11/10/2020 - FATHER AND SON IN AGREEMENT AND OBEDIENCE

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Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Genesis 22:9

Did Isaac just watch his father edify the altar or did he take part in this project as well? The boy trusted Abraham. Despite not seeing the animal being sacrificed, he wanted to know how the lamb would be provided. This serves as a lesson for us. What the Lord needs for His work will not come from men, but from Himself.

Abraham’s son went there to take part in a symbolism that would proclaim the Almighty´s act to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness. The Lamb would be no son of men, but the Son of God. At the exact moment of the sacrifice capable of pleasing the Lord and freeing us from eternal doom, He would send Jesus to die for us on the Cross. God knows the right time for everything.

Isaac was a type of the dumb Lamb, who would be killed at the altar of Calvary two thousand years later, fulfilling the divine promise. Isaac would not murmur or despair because he knew his father’s faith in the Lord. If you are facing difficult situations, seek only the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the other Comforter, who came to guide us in all Truth and is God too (John 14.16)!

Little by little, Abraham built the altar. He was in no hurry nor did he have anything more urgent to do. When receiving guidance from the Most High, try to understand how to act, so as not to remain praying all the time and asking the reason for that. This teaches us one thing: we need to trust and not despair, we must stop pestering the Lord and never complain about Him. 

The patriarch then tied his son up; thus, he could not escape that mission. Jesus was arrested for the love that the Father gave Him for us. Even if the crowd shouted for him to be released, instead of “crucify” Him, Christ would still fulfill the plan of redemption. After being nailed to the cross, the Master prayed that that sin would not be cast upon those people. The Savior was noble in everything.

Isaac was a man and could have tried to escape at the crucial moment, but he didn’t. When it was His turn, Jesus gave Himself on our behalf, not refusing death. The Savior showed no weakness and, after having physically died, he walked through Hell to fight the devil and defeated him, taking the keys of death and Hell (Revelation 1:18). Christ closed that house in favor of those who accepted Him as Savior and Lord.

The kingdom of death was happy with Hell, but Jesus was happy with what He would do for us. Isaac patiently waited for the act to be consummated, symbolizing the Master, who endured our sins and evils.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares