Sacrifice Your Only Son (DD - 29 Jan 25)

Dissecting this popular and often misunderstood account.

"Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice Isaac stands as a model of faith, but it also serves as a type of God’s own sacrifice of His Son. In this event, God demonstrates that His covenant promises are not bound by human expectations or earthly understanding, but rather rooted in His sovereign will, which sometimes leads to mysterious and paradoxical paths." - Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 2: God and Creation

Summary Highlights:

• God tests Abraham’s faith by commanding him to take his only son, Isaac, and to offer him as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah.

• Abraham obeys, rises early in the morning, and prepares Isaac for the slaughter.

• We are told that “Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar,” telling his young men (servants), “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”

• Abraham continues to prepare Isaac for sacrifice even as he maintains faith in the provision of God, telling Isaac that “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”

• Abraham proceeds with the burnt offering and is fully prepared to obey the Lord’s command, but as he reaches out his hand with the knife to slaughter Isaac, the angel of the Lord calls to him from heaven, saying “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

• Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. He takes the ram, and offers it up as a burnt offering in Isaac’s place. Abraham calls the name of that place, “The Lord will provide.”

• The angel of the Lord calls again to Abraham from heaven and says, “because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the stand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

• Abraham returns to his waiting servants, and together, they all return to Beersheba.

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Prayer: “We thank You for the ultimate provision of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed in our place, bearing the penalty of our sin. We acknowledge that, in Him, we have everything we need for salvation—full forgiveness, eternal life, and reconciliation with You. May our hearts be filled with gratitude for this unmerited grace. Help us to live in the light of Christ’s sacrifice, trusting in His finished work and depending on Your mercy daily. In His name, Amen.”

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Abraham’s Memory