Abraham and Isaac

Genesis 22:2 - 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."

There's a short and intense story in the Book of Genesis. It's about Abraham and his son Isaac. God has promised Abraham much...a covenant between He and Abraham, to make him the father of many nations, to bless him and his family (including all descendants) and Abraham had so much faith it was counted to him as righteousness.

God tested Abraham several times. Abraham didn't always past the test but he still held favor with God. He will do that with us too.

The biggest test was when God wanted Abraham to sacrifice his son. Let's look at the similarity between what God asked Abraham to do and what God did and what He asked Jesus to do. Sacrifice is big in God's eyes. It's not about us but about Him. It's sacrificing our ways for His. It's pressing on in faith and letting go of the past, which can be a sacrifice if we want to cling to what we are holding on to. 

Back to Abraham and Isaac. God had promised Abraham that through his son Isaac he would become the father of many nations. So why is it he is asked to sacrifice him? Had he done something wrong? Had God reneged on His promise? He was told to take Isaac into the mountains. He, Isaac and a couple servants, took wood for the sacrifice and proceeded on their trek. Isaac had no clue. Here's where it gets eerily familiar. On the third day they saw the spot God had pointed out. Abraham told his servants to wait while they went up the mountain to build an altar and worship. He told them, "We will come back to you." This takes a lot of faith to believe...we will come back.

Abraham put the wood on Isaac's back and they walked to the place where they were to make their sacrifice. Normally a lamb would be used for the offering. There was none to be seen and Isaac questioned his father about it. Abraham told him God would provide. By faith he was making this statement. Maybe he knew the words "nothing is impossible with God." What happens when God asks us to do something so seemingly impossible? Do we  have that kind of faith?

When they had reached their spot, Abraham built the altar. He bound his son and put him upon the wood. He took out a knife and raised it to make the offering of his only son for God. Before I finish, note that Isaac did not say a word, did not cry out, did not object. What could have been going through his mind? What could he have been thinking about what his father was doing? He never said a word. He might also have realized the statement "nothing is impossible with God," and that there was a very good reason for all this even if he didn't know what that could be and if it meant his death, so be it. 

Does any of this sound familiar? What about Jesus? Didn't God sacrifice His only Son? Didn't Jesus silently carry the wooden cross up to the place of His crucifixion and placed upon that cross? Did Jesus trust His Father, not knowing what would transpire after His death, that it might be for a very good reason? You know, it was for a very good reason...it was for you and for me, that we might be reconciled to the Father through His Son, Jesus, and that we would put our trust and faith in Him. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 

As Abraham's hand was lifted, the Angel of the Lord called out to him: "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." (Genesis 22:12) With that a ram appeared, caught in a bush, which was then used to present the necessary sacrifice.

I'm seeing similarities I've not noticed before. They are meanings to some numbers. I see "third day" and think of the three years Jesus ministered before His death. And on the third day He arose from the dead. It was a three days' journey to the place of sacrifice and also the third day when the sacrifice of Abraham's son was aborted...and Jesus (as we are) was born, died and resurrected to a new life. The number three can also be seen in numerous other instances, like the Trinity or Peter denying Jesus three times. 

We are asked to sacrifice ourselves when we follow the Lord. We are to die daily that we might do the will of God. We are asked to take up our cross daily. We are told that if we lose our life (sacrifice) we will be saved. 

Abraham and Isaac, God and Jesus...they all were willing to sacrifice. But the greatest sacrifice was the true Sacrifice. He carried His cross and was placed upon it for all of us. It makes sense that we would want to sacrifice for the love of our God, who provided a Way for us to live. That's where God desires followers to be in their walk. Have I achieved this? I know I'm not there. We don't ever achieve perfection. Perfection is when we see Jesus face to face in heaven because we have run the race and never lost our faith in the Son. 

Nothing in this world is nearly as important as Jesus. No job, no spouse, no hobby, no home. If Jesus is in our hearts and He plays an important role in our lives, that's what's important. That's the first step toward sacrifice. Climbing to the altar to offer up your self, your life, in the name of Jesus.

2Corinthians 5:15 - and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. ‭

Longing and Belonging

Corinthians 3:23 - And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. 

Our God not only desires we belong to Him but He longs that we belong. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (‭2Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬)

Just as Christ is God's Son, when we receive Jesus we become adopted heirs in the inheritance, children of God. We are Christ's and because He is God's, so are we. It comes through Christ alone. His Son loved Him so much He gave His life for the forgiveness of our sins. When we come to repentance and receive Christ, we are forgiven. 

The story of Abraham has intrigued me for years since I realized the importance of his two sons. God covenanted with Abraham that his descendants would be too numerous to count, greater than the number of stars he could see. One problem, Sarah was beyond child bearing years. But God promised...!

They took the situation into their own hands, however, figuring they had missed something somewhere. They went ahead of God's timing and devised their own plan, that Sarah's handmaid would bear Abraham a son. But this son, Ishmael, was not to be the rightful heir in this proposed and covenanted line of descendants. Years later, after Sarah was over 100 years old, she conceived and bore Abraham another son, Isaac.

