Daily Dose of the Word of God - Genesis 22: 9-14

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor

Transcript

Gregg DeMey  0:07

 
Good morning and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. It is Thursday, September 11. This is Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor of the church. We are walking through the Bible, reading today from Genesis chapter 22, 9 through 14. It's my prayer that together, we'll be able to better see the big picture of how God has been and is still at work for good in the world.

Gregg DeMey  0:32  

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Gregg DeMey  1:31  

The Hebrew phrase here, "the Lord provides," is traditionally transliterated into English as, "Jehovah Jireh." Jireh is one of the awesome names for God. And by naming this place, Abraham preserved in the memory of God's people, the amazing event that took place there. Genesis 22 is all about how God provides and the character of God who provides. Earlier, Isaac asked his dad about the sacrifice. What are we going to sacrifice? And Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice." I'd love to know what exactly was in Abraham's mind when he said that. Was he thinking that Isaac was the Lamb already provided? Was he trusting that God would find some creative way forward? In the New Testament, Hebrews 11:19 says this, "Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." Indeed, God does always find a creative, redemptive way forward to provide.

Gregg DeMey  2:41  

Let's pray. O God, when it comes to the biggest problem of all - our sins, our rebellion - you have provided your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, to be the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. What a way to provide for us. In the troubles and problems of this day, we invite your creative, redemptive spirit to be at work in and around us, providing what only you can. Give us the spiritual eyes to see it so we can thank you and glorify you. In Jesus' strong name we pray, amen.