So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
Without reading verses 1 and 2, this verse might look like an early “Take your son to work day.” It is perfectly normal at first glance except that the task at hand is to sacrifice Isaac to God, something so abhorrent to our sensibilities and seemingly, God’s. Yet Abraham, matter of factly, obeyed the command with no question or hesitation. He passed the test God laid before him and would be blessed as God promised. His faith would be counted to him as righteousness.
Come to Cape Community Church tomorrow and see how this is far more than a test of Abraham’s faith. It is that but it is also another chance for Moses to anticipate for his readers the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We saw Christ in chapter 3 and here in chapter 22, we get more detail about what kind of “Offspring” he will be. He will be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But first the wood had to be cut.
Dear Lord, thank you for the cross, the rough hewn wood that held the sacrifice you previewed in Genesis 22 with Abraham and Isaac. May we pass the test and believe the promise you have made us, that of life, not death. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church