ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
CHRISTIANITY OASIS HAS PROVIDED YOU WITH THIS ULTIMATE SACRIFICE STUDY. THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE WAS JESUS. MOST HAVE HEARD THE EXPRESSION ULTIMATE SACRIFICE BUT ARE NOT AWARE OF WHAT THAT WOULD BE OR HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO MAKE SUCH AN ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. ABRAHAM WAS ASKED TO MAKE THIS ULTIMATE SACRIFICE TOO. LET US SEEK AND FIND THE TRUTH OF THE STORY OF THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE TOGETHER, SHALL WE?

THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE STUDY

ABRAHAM TO SACRIFICE ISAAC

BOOK OF GENESIS

CHAPTER 22

            Greetings, Daily Bread readers.  This is one of the better recognized stories, in the Bible, from the book of Genesis.  Many people when they hear the name Abraham, identify him to this story. 

            There was a day when the Lord tested Abraham.  He called out to him and Abraham answered, Here I am.  God said to him, take your only son Isaac, who you love and go the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering (a sacrifice) on a mountain, I’ll show you where.

            Did you read that?  God referred to Isaac as Abraham’s only son.  This is a big hint as to whom God’s promise would be with later in the Bible. Another interesting fact is that God sacrifices HIS only Son (Jesus) later in the Bible. Keep that in mind as ya read on.

            After all the time that Abraham and Sarah waited for Isaac, and all the hope, and the joy they must have had to finally have their dreams come true, that God would ask for Isaac’s life, and for Abraham to kill him.  Can you imagine the courage, faith and strength that Abraham had to have?  Why would God promise that Isaac would inherit the promise, and then have Abraham sacrifice him? Abraham’s faith in God was so strong, and his love for God was so loyal, that all he knew to do was obey without question.  Now that my friends, is love.  Paul said it best, in 1 Timothy 1:5, The bottom line is to love unconditionally and to have faith unfeigned.  What is that … faith unfeigned?  To feign is to pretend, so unfeigned faith is real, sincere, genuine, heartfelt, honest, authentic, earnest, unaffected, undoubted, faith.  And that’s the exact kind of faith that Abraham had. 

            Abraham got up early and took a donkey and two of his workers with him, and Isaac, his beloved son, and they split the wood for the burnt offering and then left for the land of Moriah.

            On the third day that they traveled, when Abraham could see the place from a distance, he told his workers to stay there with the donkey and that he and Isaac would be going further on to worship, and they would return for them later. 

            Isaac carrying the wood, and Abraham carrying the torch and the knife, they went together to the place God spoke of.  Now Isaac didn’t know what was going to happen, but he knew what a burnt offering was and he said to his Dad, Abraham ... I see the fire and the wood, but where’s the lamb for the burnt offering?  Abraham answered; God will provide the lamb.

            When they reached the place which God told him of, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood neatly on top.  He tied Isaac and laid him on top of the wood.  And then Abraham lifted the knife to kill his son for the sacrifice.

            Just then, an angel of the Lord called out to him and said, Abraham, Abraham, don’t touch the boy.  Now I know that you love God more than anything, and that you would give your favorite thing in the world. 

            This brings back a remembrance of the story of Abel’s gift to God and how pleased He was with it.  Even more precious must have been Abraham’s willingness to give Isaac to God.

            And God certainly did provide the sacrifice.  Abraham looked and there was a ram caught by the horns in the brush behind him, so he took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of Isaac.

            Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham again.  And He confirmed His promise once again and said, Because you didn’t hold back your son, your only son, I will bless you and make your descendants as many as the stars of the Heaven and as the sand on the sea shore and they will own the land of their enemies and in them, all the nations of the earth will be blessed because you obeyed my voice.  

            The REAL story behind the scenes is how God DID sacrifice His Son for our sins. This story was a shadow of things to come. Check out the Jesus Story to see the TRUE Ultimate Sacrifice.

            You can see why this story is a well remembered one.  There are many more to follow.   

CONTINUE TO THE NEXT STUDY

THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE STUDY