VOICE OF THE LORD!

“…God ….said to him, “Abraham!” and he said, “Here I am” (Genesis 22:1).

Abraham was used to the voice of God. He is the one to be called ‘Friend of God’. He is the one who walked towards the promised land holding the hand of God. One day the voice of God reached him again and it was a great test to him. God said, “Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2).

How seriously the heart of Abraham would have fluttered on hearing this! No one could understand the actual agony he underwent. Isaac was a loving child and also his only child born at an elderly age. Being a sixteen-year-old boy, Isaac was the only loving son to Abraham. What a sad affair it is to cut and offer such a boy as a burnt offering! 

Abraham knew the voice of God and so when he heard those words from God he did not doubt whether the voice came from God Himself or instead it came from the devil. He knew whom he believed Moreover, he believed that even if he dies, God is powerful to bring him back to life. In obedience to the Word of God, he went to the mountain of Moriah, bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. At that moment the voice of God was again heard and it said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy Do not do anything to him.”

Abraham heard this voice and so did Isaac. Till that time, Abraham was alone hearing the voice of God, but now Isaac also heard it for the first time. Just think of how happy the heart of Isaac would have been on hearing these words! That was the voice which protected his life; a voice which had concern on him. From that time, Isaac also began to hear the voice of God.   

I think that Isaac heart must have been filled with more gratitude than that of Abraham’s.  Abraham looked up and he saw a ram there, ready to be sacrificed instead of Isaac. From where did it come? During the time of building that altar and during making arrangements for the sacrifice with logs of wood, that ram was not seen there. When the ram was seen at the most appropriate time for being sacrificed in his place, the heart of Isaac would have been filled with gratitude. 

Dear children of God, look up to the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is Jesus Christ. He is the one who submitted Himself as the sacrifice for your sake in the Mount of Calvary after His head being fixed with a crown of thorns and His hands and legs being pierced with nails. It is because of this, the Salvation came to you.     

To meditate: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:18).