Post by _ on Jul 18, 2007 3:28:11 GMT -5
Abraham
Gen. 22
Here are a few thoughts. And by no means is this a full summary or
understanding of the events that take place in this chapter. This
chapter is one of the most important chapters of the Old Testament,
but also one of the least understood!
Why?
It's simple. Let's slow down a little ! When we read a chapter for
the first time we need to read it carefully because it's new to us,
but when we read a chapter for the fortieth time, past thoughts come
to mind and we settle back on what we heard, very little preparation
is needed for that meeting... Or do we try and get fresh thoughts?
It's not to me so much about fresh thoughts, but to go to another
dimension, a deeper insight into just what I used to understand about
the given scriptures.
We all want deeper insight, don't we? Or you wouldn't be reading
this letter. But where do we get it? In books what man has written
or by prayer & fasting!
Now it seems like I am veering off the above subject, but it's
preparation for what is coming.
It tells us that God tested Abram and asked him to take his ONLY son,
the one he LOVED to be sacrificed. It is a terrible thing for a
child that is the only child of a parent to die. It's worse when you
really love that child. You might be willing to lose a disobedient
child but not an obedient child.
Isaac was the promise to Abram, and now the promise was to be taken
away. Jesus was the promise of God to mankind. But Abram knew God
kept His word and by faith he did everything. Isaac did not know
everything in advance. Neither does Jesus know in advance when He
will return, neither did He know what it was going to feel when He
was going to be tied to the altar (cross) and when the knife (sword)
would go through Him. The lesson I have learnt through this was it's
not important to know all, but in faith and simple acceptance to
trust the Father's power and knowledge and provision in every
circumstance.
I realized every time that when I read this chapter that there was a
picture coming through more of the son than ever before. It has
helped me to balance the imbalance I have always had on this
chapter. It's like something binding the Old Testament with the
New. In the Old Testament the Father speaks more, but in the New
Testament the Son speaks.
Often when we read Gen. 22, we are in admiration of the father's
(Abram) love, but to tell you the truth, I have hardly ever heard
about the son's love for the father. It was the son that had to pay
the price of sacrifice. If Isaac was not willing for this, it might
have spoilt the testimony of the father in a sense. It's hard to
live in a home where someone is trying to make it difficult for us to
go to the meetings or serve God as we want.
Our Father in heaven sent His ONLY BELOVED Son to be mistreated not
just by religious & self-righteous people, but rejected by us too in
these days. It was a hard thing for Him to give away heaven's
greatest treasure to be trampled upon by men.
Isaac must have been a teenage boy, wow, when I was a teenage boy my
mom told me that I was going to be put on the altar (the Work) and I
gave her a piece of my mind. She was in tears after that, I felt bad
at what I had told her, but thought she was selfish to give me away
when I had other plans for my life and future. Only at the age of 29
I got onto the altar. How old was Isaac?
Abram left the servants behind before he climbed the mountain. He
knew that there might be arguing or even interference. If Jesus had
taken His disciples all the way to the cross, they could have wanted
to save Him from that experience. It was in Peter's heart all the
while to save Jesus. The thought of "He who saves his life shall
lose it" had not yet hit home. And I think it's true for most of
us. We try and save one another from experiences we all need to help
us grow, and just because we didn't choose our experience or the
severity or even warned about it, it doesn't mean it's not good for
us and planned by our Father too. Look again at Job.
The chapter Isaiah 53v10 comes to mind.... Yet it PLEASED the Lord
to bruise Him. Fresh thoughts come to mind over here. Just as
everyone is willing to speak about God, but not everyone accepts or
talks of Jesus. Just as everyone talks of Abram in Gen. 22, hardly
anyone accepts or talks of his son.
Our Father in heaven knew even though He sends His greatest treasure
to earth, only very few will be willing to sell all they have a pay
for it, let alone accept it. But He still sent Jesus and Jesus
preached the words His Father gave Him by saying narrow is the gate
and few there be that find (look for) it.
