Hebrews 11 E The Faith of Abraham
Hebrews
{11:17} By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac:
and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son,]
{11:18} Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
{11:19} Accounting that God [was] able to raise [him] up, even from
the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Abraham didn't flinch from God's command, why? Because he had faith. He had faith that God would even bring his son back from the dead. He didn't hesitate he knew that God had promised him a whole nation through his son Isaac so the idea that He would ask him to kill that promise wasn't believable. He knew that God had His reasons, reasons beyond his own understanding. He had to obey because he had faith. Or rather, he chose to obey. He didn't have to obey, it was a choice he made. His faith was so great that he went through with it... wait, you think he didn't because Isaac wasn't actually sacrificed? In Abraham's mind he was going to do it. He reached for the knife ready to use it, to slit his son's throat...he reached for the knife.
Gen. {22:10} And
Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay
his son.
The intent to follow through was there. No hesitation, no drawing back. He would have done it had an angel not intervened.
Gen. {22:11} And the angel of the LORD called unto
him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he
said, Here [am] I. {22:12} And he said, Lay not thine hand
upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I
know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld
thy son, thine only [son] from me.
Willing to give his son.
Willing to trust that God would raise his son from the dead if he were to actually sacrfice him- this is faith. This is pure faith.
May God grant us the faith of Abraham.
By His will, by the mercy and grace of his son, now and forever.
Amen.
2/10/10
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh
In the Old Testament before the Messiah came the sanctuary service was the only way a person could find their way to God.
Psa 77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
God who is to be first and foremost in the lives of everyone (Deu 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul), set up the sanctuary service so that when a man disobeyed God and sinned he had a way to find forgiveness and be made one with God again. No man was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place. The only person allowed into the Most Holy Place was the High Priest and then only one time a year. The Most Holy Place where God's presence was on earth. The full way to God was denied to the common man because no animal sacrifice could ever fully atone for the sins against God. Jesus came made it possible for us to have complete atonement in Him.
A veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place and Jesus' flesh, Jesus' death gave us a new way to God all in Him and through Him. Such a miracle! Such an amazing miracle was wrought for us. The blessing we have to be alive knowing that a way to God has been made for us is something so awesome and yet so many take it for granted. We need to boldly come before God, with the blood of Jesus forever before us knowing that it's only through His sacrifice that we can do so, only through the righteousness of our Lord and Savior.
May God bless us, may the Holy Spirit guide us before Him by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, forever and ever.
Amen.
2/10/11