“A Reality to Come”

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

BIBLE READING: Genesis 22

“[God] said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So, Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac.” (Genesis 22.2-3)

Abraham believed God, even when it didn’t make sense. Faith is emphasized through the lens of Abraham’s trust in God’s promises (Hebrews 11.9, 13, 17). He was convinced (Romans 4.21) that if God had to raise Isaac from the dead to fulfil his promises, he would. Faith must be deeply rooted in God’s promises.

We get that application. But the bigger question is, “Why did God command this to begin with?” What sort of God asks someone to sacrifice their own kid? While not an invalid consideration, the scriptures offer a different perspective on this event: this is a prophetic reenactment of a reality to come.

Throughout the Bible, God had prophets act out things he would do and be for his people. God called Hosea to act the part of God in marrying a prostitute (Hosea 1) and told Ezekiel to lie on his side for over a year to symbolize the siege of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4). These events represented truths greater than the present circumstances to teach future truths. That’s what is happening here. The story of Abraham & Isaac parallels and foreshadows the coming of Christ.

• Both Isaac and Jesus are long-awaited “beloved sons” who are born in miraculous circumstances (Genesis 22.1; Matthew 3.17).
• Both sons carry the wood that is to be the instrument of their deaths on their backs (Genesis 22.6; John 19.17).
• In both stories, the son is obedient to the point of death (Genesis 22.3; Philippians 2.8)
• And in both scenarios, God provides the sacrifice (Genesis 22.8; John 1.29).

The entire Bible points to Jesus, and this is especially true of Genesis 22. Although Abraham didn’t understand, his faithful obedience taught truths that would later be understood.

So, what does this mean for us? Two things:

1. We need to trust God at his word. We can have confidence in God because of his patterns. They show his consistency and forethought. Even when we can’t see the promises, we can trust the Promiser.

2. We need to obey God at his word. God is working according to patterns we may not understand. Our logic and think-sos can compete with the directives from God. We might reason our way out of obedience because it doesn’t make sense to us. But like Abraham, as we mature, we must be less logical and more faithful. This is not to say we should be blind in our obedience but that we should be more trusting in God’s direction. He knows what he is doing.

Our faith will be challenged as we follow where he leads. So, we must deeply root ourselves in both trust and hope. Without these we will fail in our obedience and lose sight of the great power of God at work. If he can raise Jesus from the dead, he can do far more abundantly than we could ever ask or think. We must not limit where faith takes us. Instead, let’s be willing to both go and obey when his word calls us.

Share