Sept. 16-20 - The Sacrifice of the Son

This week I would like to focus on Genesis 22, which is the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. Except of course he didn’t actually sacrifice Isaac because God in His mercy provided another way. Right off the bat looking at the story as a whole we can see Jesus in this. Humankind’s sinful nature and rebellion against God means that we all deserve death, but God provided another way, his only son Jesus.

Isaac is also referred to regularly as Abraham’s only son. Now we know that Abraham did have another son, Ishmael, but Isaac was the son of the promise to Abraham and Sarah, he was their heir, and so he is referred to as the only son. This is the son that God commanded Abraham to sacrifice. In the same way it wasn’t just anyone that was sacrificed for our sins, it had to be Jesus, God’s only son.

We see even more similarities in other details of the story, Isaac carried the wood on his back on which he would be sacrificed up the mountain. Jesus likewise had to carry the cross on which he would be sacrificed. How about that sacrificial ram too? Provided by God with it’s horns caught in a thicket, very much like the crown of thorns which Jesus wore.

The result of this story is a promise from God that because Abraham had not withheld his only son, his offspring would be countless and all the nations of the earth would be blessed by them. God also did not withhold his only son Jesus, which not only provides salvation but also fulfills the promise to Abraham. Paul says in Galatians 3:29 “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” How countless have been Abraham’s offspring through faith? The Good News has been and is being spread all over the world, how blessed the nations have been and will be!

It is so encouraging to be able to see not only how God’s promises were fulfilled in scripture, but how even today they are continuing to be fulfilled. As of 2015 there were an estimated 2.2 Billion Christians in the world, approximately 10 000 people groups have been reached with the gospel and the Bible is available in 683 different languages, praise be to God!