My devotional today was partly in the book of Genesis, the story of Abraham being told by God to sacrifice his only son Isaac. I was reading and asking for wisdom, and the Holy Spirit pointed out a few things for me that I must have seen before but never really noted.

The child Isaac was carrying the wood to lay on the altar, that same wood on which he was going to be sacrificed.

Jesus, likewise, carried His own cross, until He stumbled and fell under its weight and a man named Simon from Cyrene bore the burden. Jesus knew He was headed to die on the cross, yet He willingly carried that wooden symbol of our freedom from sin. I have to wonder if Isaac was filled with a little fear, knowing that they were going to make a sacrifice and there was no animal with them. He even asked His Father about it and Abraham answered him that God would provide. (Read Genesis 22)

When Abraham had tied Isaac to the altar, there was no hesitation. He lifted the knife to kill his only son, the child of promise that God had given him and Sarah. The angel of the Lord had to call out to him twice to get his attention and tell him not to kill Isaac. I think Abraham was intently focused on carrying out God’s will and perhaps thinking about how God was going to work all of this out for him. He had told Isaac that God would provide and there, in the wilderness, was a ram for him to offer instead. God provided the substitute sacrifice for his son. Just as God provided our sacrifice, once for all, in the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is indeed worthy of all honor, wisdom, glory and blessing. He lay down His life willingly for each of us, the Father’s sacrifice for the people He created and loved. God provided. We must believe and accept. There is no other way to God except through Jesus, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of mankind.

The parallel between Isaac and Jesus is obvious to me, now. But I also see some differences, the main one being that Isaac was saved from being killed on the altar while Jesus had to die on the cross. I cannot imagine the Father’s grief mingled with the joy of a job well done and complete by the Son whom He loved. Nor can I imagine Abraham’s faith to know in his heart that God would provide. Would that each of us could have the faith of Abraham, the willingness of Jesus and the love of the Father.