Everyone who has read Genesis 22:1-14 or heard it preached becomes overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions as they consider the disbelief and the agony Abraham must have experienced as he heard the Lord say: “Take 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.”
How could the Lord request such a thing from a father? How could Abraham sacrifice his only son, the one the Lord had promised would be his heir? How could the Lord’s promise be fulfilled to multiply Abraham’s offspring as “the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore” if his only son were slain?
Regardless of his feelings, we see no evidence that Abraham hesitated to follow the Lord’s command. The next morning, he started on the three-day journey, taking Isaac, the wood, the fire, and the knife – all the necessary elements for the sacrifice. We also see no hesitancy on the part of Isaac, only a simple question: “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Abraham’s response to his son’s question, found in verse 8, is the key verse of this passage. His answer is a profound act of faith in and commitment to the Lord. “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Abraham knew Yahweh was true to His word, trustworthy in all things. Even though he could not fully understand the command, he could fully trust the Lord, His God. And, the Lord did provide! And, the Lord continues to provide!
This story is a stunning picture of what happens on Friday of this week—Good Friday. We remember our heavenly Father providing His only Son, the perfect Lamb of God, as the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world. God Himself makes provision, the only way, for us to return to Him.
He loved us so much that He gave His only Son that we might have life and have it in abundance. “For our sake He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)
In recent weeks, we have experienced unprecedented events in our lives. Such uncertainty could easily lead to fear, anxiety, and doubt or even a lack of faith in our Lord. When all else fails around us, when God seems to ask the impossible, remember that He is the Lord who provides. He provides for our salvation through Christ our Lord, and He continues to provide for our every need. His promises will last, He will hold me fast.
Listen to He Will Hold Me Fast. Spend time in prayer asking the Lord to remind you of all His promises. Thank Him for providing His only Son, Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.