He Will Provide The Lamb
Abraham loved and trusted God. In Romans 3, he was declared righteous through faith because he took God at His word. Genesis 22 tells us how Abraham was tested. God instructed him to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on a mountain in the land of Moriah. Recall that Abraham waited twenty-five years for the promise of Isaac to be fulfilled. He was one hundred years old when Isaac arrived. Suddenly, God wanted him to sacrifice this long-awaited promised child.
We know from the story that God was testing Abraham. But it is unlikely Abraham knew this was a test when he received this instruction. He was a man who loved the Lord and obeyed His instructions, so if God wanted his son, it was a no-brainer. Abraham was happy to give up his son freely. Abraham was prepared to fulfil God’s command because he firmly believed that nothing was too valuable for him to offer to the Lord, not even a precious blessing like his own son.
Before we move on, let’s establish a biblical truth. God does not demand human sacrifice. If you have just been introduced to this story, it might sound horrifying, and you might think God requires human sacrifice. But the evidence throughout scripture clearly shows He does not. The story of Abraham was a test of his faith. Also, Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his only son foreshadows God’s willingness to sacrifice His only Son for us.
So, back to the story. Abraham and his son took wood, fire and a knife for the burnt offering. On their way, Isaac asked Abraham a good question; “Father, the fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”. Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the Lamb…” (Gen 22:6-8, NIV). Abraham did not just trust that the Lord would provide; he trusted the Lord enough to obey a painful and sacrificial request. How much trust do you have in the Lord?
How much are you willing to let go to obey God? If God demanded the blessings and gifts He’s given you, can you give them back to Him or for His Kingdom and purpose? How much are you willing to let go for the sake of the gospel or to reach more people with the gospel of Christ?
Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac was from a place of reverence and fellowship with God. Abraham had to walk with God to be invested in maintaining this relationship, even at the expense of his son’s life. I am not advocating for cruelty or carelessness with the lives God has entrusted in your care for the gospel; I hope you understand my drift. My point is that Abraham had priorities, and obedience and faithfulness to God were at the top of his list.
Think about the most precious things in your life. Would you give them up if God demanded them from you? We were not told if Abraham was hurting on their way to the mountain or as he bounded Isaac up for the altar. But it is reasonable to assume he was hurting while taking these steps to obey the Lord. Although burdened with immense emotional weight and conflicting feelings, Abraham made the courageous choice to place his unwavering trust in God’s plan. He was prepared to follow through with the sacrifice, believing God had a purpose beyond his understanding. This profound act of faith and obedience further solidified Abraham’s righteous standing before God. Obeying the Lord will not always be pleasing to our flesh. That’s why this kind of obedience is a sacrifice. In sacrificial obedience, something must be given up or surrendered.
We come to the most joyful aspect of this story. Genesis 22:11-14, NIV
But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “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.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
As Abraham was about to slay his son, God reached out to him through an angel and instructed him not to go ahead. Instead, God provided a ram for the sacrifice, just as Abraham predicted. Abraham was consistently in tune with the voice of God. He heard God every moment God reached out. The instruction yesterday was no longer valid in the current situation.
Is God calling you today, but you are still stuck in yesterday? For some of us, we haven’t obeyed day-one instructions. For others, we are spiritually deaf or disobedient to His word today. Regardless of where you stand, God is interested in reaching you. If you obey sacrificially and your heart is right with Him, He will provide the Lamb. You won’t lose what you think He demands from you because He has already made provision for you, even if you don’t know or can’t see it. God teaches us to give our all to Him. We gain life by giving our all or losing everything for His sake.
Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 10:19, NLT If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
In God’s instructions to us, He may be testing our faith, working on our heart, crucifying our carnal desires or selfishness and strengthening our fellowship with Him. They are all for our benefit. When we take the first step of obedience and trust in His leadership, He does the rest, including providing the Lamb if we need one.
Genesis 22:15-18 are declarations of blessings on Abraham and his descendants because of his obedience. Abraham deserved these blessings. God made promises to Abraham that would outlive him. So, the next time you covet the blessings of Abraham, remember his sacrifices, trust and obedience to God.
As we conclude, take some time to think of Abraham’s experience. What is God demanding from you? What are you afraid of? What do you think you’d lose if you obeyed God? Are you faithful to the Lord? Is God calling you, but you are scared there will be no “Lamb” after you have given up everything?
I encourage you today that if He has demanded a sacrifice, He will provide the Lamb—He will make all things right. God will not demand from you what He has not given you. If He demands it, it means He gave it to you, for it is in obeying and giving our all to God that we are made alive.
