REFLECTIONS
April 17, 2011
 
 
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:22
 
 
An Intervention
 
The journey that morning must have been filled with question, doubt, and perhaps even fear. But Abraham had always obeyed God and that morning surely would not be a time to change that. Along the way he must have recounted the memories. They began with God’s promise of an heir and children as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. But year after year, there was no heir until it finally seemed unlikely to ever be. Then when Abraham was a century-old, Isaac was born. The promise God made so very long ago was fulfilled.
But God then made a new request—a difficult one. The thought of obeying it made Abraham feel sick. After waiting all those years for his son, God had directed him to take his son up the mountain to offer him in sacrifice. So that morning Abraham felt gut-wrenching emotion as he mounted his donkey to lead Isaac up the mountain. Yet he had faith in his Lord. He knew there would be a way for God to work it out.
“Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there,” Abraham said to his servants when they had reached the mountain. “We will worship and then we will come back to you." (Gen. 22:5, emphasis added) Then he began his climb up the mountain, Isaac following obediently behind.
But Isaac had concerns of his own. His dad had taught him obedience, but obedience unto death! Well that was another matter. Yet, without hesitation or resistance, he placed himself on the altar of sacrifice—obediently—willingly. If it was his father’s wish, he would abide by it.
Abraham must have had an agonizing feeling when he lifted the knife to take the life of his son. Surely there was a moment of terror until… there was an intervention. God stepped in and substituted a ram to take Isaac’s place and his life was spared. The Lord remained true to his promise. He always does.
Centuries would pass before there was a call for another great sacrifice. This time God called himself to sacrifice his son. This time it was Jesus who placed himself on the altar of sacrifice—obediently—willingly. If it was the Father’s wish, he would abide by it. Only this time there was no relief for the agony the Father felt, and there was no ram to take the place of his son. Jesus died. But there was an intervention.
Because Christ died, our lives are spared and we all are made alive in him.
 
You are the light of the world,
RichardÌ


Click here for Printer Friendly Version