Day 19 – Genesis 22-24

Talking Points

• Chapter 22 is a loaded chapter! God calls to and “tests” Abraham. He gives him exact instructions for the sacrifice of his beloved son, Isaac. In an act foreshadowing the Cross, Abraham offers his son in great faith. God, however, provides a substitute — a lamb. You can almost hear John the Baptist cry out, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus is the Lamb provided by God. Abraham called the place, “the Lord will provide.” It would be in this same mountain region where Jesus would be offered up as the Sacrifice for our sin.

• Some questions come to mind:
  Does God still test people in this manner?
  What produced that type of faith in Abraham?

• Sarah dies and Abraham buries her in a cave that he purchased. Isaac is given instructions not to intermarry with the Canaanites and is told that God would supernaturally identify his wife. He does, and Isaac marries Rebekah. The Bibles says he “loved” her. The Hebrew word for this translates to “dearly love” or “adore”. What a great blessing for them both! Isaac adored the wife God provided for him.

• God’s nature revealed again — Jehovah Jireh!

Thoughts

“I would like to have that kind of faith.” The thought has rolled through my mind more than once. Watching some faithful person respond in a way that I wish I would, I think, “Man, I’d like to have that kind of faith!” And, as sure as I think it, it’s almost like it is not attainable — like it is too lofty a goal. I wonder how they have such faith. And, why don’t I?

Reading this account of Abraham, I come to that same conclusion — I’d like to have faith like that. But, now that, for sure, is too lofty a goal! To obey to the point you would sacrifice your own son? No, that’s not me. Are we supposed to just marvel at the faith of Abraham, or is a faith like that a possibility, even for us?

Here is the truth — God is worthy of all our trust. Whether we believe it or not, whether we can see it or not, He is completely worthy of all our trust! That is the fact. That is not in question. Abraham could trust Him. Our faithful friends, whom we admire, can trust Him. And…we can trust Him. The trick, then, becomes our hearts and minds being totally settled in that fact. So, how does that happen? It happens in knowing God. As we grow in our knowledge of God, our ability to see and believe His worthiness of our trust grows, too. May we yearn to know God to a greater extent. May He be honored by our growing trust. He is worthy!