The Altar Of Sacrifice

June 28

"Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac...and offer him..." Genesis 22:2.

What is your Isaac? Isaac meant more than life to Abraham. His son was beloved of his father, as many sons are to many fathers, but Isaac was much more than that. Isaac was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to give him a son with his wife Sarah.

Abraham had originally decided to make a trusted servant his heir because he had no children but God spoke to him and said, “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” God took Abraham outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them;" then He said to him, "so shall your offspring be.”

We know that Abraham and his wife Sarah were growing older and God’s promise seemed to have no hope of fulfillment in their eyes so they attempted to resolve the situation by natural means. Sarah suggested and Abraham reluctantly agreed that Sarah’s maid Hagar would act as surrogate mother to Sarah’s child (see Genesis 16:4)

As might be predicted, Hagar became rather pompous in her own eyes when she conceived and bore Abraham’s only child. Sarah obviously reciprocated with an adamant dislike of her maidservant.

Sarah’s sorrow drew the attention of the Holy One who had promised and He had mercy on her and she conceived a child, a son, Isaac, in her old age (see Genesis 21:2). The child of Abraham’s wife was greatly preferred over the child of the handmaiden, and Hagar and her son Ishmael were sent away.

Isaac meant EVERYTHING to Abraham...he was the fulfillment of God's promise in Genesis 15:4, but then God spoke again to Abraham and told him that he must sacrifice Isaac! With a heavy heart, Abraham set out to do as God had spoken to him.

Of course we know the Lord provided a substitute sacrifice, just as He has provided Jesus as the substitute sacrifice for our sins.

But God’s question to us is, ‘What's your Isaac?’ What do we cherish above life itself? What do YOU cherish above life itself? What do I cherish above life itself? Can we be like Abraham who was willing to lay his beloved son on the altar of sacrifice to the Holy God who inhabits eternity?

Can we lay our dreams, our hopes, our aspirations, even our prayers on the altar as a sacrifice to Jesus?

Will we?