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Daily Devotion: Genesis 22:6-8

Genesis 22:6-8    "And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together."

God had commanded Abraham to take his son Isaac into the mountain that He would show him. When he got there, he was told that he was to offer Isaac as a burnt offering unto the LORD. God had made Abraham a promise that he would be a blessing to all nations. Even though Isaac’s birth was miraculous, the birth of the true promised seed (Jesus) was even more so. 

Abraham believed God’s promise that his seed would be called (come from) the lineage of Isaac. Knowing that, Abraham was fully convinced that both he and Isaac would return from that place of sacrifice. Abraham was fully prepared to take Isaac’s life as evidenced by the fact that he had the fire and the knife in his hand. Isaac bore the burden of the wood for the burnt offering, and they went together to make this sacrifice. The sacrifice was to be burnt (completely consumed) and made by Abraham’s own hand. 

God the Father loved His only begotten Son and witnessed that He was well pleased with Him (Matthew 3:17). He declared that Jesus was His beloved Son and told us to listen to Him (Matthew 17:5). Jesus taught that the things He said, He heard from the Father (John 12:48-50). He did the things He had seen the Father do (John 5:19). Just as Abraham and Isaac went together to make this sacrifice, God the Father and God the Son went together to make the sacrifice for our sins.

Verse eight tells us of the great love that God has for us. Abraham was blessed to declare in prophesy that “God will provide himself a lamb.” Notice that Abrham did not say God would provide FOR himself a lamb. What is the difference? God, in the person of Jesus Christ (as the son of man) would become the sacrifice. There could be no substitute.

Even though he fully expected to offer up Isaac, Abraham also fully expected to return with his son alive. This is why he told his servants that he and Isaac would go up into the mountain to worship, and then they would return. Jesus promised that He had power to lay down His life, and He had power to take it up again. The sacrifice that Jesus offered to His Father was accepted by His Father. We know this to be true because He walked out of the tomb alive forever more, just like He said!

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