Sacrifice – what is this word to you?

Genesis 22:9-18

⁹ When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, ¹⁸ and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Galatians 3:7-9, 26-29

⁷ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ⁸ Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

…

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

I have thought about Abraham in this passage so many times.  His obedience challenges me so much… His trust in God brings such admiration.

He knew His God.  He knew He would provide. He would give enough grace for the journey. He knew He would lead Him and He knew God was for Him.

These bedrock stones of trust are what each of us need to form in our lives for a walk of obedience.

How can we become like Abraham?

I think trust is formed by steps of obedience.  Who do we trust in?

Do we trust that when we tithe (give 10% of our income to The Church) – that God will look after the 90% left, stretch it further, so we can meet our needs?

Do we trust that when we do what God has asked – give more, go somewhere, reach out, speak certain words, serve in certain area of Church, etc. … That God will honour what we do, and we will grow as a result.

Our lives are lives that should be walked in obedience to God.  Not what the world says or ‘yells’ at us.  Not what society says is right or wrong …

Abraham walked in obedience with His God.  I want to be the same.

Lord Jesus, I want to walk like Abraham and like you.  Listening to my father and walking in the ways He would want to walk.  I want to respond like you.  I want to speak like you.  Help me Jesus in my walk to become more like you.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Written by Ps. Sue Botta