Sacrifices (Part 2 of 2)

Yesterday, we looked at Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own son in order to follow God's command. If you didn't read it and you aren't very familiar with the story, you should go back and read it now. We're going to pick up in Genesis 22:11-12, where we see the angel of the Lord stop Abraham from sacrificing his son. Abraham didn't have to kill his son. God knew the intention of Abraham's heart, and that he would have sacrificed his son to serve God.

And now, in Genesis 22:13, we see the faith that Abraham had exhibited in Genesis 22:8 paying off. Abraham finds a ram stuck in a thicket. There's another recurring theme here, though, that we should be aware of: a sacrifice still had to be made. The angel didn't just stop Abraham from sacrificing his son, and they just go on home. There was a replacement sacrifice offered in place of Isaac. This is very much symbolic of the way that God provided His Son to die in place of us, the Lamb of God, that we wouldn't have to die for our sins.

In Genesis 22:14, we see Abraham give a name to the place, and it's a phrase that we hear from time to time. He called it Jehovahjireh (Genesis 22:14 KJV (KJV)), which interpreted means "The Lord Will Provide". The Lord provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac, and because of Abraham's complete obedience, He makes him another promise in Genesis 22:15-18. Our complete obedience to God will never lose us more than we gain. Sometimes it may seem like we're following God, and we're going to lose everything that's important to us, everything we hold dear.

Remember that no matter what we're tasked with, we need to do it in faith believing that God will provide for us. If we do that, we will be blessed. Jehovahjireh, The Lord Will Provide!