Abraham

God Provided the Sacrifice

Tom Ratkovich, , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

In Chapter 22 of the Book of Genesis, we read the account of Abraham’s willing intent to sacrifice his son, Isaac – often called the Binding of Isaac.

The narrative details God’s command to Abraham to take Isaac on the three-day journey to Moriah where he would offer his son as a burnt offering. Isaac, most likely in his late twenties or early thirties at the time, was unmindful of the Lord’s directive. Hence, his question of his father just prior to their departure was proffered in innocence:

“Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Genesis 22:7(b)

Abraham’s response not only provided momentary assurance for Isaac but, more crucially, foreshadowed God’s plan for the redemption of humanity:

And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Genesis 22:8

At the time, the law had not been given to Moses on Mt. Sinai specifying the circumstances under which various offerings were to be given. The only burnt offering documented in scripture prior to this was that of Noah in Genesis 8:20-21:

“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.”

As we learn in scripture, a burnt offering was a voluntary sacrifice, typically of an unblemished bull, sheep, goat or bird. The animal was completely consumed by fire on an altar as an act of worship to God signifying total consecration, devotion and atonement for sin.

In this case, the sacrifice was to be not an animal or bird, but Abraham’s only son born of his wife, Sarah.

Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac because he believed God would raise him from the dead. He had faith in God’s promise that “in Isaac your seed shall be called” (Genesis 21:12(b)). Indeed, as we read in James 2:21-23, Abraham’s faith was completed by his actions:

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

God did not mandate burnt sacrifices because He needed them; rather, they were established as a divine means of grace to allow sinful humans to approach and remain in the presence of a holy God.

Of course, such rationale does not satisfy many skeptics who question God’s redemptive plan. And, to be honest, His plan indeed requires trust in the Father’s omniscience, omnipotence and love for His creation.

Scripture teaches us that “without shedding of blood there is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22) I confess that I do not fully understand why a loving God would require the sacrifice of a living creature to satisfy His wrath and atone for man’s sin. Nor do I believe I am supposed to in its entirety.

What I do understand is this: God’s plan intended that the blood of bulls and goats would be but a temporary means of atonement for sin – that He had a much more awesome design for removing the barrier of sin that precluded His creation from fellowship with Him…

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4)

That plan indeed included a blood sacrifice – a sacrifice not of bulls, goats or birds – but of His only begotten Son. In His great love, God not only gave us the road map to perpetual fellowship with Him, He provided the sacrifice! The great plan of God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit came together at the cross – a once for eternity atonement for the sins of those who believe in Him.

We know, of course, that as Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to sacrifice his son, he was interrupted by the Angel of the Lord:

“Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. (Genesis 22:12-13)

As He did for Abraham, God has provided the sacrifice – the ultimate sacrifice for those who, like Abraham, fear God and put their faith in Christ Jesus.

The True Sons of Abraham: Defining Inheritance Through Faith

Tom Ratkovich, , , , , , Leave a comment

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:15-16)

There is robust debate between Dispensationalists and most other Christian factions about the Apostle Paul’s specific reference to the “Israel of God.” Dispensationalists, noting that nowhere in scripture is the church explicitly called Israel, maintain that the phrase refers to ethnic Jews who have embraced Christ. Such a position fits well with their end-times scenarios.

Many Christians see it differently – primarily (but not always) treating New Testament references to Israel as the Church – the entire community of believers in Christ Jesus regardless of heredity. Personally, this is the direction in which I lean, but must confess that I am far from a biblical scholar. Thankfully, I do not believe that this is a salvation issue.

Nonetheless, I am unmoved by the Dispensationalist argument, particularly when viewed within the larger context of the epistle. For me, Paul’s intent seems quite clear in Galatians 3:6-9:

Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

Translation: Abraham’s faith made him righteous in the eyes of God. Those of faith – ONLY those of faith in Christ Jesus – share in that righteousness as the adopted sons of Abraham. Thus, it is not a bloodline that defines those that inherit the Lord’s blessing – it is faith in God. Those of faith are the true sons of Abraham – the true Israel. The CHURCH.

For they are not all Israel who are of Israel. (Romans 9:6)

Abraham, of course, had physical descendants. They became the nation of Israel – God’s chosen people with whom He established His covenants. Unfortunately, Israel failed to maintain its fidelity to those covenants. And it is through Israel’s failure that the door was opened to the Gentiles:

Through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. (Romans 11:11)

It was always God’s plan to graft in the nations (Romans 11:19-24) – those who were not physical descendants of Abraham. This is a consistent theme of the Old Testament as evidenced in the writings of the prophet Isaiah (56:6-7):

“Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—
Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

The faith of Abraham was the instrument through which the Lord’s blessing would be available to all – those believers of ethnic descent as well as the Gentiles who, by their faith, are beneficiaries of His grace.

I have already opined that the specific meaning of Israel in the NT is not a salvation issue. So why expend excessive verbosity on the topic?

Because the conflation of God and country might be a salvation issue.

Christian Nationalists, for example, maintain that, like the OT Israel, theirs is God’s chosen nation – and that it was founded as such. Consequently, they seek to consecrate their illusory moral superiority into the law of the land.

I have posted time and again as to the many reasons why this is a bad idea – an un-Christian idea.

In ancient Israel, the law was integral to maintaining the identity and integrity of the nation as God’s chosen. The law was also God’s instrument for illuminating sin. Adam and Eve’s failure to obey a single command introduced sin into this world. The law exposed their descendant’s inability to maintain fidelity with God’s instruction.

So great was Israel’s disobedience that God, in His limitless love for His creation, sent His only begotten Son as a propitiation for that infidelity, and to codify a renewed covenant – one long promised by His prophets.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Written on the hearts of those who seek to maintain faithfulness to this new covenant is this:

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)

The Christian Nationalists, however, see it differently. To them, the law is fulfilled by maintaining strict obedience to legal mandates – an outcome that antiquity has proven is an impossibility. That is why Jesus was sent to us.

Instead, they believe that, like ancient Israel, their nation is God’s chosen. They fail to recognize that God’s chosen is not a nation. It is the Israel of God – the CHURCH.

We will not be judged as a country, but as believers in Christ Jesus. Faith is a choice that we must make as individuals. It is not one that can be legislated or made for us.

Is it a salvation issue if Christian Nationalists seek to remove that choice? I pray that it is not. Though there is nothing Christian about Nationalism, I believe that most will have the right answer to the big question: “Who do you say that I am?”

I fear, however, that by throwing up roadblocks for those of us who seek to bring people to Christ through love and compassion rather than guilt and compulsion, their rewards in heaven will be diminished.

“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Luke 6:43-45)