A Future Offering

The focus of the narrative returns to Isaac and brings to our attention the wonderful example of Abraham's faith. We must never underestimate how clearly the patriarch beheld the future in all their dealings. Abraham saw Christ's day ‘and was glad.' He saw the need for sacrifice for sin and understood that from his family line the Lord would bring forth His Messiah. He understood salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Likewise he knew that Canaan was a type of heaven and that the journey the Lord had called him to begin would terminate in heaven. He believed in the reality of the unseen God and made his actions in the present conform to these beliefs, even to the extent of being willing to offer up his own son. He believed that the Lord would be able to raise his son from the dead. Do we have such faith in the unseen God and in the realisation of His future plans? Do we make our actions in the present conform to our belief in what will happen in the future?

The offering that Abraham made was full of significance and meaning regarding the future sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. On that occasion there would be agreement between the Son and the Father. God was destined, in fulfilment of Abraham's words, to provide a sacrifice. There would be a substitute but it would not be a ram but the Lord Himself would die for His people.