The Story of the Bible from Creation to the Cross to Eternal Glory
In 72 daily readings, we will examine the overall story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, seeking to get the big picture of God's work through Jesus Christ in this sinful world.
Today's Reading: Genesis 22
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together.
7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”
And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”
Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
He replied, “Here I am.”
12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said: “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”
15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”
19 Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-sheba.
Through the Bible Reading: Exodus 33-34, Matthew 24:36–51, Psalm 21:6–13, Proverbs4:25-26
If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings.
Context
God called on Abraham to give up what meant most to him, then provided the sacrifice to give it back. We give our lives to God but because of the death of Christ, we receive our lives back, glorified and remade.Devotional: Put to the Test
I believe the Bible is true from cover to cover, but there are a few places where I have more trouble with that than others. No, it's not the miracles - if God can create the world he can control it. But when Moses has to tell the people to stop giving because they have too much, that is something I have never experienced. And at the beginning of today's reading, there is a statement that boggles my mind because it is so different from how I would have behaved.
Abraham and Sarah had been childless all their lives. They'd tried a fleshly alternative to the promise of God when Sarah gave her handmaiden to Abraham and Ishmael was conceived. Finally, when Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 89, God did a miracle and she became pregnant - it was so absurd she laughed about it and they called the child "Laughter" - Isaac. He was truly the light of their eyes and the joy of their lives.
But our God is a jealous God and he is never satisfied to take second place. Even our families cannot take a priority higher than God in our lives or it becomes an issue. So, sometime later, God came to Abraham with a test.
“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” Genesis 22:2
God leaves no question about the test. "...your only son, whom you love." God was testing him to see whether he loved God more than his son.
That is when the amazing, hard-to-believe thing happens. Genesis 22:3 records Abraham's reaction.
So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about.
Let's be honest. What would you have done if God spoke to you and told you to do such a hard and distasteful thing? I would have "prayed about it" for a long time. I probably would have sought counsel and the advice of others would have been clear - that is just crazy, Dave.
But Abraham knew what God was telling him and he did it. Complete and immediate obedience. He got up the next morning and he headed out to the place God sent him. We know the rest of the story. He raised his hand to deliver the death blow and God stopped him, providing a sacrifice in Isaac's place. Abraham honored God and God honored Abraham. The place of that sacrifice became the site that the Temple of Israel was eventually built.
We must put God first at all times and obey him radically, immediately, and completely. When we waffle, hem and haw, and delay obedience, we offend a loving, but jealous God. God has blessings in store for Abraham. He revealed himself and he provided for Abraham. But the key to Abraham's experience of these blessings was his immediate obedience.
Father, may I be obedient to you as Abraham was - immediately, radically, and completely.
Think and Pray:
How would you describe your obedience to God and his word? Are you immediate, complete and radical in obedience or do you waffle and delay? Do you simply disobey?
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