His hope was that he'd have his son back. He didn't know how, but in hope, in faith he believed. His telling his servants that they would return displayed this hope and was evidenced by what Abraham could not see, that is how God would accomplish this. But he acted on his faith and went on his way, God's way.
At the last, the right moment, God provided a ram for the sacrifice. Abraham gave a name to the place "The Lord Will Provide".
Gen 22:14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the Lord will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
Is there a time and place in your life when you placed your trust in God in a situation where you did not see a way out of a situation, but moved forward in faith, and God provided? Take some time today to remember that time and place, may it encourage you to step out the next time.
From there they went back and told the men what had happened , what a testimony, and they went to Beersheba, "The Well of the Oath".
May God provide for you in your time of need as you trust in Him.
In Christ,
Mike
Gen 22:1-19
Abraham's Faith Tested
22 Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called.
"Yes," he replied. "Here I am."
2 "Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you."
3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the servants. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back."
6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"We have the fire and the wood," the boy said, "but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"
8 "God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son," Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!"
12 "Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son."
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the Lord will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 "This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me." NLT
22 Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called.
"Yes," he replied. "Here I am."
2 "Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you."
3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the servants. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back."
6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"We have the fire and the wood," the boy said, "but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"
8 "God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son," Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!"
12 "Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son."
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the Lord will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 "This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me." NLT
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