“Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said,
“but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
(Genesis 22:7)
Reflection:
In response to God’s command Abraham was on his way to Moriah to sacrifice his son Isaac. One cannot imagine his feelings both with regard to the sacrifice of his only son as well as the fact that it was through this son that God had promised to fulfil His covenant promise to Abraham. Nevertheless his response to Isaac was the response of faith in his God. “God Himself will provide the lamb.”
As it turned out God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and provided a ram for sacrifice instead. Now both Isaac and Abraham speak of a lamb – which is quite different from the ram that appeared. It was not that a ram was as good a sacrifice as a lamb but that God had something else planned. This becomes clear years later when John the Baptist looking up and seeing Jesus said to his disciples
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
(John 1:29)
Here was the lamb provided by God – the one who would suffer death as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. In this way the prophetic incident with Abraham and Isaac is linked to the real event involving God and His Son. The great difference of course is that there was no one to stop the hand of this Son’s executioners.
It is also believed by many commentators that this mountain of Moriah is in fact the same mountain on which Jerusalem is built (New Bible Dictionary). And it was there that Jesus was crucified.
God’s purpose and plan was not in response to the fall and sin of man. It pre-dated creation itself. There is one purpose and plan of God that remains unchanged and that He is working out and will bring to fulfilment. Again and again what we see in the New Testament has its beginnings in the Old. And what God started before Jesus appeared has its fulfilment and explanation in His life, death, resurrection and ascension.
Response:
‘Your will be done on earth as in heaven’’
Prayer:
Lord God thank You so much for the scale and detail of Your purpose and plan – which are being worked out in ways that we can see and at which we marvel and rejoice. What a mighty God we serve!
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The Soaring Eagle 