Today I read the story about how Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac. If you are not familiar with the story, I would recommend you read the whole story from Genesis 22. But to get the background context, you need to read from Genesis 11. Briefly, God promised Abraham that He would make him into a great nation, but he was 75 years old without any son. He waited for 25 years until he got Isaac, his only son with his wife, Sarah. She was 90 years old, way past her childbearing age when she delivered Isaac. Nothing is impossible for God, indeed. So, you can imagine how excited they were when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:7), how much love Isaac received. Abraham threw a huge feast when he was weaned (Genesis 21:8). 

Interestingly, when God asked Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, Abraham obeyed immediately. He made preparation for the journey the first thing the next morning (Genesis 22:3). He didn’t ask, “why, God? Why did You give me this son just to ask him back? And how can I kill my own son ? Ask me anything but him. Ask me for rams or goats or bulls or whatever.” Or as any parent might say, “I will give my own life instead of my son’s”. Abraham didn’t doubt that it was God’s voice. He had been in a close relationship with God for more than 3 decades. He recognized His voice, even if He spoke in many different ways. He knew exactly who his God was and had an unwavering faith in Him. Throughout the journey, he didn’t change his mind nor decide to head back home. When they were about to reach the destination,

“ He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” – Genesis 22:5

Notice that he said “we”. He trusted that his God would make sure that both him and Isaac would come back, alive and well. He was so sure that He made this promise to his servants. Later that day, he got the second question which might have completely crushed my heart if I were Abraham. When Isaac, who was not that tiny anymore (I assume, as Genesis 22:6 said that Isaac carried the wood while Abraham, carried the lighter stuff, fire and the knife), asked him where the lamb was, 

“Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.” – Genesis 22:8

Abraham had faith that God is not only able to provide, but He will provide. He was sure that God wants to provide. He had no doubt that God Himself will ensure that the lamb is provided, even if no one else would. Abraham didn’t provide. He was such a rich man with plenty of rams, goats, bulls. It’s not that he couldn’t afford to bring 1000 lambs to offer instead of Isaac, he didn’t want to. Abraham didn’t prepare any plan B. He didn’t bring any lamb “just in case” the Lord didn’t provide. He was so sure that in this relationship between God and him, God is the One who provides, not him. He was convinced of that, though he didn’t know if God would provide the lamb before or after he offered Isaac. I am speculating now, but perhaps he thought that even if God provided the lamb late, if he had to kill Isaac before the lamb showed up, God was able to raise him up, even from the dead. (Hebrews 11:17-19).

^“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.” – Genesis 22:9

He didn’t first look around to see if God had prepared a lamb there. He went straight to business, building an altar, arranging the wood on it and laying Isaac on the altar. It’s not written in the Bible, but I can imagine that Abraham wouldn’t even stare at Isaac’s eyes nor look at his face. Perhaps both had tears in their eyes. Perhaps Isaac wondered if his father was in his right mind, if his father had dementia and thought that he was a lamb. The Bible didn’t mention either if Isaac tried to free himself. 

Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” – Genesis 22:10

If I were Abraham, I would make sure that the killing process was as quickly as possible, because the longer I hold the knife, the lower the chances are of me actually doing it. When Abraham reached out his hand and took a knife to slay Isaac, right at that moment, 

“But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”. “Here I am,” he replied. “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.” – Genesis 22:11-12

Our God is never late. He Himself will provide RIGHT. ON. TIME. Not even a millisecond late. What would have happened if the angel shouted 1 second later? Or if Abraham heard it 1 second later? In this relationship between God and Abraham, he knows that everything he had came from God, and because of that, he didn’t withhold anything from God. Even if Isaac was the required sacrifice. But God didn’t allow Abraham to do anything to Isaac. God didn’t need Abraham to sacrifice his only son. He doesn’t need our offerings. He is the Maker of heaven and earth and owns everything in it; He doesn’t need our money. He just wants to see if we withhold anything from Him, if we love anything more than Him, if there is something that we hold so dear that we won’t allow Him to touch. 

“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. 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.” – Genesis 22:13-14

That day, God showed Abraham and us who He is. He is Jehovah Jireh, meaning “the Lord will provide”. No matter what, when, or how, He WILL provide. “And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.””. As long as we are on the mountain of the Lord, as long as we are in His presence, as long as we carry His presence, Emmanuel: God with us, as long as we belong to Him and carry His name, it will be provided. No exceptions, no excuses, without fail. That alone should put us in awe. But wait, there’s more.

^“The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 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, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” – Genesis 22:15-18

So I will leave you with these questions today. Do you know that Your God is Jehovah Jireh? The Lord Himself will provide, no matter what, no matter how tight the timeline is. How do you respond to such a God? 

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,  and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your ^]good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.  For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.  You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.”– Deuteronomy 10:12-14, 16-17, 20-21