Here I Am

One of the most emotional stories of the Bible is found in Genesis 22.  "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, 'Abraham!'  And he said, 'Here I am.' Then he said, 'Take now 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 will tell you.'  So Abraham rose early in the morning......"

This story has a heartbreaking beginning.  Imagine the pain that Abraham was feeling.  He had to travel a long ways, then climb a mountain and sacrifice his beloved son.  There are many points to be noted here, but the most significant will be left for last.  Notice that after being told to do this, Abraham starts early in the morning of the next day.  He didn't wait around to follow God's command.  And imagine how difficult it must have been for Abraham to get any sleep that night!

Another fact to be noticed is that the mountain that God sent Abraham on was the very same mountain on which Solomon built the temple.  This is the mountain upon which Jerusalem was built, the mountain from which king David reigned, and the mountain where Jesus was crucified.  Much of the Bible history revolves around this key spot, where modern day Jerusalem still stands.

And going back to the beginning of the story, it can be noted that when God called Abraham, he replied, "Here I am."  Abraham was not a shirker.  I'm sure that he would like to have hidden, or run; but that was not Abraham's way.

And then there is the most significant point of the story:  There is a direct correlation between this story and the story of God sacrificing His Son, Jesus.  Just as Abraham was asked to sacrifice his only and beloved son, God would generations later offer his Son to be sacrificed.  The key difference here is that God spares Abraham's son, Isaac, and lets a ram be sacrificed instead; but Jesus is not spared and gives His life to bring salvation to all....to all who would give their lives in service to Jesus. 

The story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 had a great ending.  But the story of the death of Jesus, the sacrifice of His life, is quite painful.  And yet the ending is great here, too.  Jesus overcomes death by rising from the dead, walks on the earth for 40 days (Acts 1), and ascends to heaven to reign on the throne of God. 

We can learn from Abraham and try to imitate his great faith in following God.  And we can be ready to say, "Here I am" whenever God calls us to His service.

Thanks for reading.  See you next week.