An Obedient Substitute

“And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” (Genesis 22:10)

Has GOD called you to leap out into unknown territory? Has GOD called you to get outside your comfort zone? Has GOD asked you to trust Him, put your faith in Him, be obedient to Him? Chances are He has done it recently. Why? Because He is growing you, He is stretching you out. He is enlarging your faith so He can enlarge your territory.

Oftentimes, we cry and whine about the trials and tribulations we seem to always be going through. Granted , they are not fun, fact is, they are often miserable. But, when we come out victorious on the other side, we recognize GOD has done something miraculous within us; He has brought us through while strengthening our faith and equipping us to be better prepared for what still lies ahead.

Consider Abraham and Isaac for a moment. GOD instructed Abraham to pack up the supplies necessary to carry out a sacrifice and take his son, Isaac, along as the sacrifice. I don’t read where Abraham questioned GOD at all about this decision. He readied all the supplies and his son and took off for the mount GOD was directing him to. Now, Abraham knew this was the child GOD was going to build a great nation out of, but that never came up. Abraham simply acted in obedience to GOD’s direction.

Once they had arrived at Mt Moriah, Abraham set about assembling the altar and then took his only son, Isaac, bound him and placed him upon the altar. As he raised the knife of sacrifice in obedience to GOD, his faith was made evident before GOD. In that moment as he was about to plunge the knife into his son, GOD stopped him and showed him HE had provided a substitute, a ram hung up in a thorn bush. Isaac’s life was spared and the substitute ram became the sacrifice.

Two lessons we can learn from this. GOD desires obedience in all things. When He allows trials and tribulations to come our way, it is not a time to be trying to find an out but a time to be trusting in the power of GOD as we walk forth in obedience to Him. We are also reminded of what GOD did for all of us at Calvary. We were all sinners without a hope. But, GOD, in His great love for us, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as the only Substitute that could free mankind from his sins. Jesus. acting in obedience to the Father, died so that we may through Him, live for all eternity.