Abraham received many callings from God that didn't make sense. Callings to move place to place, the promise of a son despite his old age, and that many nations would come from this promised son. Abraham was not always faithful to trust God, yet despite Abraham's times of unbelief and mistakes, God kept His covenant through the promised son, Isaac. Tonight's story was about sacrifice. God told Abraham to sacrifice his son on the altar. Only animals were offered as sacrifices for sin. Why would God call Abraham to sacrifice his son, the promised one? That made no sense. Yet Abraham obeyed God. He had learned through his own previous failures that God was true to His Word. According to Hebrews, Abraham believed God would just resurrect Isaac. He was willing to obey God no matter what. At the same time, Isaac, not being a small child, but probably at least a teen, perhaps even a grown man, didn't fight his father. He willingly laid down on the altar of sacrifice. At just the right time-right before Abraham was going to kill Isaac, an angel told Abraham to not harm Isaac, but that God was pleased with his willingness to obey. It was a test of faith. I wish you could have seen the kids' faces as they got this. I can't possibly explain the tone of the room, but it was sacred. The perfect picture of the gospel had been foreshadowed as they saw that despite the sin of man, God had a plan that would no longer require animal sacrifices over and over. His plan was to send Jesus to earth. As a baby. To grow as a man. A perfect man. A promised Son.
"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God......The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1, 14
We had a great discussion on the things that God might call each of us to do that either didn't make sense or we might not even want to do. I love hearing them share about how God is speaking to them or what they might think they could do for the kingdom. It's pure hope. Every time someone shared about something difficult God might call them to do, we went back to the word, "covenant." God's promises aren't just true, but for our good. We can trust Him. We talked about me leaving and I "covenanted" to pray for them each week. (This is when I got the ugly cry.) I got lots of hugs and love the rest of the night. As one little girl later sat resting her head on my shoulder embraced in my arms, she sweetly said with tears in her eyes, "Ms. Beth, I know God is telling you to go....but it still makes me sad." I said, "Yeah, me too. Let's trust Him together though." She got it. I am going to miss the excitement on the faces of every one of these sweet kids as they "get it." I'm going to miss teaching them the truths of God's Word and how the message of Christmas is a fulfillment to THEM of God's promise to Abraham. They are part of God's story of Christmas. In the same way that God provided a ram for Abraham, He has provided a Lamb for us today.
This perfect man- Jesus, the Promised One-would willingly lay on the altar once for all for the forgiveness of our sins.
"Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world."
"Indeed we have all received grace after grace from His fullness, for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." ( John 1:16-17)
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