“My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8)
In Acts 7, Stephen reminds us that the Lord of Glory appeared unto Abram and called him in grace to leave his home in Mesopotamia. Abram went forth, demonstrating the confidence he had placed in Him that called him. During this period he became a worshipper of the Lord. Abram received a promise from God that from him a great nation would proceed, he would be blessed, made great, and be a blessing to others.
“After these things” a problem became apparent to Abram in that he had no heir to receive the promised blessing. Again, the Lord confirmed to him that he would have an heir. Abram “believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Years later, Sarah bare Abraham a son in his old age and his name was called Isaac. The promise of an heir had been fulfilled.
Some years later “the Lord tested Abra-ham.” “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will show thee.” Abraham obeyed and went to Moriah with full confidence that he and Isaac would return. As he approached the place, Abraham, in confidence, told the servants, “I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” Abraham had every confidence in the promise of God, and that God would “see and provide.”
As Abraham and Isaac made their way up the mountain of God’s choice, Isaac observed that there was something strangely wrong. “Behold the fire and the wood but where is the lamb for a burnt offering.” Abraham’s response of faith was, “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” Abraham’s past experience had taught him that God was fully able to provide for all his need. In obedience, Abraham bound Isaac and laid him on the altar to be offered to God. He knew that God was able to raise the lad up even from the dead. As the knife was about to be lowered to slay Isaac, the Lord called from heaven, “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.’” Abraham lifted up his eyes and there caught in the bushes by his horns was a ram, which Abraham then sacrificed in place of Isaac. God himself had observed all and provided. This was the climax in Abraham’s experiences with God. For a memorial of that day Abraham named the mount Jehovahjireh, the mountain where Jehovah saw and provided.
The character of God as revealed to Abraham has been recorded for our blessing. His character as a providing God has not changed. The Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God was provided on the cross to take the sinner’s place, to bear the sinner’s punishment for sin. Today, God still calls individuals to trust Him and to place all their confidence in Him, apart from their own efforts to get to Heaven. If only you would, as Abraham, trust Him. Lift up your eyes and look back to Calvary to the cross where the Lord Jesus died for the sinner. If you do, it would be a momentous day in your life, realizing that the same God has provided for your salvation.
