GONE FOR THREE DAYS!

Genesis 22:1-18


22 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take 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.” 3 So Abraham rose early in themorning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy[a] will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”;[b] as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”[c]

15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his[d] enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” Bible Verse

God is not a cannibal; He does not eat flesh or humankind of food.

why is He then asking for this strange sacrifice which involves a three-day journey into the unknown? when God is set to take you on a journey. He is not under obligation to give you advance notice. To be prepared always and prompt obedience are the rules. Abraham understood all that, but not his wife, nor the lad, and certainly not anyone else in his household.

When God sets you on a hard task, you need a lion's heart to accomplish the task. It takes complete submission and total allegiance; to give all you have for what you believe in.

Giving your all, however, has never been easy by anyone, in any generation. Those three days became the longest and most gruesome that Abraham ever experienced, as it was with Sarah too. Not talking to anyone, he was even more confused, torn between going ahead or turning back. It was then, it occurred to him that he could not fully understand God as much as he had thought, neither could he any longer claim to know Him as well as he had boasted.


LET US PRAY:

• Thank God for another day of inspiration from His word!
• Decree and command a new understanding of God to come upon you!
• Ask for fresh grace and courage to be given unto you.
• Give God praise for answered prayers.