October 11, 2026

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“When they reached the place God had shone him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!‘ ‘Here I am,’ he replied.” (Genesis 22.9-11)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Foreshadowing of the Messianic Promise ahead!

Over the past three days, I have brought to your attention out of the story found in Genesis 22 of Abraham’s test of faith, phrases that are seen looking backward from the story of the death and crucifixion of Jesus, God’s only begotten Son. Abraham was called by God to offer his only son as a burnt offering. The phrases, if you don’t recall are: “early in the morning;” “he chopped the wood;” “on the third day;” “carrying of the wood for sacrifice” and “he was led as a lamb to slaughter but uttered not a word.“

Except we know that Jesus Christ did utter a word. It was a word not to His accusers or executioners, however. They were the ones “leading a lamb [The Lamb of God] to slaughter.” He had accepted the way of the cross in the early morning hours before His trial and sentencing. In fervent prayer, Jesus declared, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not My will but Yours be done.” It was not a declaration of hopeless resignation. It was a powerful submission to the course of His life set forth from the beginning when in the Garden of Eden, God sacrificed a lamb, or two, to cover the “sin” of Adam and Eve for their transgression against the Word of God. That sacrifice was made by God for their sake. It was the template of how those who would affirm themselves as the people of God would be saved. In the succeeding years to follow in the course of Israel’s spiritual history, lambs would be sacrificed to remember God’s saving mercy. We hear this again in Paul’s testimony to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12.9a) ““My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Yes, mighty ones of God, God’s power was perfectly revealed by the extension of His grace; first to Adam and Eve and down through the generations to us. We see that perfection without question at the cross on Golgotha’s hill where Jesus was sacrificed for our sake. We know “…that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5.8)

Why was Isaac then to be sacrificed? Was it to atone for the sins of Abraham who continued to follow but fall short of the glory of God? Was it to bring blessing to the land which God had shown Abraham that would belong to those who followed after him? Or was it simply that “test of faith” as many call it to demonstrate Abraham’s sincerity to follow God’s will for his life? Regardless of what the reason or purpose may have been (it existed between Abraham and God), Isaac’s only words were “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” It must have been on his mind from the time they left home and along every step of the journey to Moriah. He must have wondered if they would finally pick out the best lamb for sacrifice from his father’s flocks along the way. The time came, however, when all available options he knew of had ceased to manifest themselves. From that point forward, we do not hear a word from Isaac. He put his trust in his father who told him “God will provide.” How he must have wondered, however, as the altar was prepared, the wood set in place, he was bound to the altar as the torch burned near at hand and as his father removed the knife from its sheath and was drawn to his throat to be slit so that he would bleed out as he had seen lambs before him, “What exactly will God provide?” We do not hear a word from him. Were his eyes closed so that he would not see what his ears told him was happening? Were his eyes closed praying to God for provision or else he would die? Did he bargain in his spirit with God for an answer as to why? Did he stare intently into his father’s eyes watching every step and wondering how this was going to be different from all the other sacrifices he would have witnessed at his father’s side? We simply do not know. The story is not about Isaac at this point. The story is about Abraham being faithful to his calling and faithful to the task before him- to offer the only son to God as a burnt offering.

The only words we hear at this point are the words of intervention. The voice from Heaven cried out, “Abraham! Abraham!” It was with a sense of urgency that the voice from Heaven spoke. This says to me that Abraham, though covered with fear and dread and question, was intent to complete the task and confirm his calling to be faithful to God alone. This was not a casual moment. Abraham had to think “if I don’t just do it, I never will.” It was not as if Abraham had never taken a life. He had. He had done so in service and in sacrifice; both intending and attending. Now he intended to attend to the call of God to do that which he did not want to do but knew he had to… “not my will but Yours be done.” He must have uttered some similar thought with every step he took in taking Isaac to Moriah. He was convincing himself this was a good and right thing to do. All the while he was challenged in his heart, mind and spirit. He had to be. He had to also be resolved. He was. The knife was pulled, the blade exposed and it was pressing down on Isaac’s carotid artery nearly drawing blood from his flesh before he would release it from his body. He may have bargained with God himself as if to say “not his life but mine be done.” But the promise was made with Abraham and not Isaac. This was the moment of truth. There was nothing more for Isaac to say. It had to be Abraham. And in that moment of truth with the pressing of the blade, the Angel of the Lord cried out. Abraham’s steady hand began to shake. His resolve was disappearing and he responded “Here I am.” Abraham had come full circle from when God first gave the command (22.1) God had not left. Abraham was present. The word was given and received. Abraham showed his faithfulness to God and to Isaac. God did indeed provide.

He will provide for us as well in the moment of our greatest need. We must simply trust in Him in all things and act accordingly.

TODAYS’ PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness endeavor, but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.