What do you know about this historical event?
Are you glad about Calvary?
Does it give you comfort in Christ?
Reminds of when Abe's faith was tested in Old Testament times—a type or shadow of what was to come.
The Lord told Abraham to take his son, his only son, the son he loved, and then to offer him as a sacrifice on the altar (on the very same hill).
Did Abraham obey the Lord in this?
Sure he did. Amazing huh!
It was because he loved God so much.
Do we love God like that? Will you and I pass when we are tested ..with perhaps the people and things that we hold dear?
Man, I know all believers will be tested and experience trials, but I'm not sure in what areas. Believers are also tested when the Holy Spirit directs them to share their faith with an unbeliever.
God knows what's best for each one of us. Its' so that we can know Him intimately and also so that we will grow spiritually.
But it's hard for me to fathom sacrificing my own son. I've got three sons.
Sure there have been times when our boys were kinda hard to live with in their young adult years—those rascals—and also times for them to live with me I'm sure. I've got a few house rules.
But Abraham literally bound Isaac down onto an altar, and Isaac actually allowed him to do this.. when he could have taken his old man. And then Abe raised up his knife to slay him like a helpless lamb ..in obedience to God's Word. But right before everything got all gory and stuff, with the knife plunging down into his son, the Father quickly called out, "Abraham! Abraham.."
And yeah, you guessed it. His son's life was spared!
You remember the story.
God commanded Abe, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen" (Gen. 22:12-14, kjv).
God provided for Abe a substitute. And He has done that for you as well.
It was an important thing for Abraham to have the fear of the Lord, biblical faith and a substitute. It's important for you and I to have these as well!
After cutting Isaac loose into freedom, Abraham took the ram and offered it on the altar there. But as God's only Son, Jesus Christ, the Son God dearly loves.. just hung there on Calvary's cross years later, it was as if the gleaming blade of God's fierce wrath against sin was lifted and then brought down upon Him with nothing to block it.
Yes, the difference with the two events was that there was no one there to call out a command to stay the Father's just hand at Calvary. Our loving heavenly Father, "..did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all."
The Lord Jesus is God's only Lamb for you even today. He is the Way the Truth and the Life and no one get's into His holy Heaven apart from a born again experience with Christ (see John 3). Yeah He is there for you right now if you are ready to get right with God.
"The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." ~Isaiah 53:6
"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul , my all"
Jesus is your only Substitute to deal with all the sins that you have committed. He endured the full brunt force of the Father's wrath for you and for me. That's why we feel so grateful and want to go tell our friends. He is the One who can take all our wrong-doin's (sins) away for good.. for He was bound on the wood in our place.
