A Burnt Offering
Scripture Reading — Genesis 22:1-14
“Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
God tells Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. Why would God ask such a thing?
If I were Abraham, I would have searched for excuses to not sacrifice my son: God, doesn’t this go against your promise? Shouldn’t you also ask my wife about her thoughts? If I’m asked to sacrifice our son, I can’t ignore her opinions, can I? And what would happen if I told my neighbors that I sacrificed my son when they asked me, “Where is your son? I haven’t seen him in a while”? Is it even right to sacrifice a person in the first place?
I could come up with lots of questions and excuses. But Abraham obeyed God’s words. Imagine the pain in Abraham’s heart, as a father who dearly loved his son, as he took Isaac away to Moriah.
And when Abraham obeyed God by acting in faith, what did God do? God showed him a ram that could be sacrificed in place of Isaac. Many years later, God also prepared another sacrifice, his own beloved Son, Jesus, who died in our place. As the Savior of the world, Jesus gave up his own life to pay the price of our sin and to give us eternal life.
God is the thoughtful God who looks and prepares ahead for our future. What a blessing it is to believe in God!
Loving God, give us the faith to obey you in all situations. Help us to obey as Abraham did when you tested him and blessed him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Jang Ho Park
Jang Ho Park is a pastor in Tacoma, Washington. He and his wife, Jong Boon, have two sons.
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