Day 19 – Genesis 22-24

The thought of God testing Abraham is a difficult one, at least for me. It is concerning to think that God would do this, especially in such a way. What does it say about God that he sees the need to test someone like Abraham? What does that mean for us today? But then I realize, God already knew Abraham’s heart. He already knew what would happen. This was not a test to prove something to God, this was a test to prove something to Abraham, two things really. First off all, this test showed Abraham how much he has grown. He realizes himself that his heart is steeled in devotion to God – a devotion so strong that he now has absolute trust in God. That wasn’t the case 14 years earlier when he felt the need to produce an heir in his own way. Now he has learned to trust God so greatly that he is willing to sacrifice the child of promise. Everything is in God’s hands and he no longer believes he can do anything himself. And that brings us to the second lesson Abraham, and we, learns from this. When we are fully devoted and trusting in God, he will show astounding grace by providing for all our needs. In this case he supplies a ram for the sacrifice – a substitute for Isaac on the altar, just as he supplied Christ as a sacrificial substitute for us all.