Kidan
Moderator
[b said:Quote[/b] ]Abraham built an altar . . . ; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar . . .
—Genesis 22:9
Today's Utmost
Well now that we got the details out of the way....
I like this verse, yet so often the wrong impression is gotten from it. Taken out of context, it appears that God wants Abraham to give up his son. That it's the desire of God that the child of promise to be killed. Taken in context the story becomes a discourse on obediendance, even when we don't like the potential outcome.
Yet I seee it, as a discussion, on what type of sacrifice God expects of us. The sacrifice of the Old Covenant always involved spilling of blood. The New Covenant is sealed with blood, causing us to be living sacrifices to God. We give our lives to Him. Yet just as in the case of Isaac, we are not to die. Isaac was a sacrifice, even though he wasn't slain (and another was slain in his place). By Abraham placing Isaac on the alter, he was telling God, that God could do with him as God wills.
When we become living sacrifices, we place ourselves on the alter of the cross. We identify ourselves with the death of Christ and are telling God that we ar His people, willing and able to listen to His will and carry it out. Even if we don't like the potential outcomes. We are not to die. We are not to 'have no fun' we are to live a life, filled with joy and hope, sharing the gospel, and living that life as close to the life that Christ lived as possible.
Let me tell you a secret about Christ's life that is rarely heard and even more rarely believed.
Jesus laughed.
Were there times when Jesus was angry or sad? sure, but they were the rare times. Jesus lived a happy life, even though He knew how it was going to end. Jesus lived a full life, yet He didn't have to sin, to have fun. This is the type of sacrifice we are to be. Happy, even though we know troubles are coming. Living a full life, without sin. As today's devotional says, we're no use to God when we're dead.