Isaac would be the rightful heir and in the line of the descendant of Christ, who would play such an important role in later history. Not Ishmael, although he was the descendant of another great nation. Sarah's hand maid was not of their heritage; she was Egyptian, a foreigner. There began a contention between the two brothers, perhaps more from Ishmael than Isaac. The descendants of Ishmael have held this contention toward Isaac's descendants ever since...as we see in the news today between Islam and the Jews and Christians, nearly everyone. A description of Ishmael: He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him...(‭Genesis‬ ‭16‬:‭12‬).

But we, Jew or Gentile, any race or color, who have received Jesus, who call themselves Christ followers, are part of that very covenant and promise of God to Abraham. We are grafted into the lineage through our faith in Jesus Christ. We receive Him, we are co-heirs. What a privilege. It still brings some contention with those who do not agree with our beliefs, but we can know and trust in God's covenant. And when we are Christ's, we are God's. That's good news. 

Galatians 3:27-29 - For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

Away With Death and the Grave

Hosea 13:14 - "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction. Pity is hidden from My eyes."

This blog was actually created awhile back. I never tweaked it to publish! It's now been tweaked.

I was dwelling on the story of Abraham and Sarah in my mind. I was going over the so interesting story of how through Abraham's son he would become the father of many nations, as would Sarah become the mother of many nations.

Even through Abraham and Sarah's disobedience, two nations were born...two great nations, with so many descendants. God provided, God promised and it came to be. Sarah's maid servant Hagar bore Ishmael with Abraham and Sarah and Abraham bore Isaac. A tale of two sons, two nations.

I got to thinking about Hagar. She was Egyptian. So Ishmael was part Egyptian. Then I thought about how Ishmael was disgruntled to say the least, jealous for sure, that he would not receive the inheritance as the first born. That privilege went to Isaac as Abraham and Sarah's son, the rightful inheritor...in God's eyes. He told Abraham and Sarah the inheritance would be through their son...not Sarah's maidservant's.

My thoughts bounced to the plagues in Egypt and how there will be plagues that will take place in the last days, imitating those of the Old Testament. 

Just like Hagar was maidservant to a Jewish household, so the Jewish people, Israel, we're enslaved in Egypt. The plagues took place to open the eyes of Egypt to an all powerful God.  But He kept hardening Pharaoh's heart until Pharaoh finally couldn't stand all the harassment and told Moses to let his people and go...get out of here and worship your God. Leave us be.

There are three things all tied together. Maybe I'm off my rocker but this is what is see:

Ishmael was in the line of descendants of the Middle Eastern people. He was the descendant of Mohammed, today's Muslims. The animosity he had toward Isaac has been passed down through the subsequent generations. There has been a recent rise in the tensions between Islam and Christianity.

At church one night we were discussing Chapter 16 in Revelation talking about the plagues that will come upon us in the last days before Christ returns. It is believed that the anti-Christ will be born out of the Middle East. There will still be animosity against Christians which will only get worse.

As an aside, being in Christ before these days will be helpful. It will help people to understand better what is in store because of the wisdom and power the Holy Spirit has in the lives of Christ followers. We will understand that our lives are secure in Christ for those last days, no matter what happens.

The plagues...Egypt. If Ishmael, a descendant of Mohammed, had jealousy and hatred for Isaac--the rightful heir AND descendant of Christ--what we are going to see in the last days is a repeat of what happened back in Exodus.

We were shown that night in Revelation that when these plagues, which will be different and by far more horrendous (if there's a word worse than horrendous, use it) occur, they will be done to again reveal God's awesome power and might. His judgment will be upon those left on earth at this time. But, like Pharaoh, these people's hearts will be hardened also against God/Jesus, despite all these plagues. They will only curse Him; His name will be blasphemed, and they will be left to their own desires...and eternal death. They still will not believe.

This time there will be no letting up. No one whose heart is hardened will survive. All believers, however, will have been exonerated and taken away.

What I see and consider is the attitudes of many, not all, Muslims for Christians and Jews. It is going to become a "my way or the highway" lifestyle, often ending in death to those who will not bow down to worship their god, Allah. Ishmael would not have anything to do with his honest heir brother then; it has not changed and will not change. The world's hatred is growing. There is more and more unrest. People want to kill people just because they don't like them...and that goes for all people in the world. What IS the matter with us? There will never be peace in this world as we would like to see it...until Jesus returns.

The question I ask is will you be ready? Can you stand against the forces of evil on your own or do you want supernatural strength? It's the whole reason Jesus came...to take us out of harm's way, to ensure in us an everlasting life. Can you truly say you are in that place? It is an individual decision to make. Jesus provides a way. And then we will see that He will destroy the very last enemy...that of death (1Corinthians 15:26). Revelation 20 tells us this also: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

We can avoid this death. It's what it means to be saved. We shouldn't look at that word and cringe, but embrace the meaning of it. It means you are born again...from the physical birth to spiritual one. The physical will pass away but the spiritual will live on. It's a choice we make.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." John 3:16, Romans 10:9-11