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Summary by Darrin Koehler

It is with Abraham that we begin to see the narrative of God to redeem humanity really take shape. When he was at the age of 75, God called out to him, saying, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 12:2,3) But before this would be realized, Abraham’s faith would be challenged. Abraham questioned God because he had no son of his own, yet God promised, “your very own son shall be your heir,” saying, “‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them…. So shall your offspring be.’ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

This does indeed show that God desires faith, and that the righteous shall live by faith. However, Abraham becomes impatient when he and his wife do not have a child. His wife says to him, “the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” (Gen. 16:2) But this was not God’s plan. As a result of this, Abraham had a son named Ishmael who would stand as an adversary to Israel for many years. But God was gracious, and he still fulfilled his promise. He said about Abraham’s wife: “I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her…. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant.”

It happened just as God said. Abraham’s wife had a child and they named him Isaac. But that’s not where this story ends. Abraham would face yet another test of faith. God commanded Abraham, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” What a command! Yet Abraham did not hesitate; he had such faith that in Hebrews 11:17 we read, “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead.” However, God did not allow Abraham to kill his son Isaac. There at the alter, knife in hand, the Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham, saying, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And so the Lord provided instead a ram as a burnt offering in the place of Isaac.

We know now that the purpose of this gut-wrenching scene in history was to foreshadow the coming of Jesus Christ, and how he would be given as the Father’s only son as a sacrifice to save the whole world.

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CrossWay Church is a modern expression of the biblical community of faith, hope and love serving the cities of Debary, Orange City, Deltona, Deland, Sanford and the surrounding central Florida area. Our passion is for the glory and fame of Jesus Christ. Our vision is to effectively engage our contemporary culture with his timeless gospel. Our mission is to help people find and follow hard after him. Visit us on the web at crosswayflorida.com

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