Abraham Makes an Offering

June 15, 2025 Background Scripture: Genesis 22:1 - 19 Lesson Passage: Genesis 22:1 - 14 I believe God created mankind in His image and according to His likeness for one ultimate purpose: God desires to see a reflection of Himself when He looks at His physical creation. No other part of the physical creation is described as in the image and likeness of God. Sin disrupted the will of God because it marred the spiritual image and likeness of God in mankind. God will not allow sin to be the final state of His creation. Despite sin, the bible reveals some individuals who showed remarkable faith in God by displaying unwavering confidence in what God speaks. Abraham is first among this class. As God revealed Himself to Abraham, Abraham drew closer in his relationship to God while remaining reverent towards God. God shared some incredible plans with Abraham, and Abraham believed what God said. Even when God's plans went totally against Abraham's life experiences, Abraham chose to believe and trust God despite his contradictory experiences. In today's lesson, God created a scenario that allowed Him to view a reflection of Himself thousands of years before it occurred God caused Abraham and his wife to conceive and bear a son when it was physically impossible for them to do so. God did not permit any other offsprings to remain with Abraham. Then, God asked Abraham to offer that son to Him as a burnt offering. God emphasized to Abraham that this was now his only son. The bible does not record that Abraham showed any reluctance, or reservations, to do as God had spoken. Situations such as this clearly set Abraham apart from all others in matters pertaining to God. Abraham gathered some wood and fire to use for the ceremony. He took it along with his son and two servants to a mountain where God sent him. When they arrived at the mountain, Abraham told his servants to stay with the donkey while he and his son go worship. Abraham told his servants that he and his son would come back to them after worship. Abraham laid the wood for the offering on his son, and he carried the fire and a knife. His son noticed they had everything required for worship except a lamb to be killed and offered as the burnt offering. It is clear from his son's observation that Abraham had carried his son to worship with him before. Abraham had trained his son in the proper way to worship God. Abraham told his son that God would provide His own lamb for a sacrifice. Upon arrival at the location, Abraham set up an altar (perhaps by stacking some stones). He placed the wood on the altar and then tied his son and laid him on the wood. When Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son, the Lord called out and stopped him from proceeding. It was sufficient; God had seen a reflection of Himself staring at Calvary about two thousand years beyond that moment. When Abraham looked behind him, he saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham took the ram and used it as an offering to God. Abraham named that location Jehovah-Jireh, which means "The-Lord-Will-Provide". Abraham and his son returned to his two servants as he told them they would. The Lord had provided what was needed for the offering and Abraham had provided what God wanted to see. Abraham's faith was remarkable, and it was tested at extreme levels few, if any, could bear. Abraham was called the friend of God and the father of all who believe in God. This lesson is an example of why he deserves both titles. Abraham's faith was not the abject compliance of a slave. It was willful obedience. Later, God told Abraham's son that Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws. He was God's friend. Robert C. Hudson June 5, 2025