Genesis 22:9–14 (ESV)
The Sacrifice of Isaac (Part 2)
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then
Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He
said, “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.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold,
behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”;
as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
I know
many people say that God provided a “ram” and Jesus is “the lamb”, but they are not the same. Well… they are. A ram is a male goat. But a male lamb is also called a ram. So this alleviates the two not
being the same. God provided a male lamb (or a ram) to substitute for Isaac. God provides Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” If Jesus is a lamb… he is a male lamb… which is rightfully
called a “ram”. A substitute was provided by God.
I pray: O Lord, your plan of Salvation was worked out way before the cross. We
see a foreshadowing of the Christ and the cross in today’s reading. The plan of substitution was always there. Thank you for substituting Jesus’ perfect life for my sinful life, and giving me faith, forgiveness, and eternal life.
Amen.