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PAGE 21
Isaac
Abraham's Great Sacrifice
Take your son your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a brunt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.
(Bible Study Online Article Covers : Genesis 22:1-19)
Short Recap?
In the last article, we read about the oath that Abraham and Abimelech had made to each other after their two camps had fallen out. It was Abimelech's camp that had decided to take a water well that the two camps had been sharing.
Know that Abimelech's camp would employ tactics that involved force and intimidation. And because of this situation, the Sacred Record reveals that Abraham had become extremely angry. And make no mistake, when it comes to Abraham, Abimelech will pay close attention, for he knew that the Lord highly favored Abraham. And this is why we now find Abimelech riding out to meet with Abraham:
"At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, 'God is with you in everything you do. Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have shown to you.'" -- Genesis 21:22,23
And, of course, with Abraham being the type of person that he was, he would agree to honor Abimelech's request. However, it was also at this time that Abraham mentioned the incident with the water well to Abimelech. And after hearing what Abraham had to say about the incident. Abimelech claims that he was unaware of it. Nonetheless, Abimelech and Abraham would eventually make amends by taking an oath at a place that would later be known as "Beersheba the Well of the Oath."
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God Calls Out to Abraham
However, as we move forward, we now find ourselves reaching a point in Abraham's walk with God, where we see the Lord presenting Abraham with perhaps his greatest faith challenge to date. Know that God begins this "faith challenge test" by calling out to Abraham. And after hearing the voice of the Lord, Abraham answers: "Here I am."
Now it would be at this time, that God would give Abraham some very important instructions: "Take your son your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a brunt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." -- Genesis 22:2
So early the next morning, Abraham awoke and headed outside. It was at this time that he began to cut the wood he would need for the burnt offering that God had instructed him about the other day. Now, after Abraham had cut enough wood for his current task, he would saddle his donkey. After doing this, Abraham took with him two servants and his son Isaac and headed out towards the place that God had told him about.
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The Third Day
Now, when Abraham had reached the third day of their journey, he looked up and saw the place that God had told him about at a great distance. And it's at this point that Abraham would turn and say to the group that was traveling with him: "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you."
After Abraham had told them this, he and his son Isaac would continue on their journey by themselves. And they would travel for a short distance before they reached the place that God had told Abraham about. It's at this time that Isaac carries the wood that his father had cut for the brunt offering while Abraham takes the flint to make the fire and the knife.
However, something would seem strange to Isaac. For he'd called out to his father: "Father?" And Abraham responded, "Yes, my son?" Then Isaac would say to his father, "The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" And after hearing this, Abraham responded by saying: "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."
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Abraham Offers Up His Son Isaac
In the meantime, the two of them had finally reached the place that God had told Abraham about. And it's at this point that Abraham would build an altar unto the Lord. And after Abraham had finished building the altar, he started to arrange the wood on it. Next, he would bind his son Isaac and then instruct him to lay on top of the wood that was on the altar.
Now, I want to point out at this time, when it comes to Isaac? That I believe, that Isaac had allowed himself to be bound and had gone willingly to the altar? For we must understand that Isaac, at this time in his life, would have been around twenty-five years old. Now, this could easily make one wonder about how much he truly loved his father, for one must know that he'd trusted his father so much that he willingly allowed his father to place him on the altar as a sacrifice to the Most High God.
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Abraham!... Wait!
Then Abraham would proceed to bring forth the knife so that he could slay his very own son, just like God had ordered him to do. But it would also be at this time that an angel of the Lord would call out to him: "Abraham! Abraham!" And after hearing this, Abraham replied: "Here I am!" Then the angel of the Lord spoke to him, saying: "Do not lay a hand on the boy; do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son".
Now keep in mind that although Abraham had two sons, with the other being Ishmael, knew that it was Isaac that was the "promised seed" that God had foretold initially to Abraham: "Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.'" -- Genesis 17:19
And if God would have allowed Abraham to go through with sacrificing Isaac? Know that this very action would have gone against that same promise that the Lord had made some time ago to Abraham: "I will establish my covenant with [Isaac] as an everlasting covenant for [Isaac's] descendants after him." And you know what, often, I wonder if Abraham had this promise in the back of his mind while he was being obedient to the Most High?
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Lack of Faith Brings Problems
Nonetheless, remember that Ishmael came about because of the impatience and faithlessness of Sarah and, to some degree, Abraham as well, for we have learned that Sarah continued to doubt the Word of God when it came to having her child. And because of her lack of trust and faith in the Most High, she convinces Abraham to go along with a different plan that was not of God.
Because of this, Sarah would find herself (along with Hagar) going through a season of family strife and heartache that ended with Sarah pressuring Abraham to force Hagar and his firstborn son Ishmael out into the wilderness. Know that this would not have been a season that Abraham's household would have had to endure if they had trusted the Lord more and had the faith to see the promise (God's Word) that the Most High had on their lives come to pass.
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The Ram Offering
However, that may have been as we turn our attention back to our current journey. We find that it's also at this point that Abraham looked up and saw a ram whose horns had caught in the nearby thicket of bushes. So Abraham would go and retrieve the ram from the thicket of bushes. Next, we find that he would sacrifice the ram as a burnt offering instead of his son Isaac. And because of this, Abraham would name that place: "The Lord will Provide." And to this very day, when it comes to this place, it's known to be said: "On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided."
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God Swears By Himself
Next we find that God would swear (make an oath) by Himself, when it comes to Him blessing Abraham's seed:
"An angel of the Lord would call out to Abraham from the heavens for a second time and said, 'I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through you offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." -- (Genesis 22:15-18)
And after this had happened, Abraham and Isaac would return back to their servants, that were waiting for them. And after doing so, the group headed back to Beersheba, the place where they had dwelled.
In the next Bible Study Online Article:
Now that Abraham had just finished passing another faith test, that the Lord had placed before him. We now begin to move forward. And it's at this time, that we find that Abraham's life becomes emotionally difficult -- as he loses someone that's very close, and dear to him.
May God blessings be upon you, and thank you for your support
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Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty
16) Abimelech Angry with Abraham
18) Hagar & Ishmael - Sent Away
Added to Page 19) Hagar the Mother of a Great Nation
20) Abraham & The Well of Oath
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