part0024

"And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies ; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." [Genesis 22:15-18]

Abraham had been far from perfect because like most people he had made many mistakes. On two occasions, he had lied to national leaders about Sarah being his wife. On several other occasions, he had gotten ahead of God when it had come to receiving his promised seed. Even worse than those, however, he had married his wife’s handmaiden so that he could have a son by her. Therefore, not everything that he had done was good. Nevertheless, the Apostle Paul wrote that he had been a righteous man because he had believed God. Romans 4:1-3 says, "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness ." Similarly, James the brother of Jesus wrote that he had been righteous because of his faith in the Lord. He also wrote that Abraham had been called THE Friend of God. James 2:21-23 says, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God ."

So Abraham had been very special because he had done some very special things to show his faith and trust in the Lord. He had left Ur at a young age and had later left Haran at age seventy-five to go to a land that God would show him. He had somewhat patiently waited for a son for a very long time before he had foolishly become involved with his wife’s handmaiden. Then once his promised son had been born, he had been willing to throw all of the promises given to him away just to show his love and devotion to the Lord. God had told him to take his promised son Isaac to Mount Moriah to offer him as a burnt offering to Him. Genesis 22:2 says, "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." So Abraham had been obedient to the Lord's instruction.

In Genesis 22:10-12, he had been very close to actually offering Isaac on an altar to the Lord. But at the last second, the angel of the Lord had stopped him. Those verses say, "And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him : for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." The angel had then showed him a ram that had been caught by his horns in a thicket that Abraham could offer instead of Isaac. Genesis 22:13-14 says, "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh : as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen." So Abraham had done exactly as he had been commanded and had passed his most difficult test for the Lord.

Therefore, he gave the place of his offering a very special name because it had marked a very special occasion. The Hebrew name Jehovahjireh means "Jehovah sees." So the Lord had SEEN Abraham's faith and had PROVIDED a substitute ram for him to offer instead of Isaac. That very special name and that very special occasion should let those people that are committed to the Lord and that are trusting in Him know that God will provide ALL that they need in this life as they wait upon Him and serve Him. In fact, Abraham had told Isaac as much before he had ever raised a knife to his son. Genesis 22:8 says, "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering : so they went both of them together."

So because Abraham had repeatedly shown the right kind of faith, God had told him first in Genesis 13:14-17 and again in Genesis 22:15-18 which was quoted above that he would have an abundant family and that his family would take possession of the land of Canaan. Genesis 13:14-17, "And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever . And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee." So Abraham had lived long enough to see Isaac grow up and bring two sons into the world who in turn would bring many more sons into the world. But he did not live long enough to see his people completely dwell in the land that God had promised him because that part of the promise still has not happened. The day will come, however, when ALL of God’s promises to Abraham will have been fulfilled. Then the Jewish people will inhabit their land. God will be their God. Jesus will be their Messiah, and they will worship Him just as their father Abraham had done.

In closing, the author of the book of Hebrews wrote that Abraham had known that the Lord could have easily raised Isaac from the dead even if he had been offered. Hebrews 11:17-19 says, "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead ; from whence also he received him in a figure." So, Abraham's faith in the Lord to fulfill His original promises to him had been greater than his fear that his son would perish and that the promises would NEVER be fulfilled. One should note that the scenario of Abraham and Isaac at Mount Moriah had foreshadowed the future when God the Father would offer His only begotten Son on the cross at Calvary so that those people that are separated from Him by sin can come to Him by faith. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Thus, the sacrificial death of Jesus is the ONLY way that a person can come to the Lord and be SAVED .