In John 17 we get a little view of the relationship the Father & Son
had and that the Son always wanted to do what pleased His Father and
this was the attitude of Isaac. Isaac must have known his father's
heart and want to please him. How many young ones are there in the
bible that were spirit-guided people,...how old was Daniel, David
when he was anointed, Samson, Samuel and today there are still the
young ones amongst us with that special anointing.
When Jesus was nailed to the cross He knew that His Father had done
it, it was the Father's will and that's why His first words of
forgiveness to these soldiers rang through to them. He was the Ram
that Abram got out of the thicket. It could have been a thorn bush
that he was stuck in. Jesus had the thorn crown pushed into head.
It must have been throbbing and painful.
Abram learnt that saving is in dying (giving yourself a living
sacrifice). In the east gifts are normally given as a token of love
of friendship, but usually the gifts were something out of your own
home you treasure or even livestock. Why do we only talk about God
(who really is our Father) and not refer to the life of His Son more?
The 5 foolish did not get to know the Son, they probably spoke about
God the Father, but who was AT the door and who WAS and IS the door?
The secrets of the Lamb are only revealed to those who love Him, and
those who love Him always think and speak of Him. Notice how that
the bible always refers to itself as the "holy scriptures" but Christ
coming into the world as "The Word". Both John and Revelation speak
of the same. We often refer to the Word of God as the bible...paper
and ink, but the true Word is the Christ living within! We leave
Christ out of the picture many times.
Jesus was THE message that came from heaven, and what was this
message.... A message of purpose and love and mercy and in these
three are many more messages hidden. Our policy of mistrust in our
fellow humans has proved itself, so how did Jesus change that...
That he laid down His life for us.
Jesus, in His co-operation with His Fathers' will, He went against
His own wishes and emotions that He experienced when He became
human. Jesus took the place of Isaac, He took the place of the ram,
the lambs, the bullocks, the doves, the need to buy a sacrifice! He
took the place of you and I going to a lost eternity...
Our righteousness is not the things that come easy for us and neither
does it come by works or a discount! A price was paid for us that we
could never afford and it was meant to be like that, so that eternity
might not be a competition of talents but a surrender of self to our
Father's will.
Someone or something had to pay the price. Instead of the murderer
Barabas (you and I), Jesus had to die! Instead of Isaac, the Lamb
(Ram) of God. Gifts and money could not pay for sin, only a life, a
perfect life. Not any life could be taken because a sinful life
would have to pay for its own sin. Jesus had become sin for us, yet
in it all He had no sin, and He no desire for it because His love for
His Father that walked all the way to the altar with Him was still as
strong as it was. Yet, in this the Father felt the pain of His son,
only this time He had to pierce Him through...
This offering is not an offering we give, it's hardly a sacrifice
either because Jesus became the only sacrifice, the only real price,
the only acceptable. Jesus said my yoke is easy, my burden light.
Yes, we often pierce ourselves through with many sorrows but they are
because we have not yet learnt to trust Christ to carry it for us.
God showed Abram his provision by giving the Ram instead of his son.
Abram made a wrong choice previously by not telling the full truth
about his wife .. because he loved her so much. But this time he
was not going to make the same mistake. He learnt from his mistake.
Parents try and "save" their children by giving them the best
education possible, putting them in private schools which is a good
thing to wish for, but the Gospel is about dying, not elevation in
life.
One last set of thoughts before I conclude this letter .. Jesus said
that no man comes unto the Father but by me.... But by eating of me,
but by loving me, but by speaking of me... If Isaac did not love
Abram dearly, he would or could of said to his father this is
impossible or maybe tell his dad he is too old to think straight, but
Isaac did not say a word, got onto the altar, willing to be bound and
pierced through before being offered up.
Jesus became THE sacrifice, the only ACCEPTABLE sacrifice in His
father's eyes. We need to be like Isaac, just lay ourselves on the
altar and when we are there, we then discover it's not that hard and
we are replaced by Christ's blood.
Thanks for reading and would be glad for your thoughts and feedback.
Your brother because of Jesus, Reuel