“Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said,
“but where is the lamb or the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered,
“God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
And the two of them went on together.”
Genesis 22:7-8
I was reminded of the story of Abraham the other evening, as I was catching the first part of the Bible mini series (a five-part mini series, shown on Sunday evenings on the History Channel … but I watched it on YouTube).
This story of Abraham and Isaac is one of my favorite stories in the entire Bible. It provides sufficient drama, intrigue, secrets and integrity to hold ones attention fully, and leaves you in awe, but still wondering when it is through.
Isaac intrigues me in this story. Although the Bible only records one interaction between he and his father, it is reasonable that there were many more …
perhaps discussing the humorous individuals in their camp of people
perhaps discussing the ewe about to birth
perhaps discussing the servant who always forgets to bring the morning meal on time
For Isaac, we presume that this trip was not out of routine, but a normal, common and regular movement of life.
Three days to journey.
Three days for this son, this son whose age we do not know (estimated to be anywhere between 5-30), to walk and talk with his aging father (well over seventy-five) who seems to be hanging onto every word Isaac speaks, and yet a million miles away at the same time.
On the third day of the journey, “he (Abraham) said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
WE … no reason for Isaac to doubt, to wonder, to worry.
But then, as Abraham is laying the wood for the burnt offering (tied together with the ropes that would hold the offering to the alter, no doubt) onto the back of his son, Isaac asks his father, “dad, we have the wood, we have the fire, but there is no lamb to suffer for our sins.”
Isaac knew that blood, innocent blood, must be spilled and poured out, for their offering to be worthy of the One who would forgive them. This was the only way that their sin-filled lives could be made clean.
Abraham responded with assurance and confidence again, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
And doesn’t He always?
God, through the grace that only He can and does offer, provides.
He provides the redemption
He provides the forgiveness
He provides the lamb … his son.
Tomorrow, I will finish this mini-series on the testing of Abraham, with more about the lamb.
*This is a re-post, of a re-post, from a few years ago. The story of Sarah, Abraham and Isaac have always captivated me.
itsawonderfilledlife 