Sarah gave birth to her firstborn son Isaac when she was 90 years old. She said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” “She also said, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.’” Jesus Christ descended from Issac’s family tree. [2]
Abraham and Sarah were the happy parents of a boy for whom they waited many years.
Then, one day, God said to Abraham, “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]
Though Abraham had waited so long to have a son, and though he loved his son dearly, he obeyed the Lord. God had told Abraham that he would have many descendants. He believed the Lord would keep His promise even if he slew his son. Abraham told his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” When Isaac asked about a lamb for the burnt offering, Abraham told Isaac, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” [4]
A ram appeared at that moment, and Abraham sacrificed it to the Lord, but God also provided His own dear Son to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. [5]
The writer of Hebrews wrote of Abraham’s faith, saying, “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.” [6]
Abraham believed in the resurrection of the dead, but the Lord stopped him from killing his son. The Lord said to Abraham, “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.” [7]
“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. 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.’” [8]
“Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 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—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. In your Seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.’” [9]
The Seed in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed is Jesus Christ. In Christ, sins are forgiven. In Christ, we are clothed with righteousness. In Christ, we receive the blessed Holy Spirit who helps us to live by faith in God, and thus, we see and experience the glory of God.
“Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of One, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” [10]
[1] Genesis 20:1-7
[2] Genesis 17:17; 21:1, 6-7; Matthew 1:2
[3] Genesis 22:1-2
[4] Genesis 22:5, 8
[5] John 1:29
[6] Hebrews 11:17-19
[7] Genesis 22:11-12
[8] Genesis 22:13-14
[9] Genesis 22:15-18
[10] Galatians 3:16, 29
No comments:
Post a Comment