Summary of passage: God calls Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac as a burnt offering in the mountains of Moriah. So Abraham faithfully takes Isaac to where God calls him, bounds his son, and prepares to kill him. On the journey, Abraham tells Isaac that God will provide the burnt offering.
An angel of the Lord stopped Abraham before he killed Isaac, saying he has proved he fears God because he didn’t withhold his son from Him. God provided a ram instead to sacrifice. The angel says because of Abraham’s faithfulness the Lord will bless him and make his descendants as numerous as the stars and will rule over the cities of their enemies.
All nations on earth will be blessed because of Abraham’s obedience. Then Abraham went to Beersheba.
Questions:
8a) Hebrews sums up Genesis 22. Verse 9 in Genesis mirrors verse 17 in Hebrews, saying Isaac was offered as a sacrifice. After the test, verse 17 in Genesis has an angel telling Abraham everyone will be blessed through Isaac like in verse 18 of Hebrews. Genesis 21:12 is the verse quoted in Hebrews. Verse 12 of Genesis has God sparing Isaac like in Hebrews 19 and thus receiving him back from the dead.
b) Because he was obeying God through faith and knew everything would be okay. Like how we are to feel when we obey.
c) Through Christ’s faith and obedience to the Father, he experienced the joy of reconciling man to Him and taking his place beside the Father.
d) Personal Question. My answer: Writing gives me joy and I sacrifice a lot in order to do it (mainly sleep!). This site brings me joy despite the criticism and doubts it has brought. I hope it’s all for Him.
9a) According to Webster’s Dictionary, a substitute is “a person or thing that takes the place or function of another.”
b) A ram
c) Jesus
d) Personal Question. My answer: Eternal gratitude, awe, and immense desire to please God and obey.
10a) Personal Question. My answer: The same. Listen and obey. I don’t think many of us would have a problem of being told to not kill our kids!
b) God will bless him and make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. His descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies and through his offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.
Conclusions: I have mixed feelings on this lesson. When I read the first question and saw Hebrews, I said, “Ah, not Hebrews…AGAIN!” I don’t think I can glean anything else from Hebrews in terms of Abraham and his faith. I think most of us by now have gotten the idea that Abraham was faithful.
The best idea is that we should have joy when we obey God. And I would add peace. A lot of people grumble or obey reluctantly and that is not what God wants. But I think these people if they obey God enough will experience that joy. After all, obeying God is what we were created to do. Everything else is insignificant.
Nothing else was new here.
I have a different response to being sent back to Hebrews. As many times as the lessons have taken us back to Hebrews or other new testament chapters, a feeling of doubt over takes me. For some reason the Lord hasn,t given me the ability to process what he is saying..So for me, I need to hear and read it again and again.
I would just like to encourage you in your sacrifice to continue your blog regardless of any criticism or doubt. I am finding your insight and knowledge and your growth in the LORD through his word a blessing. I am moved to encourage you sister to let you know that your comments and personal sharing have been a light for me to help me to stay on His path. Please rebuke all doubts. You probably don’t know how you are affecting others through demonstrating your faithfulness to studying His word. Peace, love and joy through our LORD to you this day and always!
Ditto, Rose –so well said, count me in too!
Me, too. My friend from college is also struggling in her BSF across the nation from me and I have been having some rough days myself. Even for those not yet experiencing joy in sacrifice, there will joy in the reaping of the harvest some day. We all need to press on through the dark days, the doubt, and the discouragement. That’s what the darkness wants…us to stay in the darkness. Amen, Rose. Rebuke all doubt. Remove all depression. Restore us in the name of Christ.