The Birth of Isaac and the Circumcision of Male Children (Gen. 21:1-8)
When Abraham was 99 years old, God appeared to him and made a covenant (agreement) with him. The agreement was extended to all the descendants of Abraham. In the agreement, God promised to bless Abraham if he continued to obey Him. God told Abraham that his wife who was barren would give birth to a baby boy. They believed the promise and soon afterwards his wife conceived and bore him a son at the age of ninety while he (Abraham) was hundred years old. The child was named Isaac meaning laughter. Exactly eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham demonstrated his obedience to God by circumcising him.
Abraham Demonstrates his Obedience in the Sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22:1-18)
When Isaac was about twelve years of age, God asked Abraham to go and offer the child as a sacrifice to Him in the land of Moriah. God wanted to test Abraham’s obedience and confidence because He knew Abraham loved Isaac very much.
Abraham obeyed God’s command without question. When he took out his knife to slay Isaac for the sacrifice, an angel of the Lord stopped him. Abraham took the ram that was provided for him in a thicket and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham therefore called the name of the place: `The Lord will provide-Jehovah Jireh’
God was so happy with the obedience of Abraham that He decided to reward him for his faithfulness.
Moral Lessons
- Abraham left his country to an unknown destination as directed by God. We should never question God when he directs.
- Abraham agreed to sacrifice Isaac to God in obedience to Him. Today we should obey God by sacrificing our time money and resources for the progress of the Church.
- We should trust in God as Abraham did and he received the blessing.
- If we believe in God as Abraham did, it will also be reckoned to us as righteousness.
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