Day 9

Genesis 20:1–22:24; Matthew 7:15-29; Psalm 9:1-12; Proverbs 2:16-22

TODAY WE READ of the fulfilment of a promise: a son named Isaac, born to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was born because Sarah gave her servant Hagar to Abraham as a surrogate. As disturbing as this arrangement might seem to us now, it was a common practice of the day. But Sarah’s choice displayed her lack of trust in God’s promise, and the decision resulted in relational problems. Sarah demanded that Hagar and her son be sent away after the birth of Isaac, but God rescued and provided for them.

Soon, it appeared as if Abraham would also lose Isaac, for God asked Abraham to travel to Moriah and sacrifice Isaac to Him. This is certainly an unsettling story, but it begins to reveal not only the covenant that Abraham and God shared but also Abraham’s unflinching trust in and devotion to God —for which he became a patriarch of the faith. In a covenant, nothing can be withheld. And because Abraham was in a covenant with God, he would not withhold the gift of Isaac, even though he was a promised child. In the end, God provided the offering. He never intended to have Isaac sacrificed.

“Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son,” God said, “I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed —all because you have obeyed me” (Genesis 22:16-18).

We can easily see the tension in the story. Putting ourselves in this position seems impossible. And yet, much later, God stepped into the place of the Father sacrificing his Son. He loved us so much that He would not withhold His only Son to save His people. This is how much we are loved.

WORSHIP:

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.