Advent - Day 17
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.â€
Genesis 22:2
Full Readings: Genesis 22:1–14, Matthew 3:13–17
As a Dad, I find it unthinkable that I would ever do something so horrendous as sacrifice my child. It sends shivers down my spine. Can you imagine Abraham’s predicament? The Almighty God He loves and trusts, the God who has destroyed Sodom and given Abraham a child in impossible circumstances, now tells him to sacrifice the child.
What would you do? Let’s not go too far down that path.
Because it’s not the point. You will never need to sacrifice your own child. Neither did Abraham. If you haven’t read the whole passage, spoiler alert, at the last moment God substitutes Isaac with a ram.
But of course, the power and the pain of this event is prefiguring what will come later. When God will sacrifice His only Son for the sake of others. Some have called it cosmic child abuse, but God calls it love and here is why it is.
One thing that is often missed in the Genesis 22 account is that at any time, Isaac could have overpowered Abraham. Abraham is an old man by this time, into his 100’s, Isaac is most likely in his teens - a strapping lad who could have fought. But the sense is that Isaac trusts his Father and goes willingly to be sacrificed.
Because God so loved the world He sent His Son and because the Son loved His Father and His people, He went willingly to the cross to die as a substitute for sinners. From crib to cross - that’s love.
For Today:
Pray:
Genesis 22:2
Full Readings: Genesis 22:1–14, Matthew 3:13–17
As a Dad, I find it unthinkable that I would ever do something so horrendous as sacrifice my child. It sends shivers down my spine. Can you imagine Abraham’s predicament? The Almighty God He loves and trusts, the God who has destroyed Sodom and given Abraham a child in impossible circumstances, now tells him to sacrifice the child.
What would you do? Let’s not go too far down that path.
Because it’s not the point. You will never need to sacrifice your own child. Neither did Abraham. If you haven’t read the whole passage, spoiler alert, at the last moment God substitutes Isaac with a ram.
But of course, the power and the pain of this event is prefiguring what will come later. When God will sacrifice His only Son for the sake of others. Some have called it cosmic child abuse, but God calls it love and here is why it is.
One thing that is often missed in the Genesis 22 account is that at any time, Isaac could have overpowered Abraham. Abraham is an old man by this time, into his 100’s, Isaac is most likely in his teens - a strapping lad who could have fought. But the sense is that Isaac trusts his Father and goes willingly to be sacrificed.
Because God so loved the world He sent His Son and because the Son loved His Father and His people, He went willingly to the cross to die as a substitute for sinners. From crib to cross - that’s love.
For Today:
- What have you sacrificed for the sake of others?
- Do you see and know Christ’s love for you?
- How should we respond to God’s love?
Pray:
- Praise the Father for His glorious love.
- Give thanks for Jesus Christ for His willingness to go to the cross for us.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others respond with love and sacrifice.
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