Genesis 20:1-22:24
Matthew 7:15-29
Psalm 9:1-12
Proverbs 2:16-22
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Pastor Commentary:
In Gen 22, God asks Abraham to do something inconceivable: sacrifice his son. God had just blessed Abraham and Sarah with Isaac, and then He tells Abraham to take that same son to the land of Moriah and kill him. Why would God do that? Every Old Testament story points to Jesus. Abraham’s willingness to give up Isaac foreshadowed God’s willingness to give up His Only Son. In this story, God provides a substitute: a ram caught in a thicket by its horns (Gen 22:13). In our lives, God has already provided a Substitute: His Son Jesus Christ. God so loved us that He sacrificed His Only Son. Abraham forever knew that he could trust God to provide a substitute; we should forever trust in the finished substitutionary work of the Cross. There is nothing left that we have to do to prove we deserve His righteousness, and there is nothing we could ever do to earn His favor even if we tried. God’s grace is a gift; our love is the only thing He requires in return.
Prayer:
“God, thank you for providing a Sacrifice! No matter how hard I try, there is nothing I can do to earn your love. You love me despite my flaws, my faults and my failures. You proved it on the Cross, when you exchanged Your Son for me!”