I decided to look up the word 'tempt', because although I was pretty sure I knew what it meant, I wanted to see what the actual word means. And it surprised me that it means: Test, adventure.
So when my faith is tested by God, I can change my perspective, and look at it as going on an adventure with God!
Adventure:
(noun)
1. An undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks.
2. An exciting or remarkable experience.
3. An enterprise involving financial risk.
(verb)
1. To expose to danger or loss.
2. to venture upon; try.
(intransitive verb)
1. To proceed despite risk.
2. To take the risk.
I can walk confidently with God through any trial because I know that, despite the risk, He will use it for my good and His glory. Though it may result in loss, it will be a remarkable experience that will draw me closer to Him, and whatever is lost was meant to be taken away and replaced with something better for me.
This leads into Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. Here was this child he had prayed for, suffered for, waited so long for, and he was being asked to give him to the Lord. And not just give him to the Lord, but make him a burnt offering.
Though Abraham had faith that God would provide himself a lamb, he didn't see that provision until he let go of what he held so dearly. It wasn't until Isaac was bound on the altar and Abraham had the knife ready to give him fully to God, that the angel stopped him and he saw the ram caught in the thicket.
Genesis 22:8-13
(8) "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
(9) And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
(10) And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
(11) And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
(12) And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. (13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."
(11) And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
(12) And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. (13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."
God had a plan the whole time, and provided a ram before Abraham ever got to the place of sacrifice. He just had to let go of what he held dear to see the better thing God had prepared for him.
What is your Isaac that you can give to God today?
Very good study! I recently read this passage, and I loved that Abraham told his servants that both he and Isaac would return to them after worshiping. Did he know what would happen? I doubt it, but he knew somehow that all would be okay. A life of faith.
ReplyDeleteIn Hebrews 11 we see that Abraham did believe that God could raise Isaac from the dead if he wasn't prevented from offering him.
ReplyDeleteHeb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
So while Abraham did not know for sure HOW God was going to do it, he certainly believed that God would intervene in some way. Definitely a life of faith! :)