One dark night,
Abraham received a barbaric, shocking command from God; he was to sacrifice his
own son, Isaac, Abraham’s beloved and adored! Painfully, but obediently,
Abraham rose early the next morning and took merely a few servants and his son
to Mount Moriah, which was a lengthy journey. After three elongated days of
mentally and physically agonizing travel, Abraham, Isaac and the servants
arrived at the appointed place. The elderly man commanded the servants to stay
behind, while he and Isaac ascended the mountain. Isaac, because he was a curious
individual, asked his silent father where the lamb was, for they had wood and a
torch, but nothing to sacrifice, but Abraham simply replied that God would
provide a sacrifice. Would Abraham be forced to obey God’s barbaric and
shocking command and sacrifice his own son?
After arriving at
the appointed location, Abraham painfully, carefully informed Isaac of God’s
seemingly harsh command. Isaac, who could have easily escaped, allowed his
father to bind and place him on the altar. Abraham, now in extreme emotional
pain, unwilling raised the sharpened knife to slay his own son. Out of thin air
an angle burst forth and plucked the blade from Abraham’s clenched hand. After giving thanks to God, the two men found
a ram with thorns entangled around its horns, because this symbolized Christ’s
death. A dark midnight of pain and harsh commands had been turned into a
beautiful allegory of the world’s savior and daylight.
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