As I said, Gen.22:8 is one of the most prophetic, if not the most prophetic verse in all of the Bible: “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” In English you don’t see the profound impact of this verse and the peace that came over Isaac that allowed him to continue walking up Mt. Moriah with his father because of his father’s answer. I was studying the Torah in a synagogue with several Jewish people, the teacher was Dr, Rabbi Peter Grumbacher and when we came to this verse I asked him, “Can this verse be translated, “My son, God will provide Himself AS a lamb for a burnt offering.?” (emphasis mine) He looked at it for awhile and finally looked up and said, “Yes, the word himself is a reflexive pronoun and can or should be translated, ‘God will provide Himself as a lamb for a burnt offering.’ It would be a good idea to add that little two letter word in the margin of your Bible. Now you can see John 1:29 in a much clearer light when John the Baptizer stood in the Jordan River and declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away, the sin of the world.” Notice the definite articles, ‘The Lamb, The Sin, The World.”  The absence of the definite article qualifies, but the presence of the definite article identifies. Then again in John 1:36, John the Baptizer states it again to two of his disciples, “Behold, the lamb of God.”

In Gen. 22:9 Abraham builds an altar and Isaac, his son, allows him to bind him and lay him on that altar. Isaac is not 12 years old as many believe.  Do the math, he is 37 and his father is 137. He could have easily over powered him but he willingly laid down his life, trusting his father’s will and word. In v.10 Abraham lifts his hand with a knife in it to slay his son, whom he loved. Listen, I don’t care if he is 7, 17, 27, 37, or 107 he had such trust and confidence in his father and in his father’s will that he allowed him to bind him and put him on that altar. In fact he helped him build it and he carried the wood up the mountain. How many of us would allow our father’s to tie us up and light a fire under us? Yet some of us could use a little fire under us at times! Amen? Don’t be to quick to judge your kids, Dad, and put them on the altar. How many of your kids would let you put them on the altar? Do your children have that kind of trust in you, in your life and your walk, your words, your will, your wisdom and your love for them? Would they carry the wood up the mountain and help you build an altar and let you bind them (Akeda)? How is your ‘Family Altar?’ I am speaking to myself here as well. I would have given anything to have heard my father pray one time, just one time!

There are two very important principles here regarding prayer, remember without FAITH we are absolutely powerless to please God! The first principle is this; The test of true faith is in its willingness and readiness to abandon all and devote all to God. “Take now thy son.” YES LORD! The second principle is this; The fruit of true faith is in its willing obedience to the explicit commands of God. (To obey is better than sacrifice…) Listen, the test of FAITH, is total surrender; But; The fruit of FAITH is total obedience. Remember Heb. 11:6, “Without faith, (total surrender) it is impossible to please God… you must believe (total obedience) that He is and that…” Listen, ‘Trust and Faith’ are nouns; ‘Obey and Believe’ are verbs, action words and they have the dynamic, propelling power of verbs! The test, trust Him implicitly! The fruit, obey Him explicitly!

Now we come to the LORD’s provision for Abraham, Gen. 22:11-19, “And the angel of YHWH Jehovah called unto unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.” Seven times in Scripture you have this repetition of names, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Martha, Peter, Paul; an interesting study.  But why the urgency in the Angel of The LORD’s voice here? The knife is coming down! Abraham turns and there is a Ram (ah-yil not a lamb sey) caught in the thicket by his horns and he becomes the offering for Isaac. Abraham calls the place, ‘Jehovah-Jireh‘  (The LORD will provide ahead of time) or Yehovah-Yireh. Jireh has the same Hebrew root as Moriah (ra-ah to see) The LORD will see to it; The LORD will take care of it. I love the end of v.14, “In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”

The ram was already there, why didn’t they see it? Maybe their eyes were on the fog and not on God? Maybe the weight of the test was so heavy they could not see? Maybe the Angel of the LORD put it there at the last second? Maybe we just don’t know? Many times God’s blessings, God’s answers, God’s way of escape is right in front of us or behind us and we can’t see it. In v.5 they are worshiping; in v.9 they are sacrificing; and I am sure in v.10 they are both praying before he slays Isaac. Here is the third ‘Prayer Principle;’ “Prayer opens our eyes so we can see God’s provision or His answer.” That is why Satan does not want you or your Church to get serious about prayer. Listen, after you have prayed, ‘Turn Around’ v.13 and see if your Ram or answer is caught in the thicket by its horns. The Test of Faith, ‘Total Surrender!’ The Fruit of Faith, ‘Total Obedience!’ The Yield of Faith. ‘Total Provision!’ The Result of Faith, ‘Answered Prayer!’ It’s that simple!  “Between The Lines”

Father ‘Increase Our Faith” as we approach the coming day when the trumpet will sound, the clouds will part and Your Son will return, our faith wavers. You said to Peter, ‘Oh thou of little faith’ after he walked on water. How small is ours when we can’t stand on a puddle. Lord, ‘give more to us faith.’ You said if our faith was like a mustard seed we could say to a mountain, ‘Move’ and it would move and we can’t even move a paper clip. LORD, please increase our faith. In Your Son’s holy name we pray. Amen!”

“Portraits of Prayer in Genesis”  Mt. Moriah – Part #4)