Immediate Obedience

On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. (Gen 17:23)

When God confirmed his covenant with Abram, he gave him a new name, Abraham, and a new sign of the covenant, circumcision. God commanded that Abraham and every male in his household be circumcised, which would have been hundreds of men. (Gen 14:14) This must not have sounded like a great idea to Abraham, let alone to all his servants, but this verse tells us he did it the very same day! One of the things I love about Abraham is that he was always quick to obey. Even when he was later commanded to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac he did not hesitate. Gen 22:3 says he got up “early the next morning” for the journey to Mt. Moriah.

When God’s commandments sound hard am I quick to obey? When a sacrifice is required do I hesitate? Lord, help me follow the example of Abraham. Whatever the task, he was ready. Give me courage to obey you in times of testing. Amen.

Loving Like Jesus

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (Jn 13:34)

Why did Jesus say this was a new command? Lev 19:18 says, “Love your neighbor as yourself” and Jesus even quoted that verse. What’s new here is the standard of love Jesus sets for us. It’s hard enough to love my neighbor as I love myself, but how much harder is it to love my neighbor as Christ loves me? Jesus spoke these words to his disciples as he gave them his final instructions on the night before his death. Pressing in on him was the magnitude of the ordeal he was about to endure. He knew full well what it would cost him and his heart was deeply troubled by it, but he pressed forward with a determination born of his incredible love for us. And in that hour he commanded us to love one another as he has loved us. What a tall order! That is a kind of love I do not possess in my own nature. It can only come from God. With the Spirit of God in my heart I can love like that, but it is still a hard choice, as it was for Jesus. Would I expend myself for my brothers in Christ? Would I give all that I have for them? Only by truly surrendering to the Father’s will, as Jesus did. Lord, give me a heart to love as you love.

No Easy Life

This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. (Acts 9:15-16)

With these words the Lord Jesus commands Ananias in a vision to go to the newly converted Saul in Damascus. God saved Saul miraculously, appearing to him in a vision on the Damascus road. In the Lord’s words to Ananias, it is clear that before Paul had done a single thing in God’s service God had chosen him for greatness. And indeed, no man ever accomplished so much or suffered so greatly for the Gospel as Paul. Like Peter and John, Paul counted it a great privilege to suffer for Jesus. Once again I am confronted with the connection between suffering and serving God. If I insist on an easy life I will accomplish little. Can I follow the example of the apostles? Lord, I am willing to lay everything down for you. I know I can’t possibly do that in my own strength. Holy Spirit, accomplish in me what I cannot do in myself.

Sirloin Symbolism

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” (Gen 1:29)

Genesis portrays the world as a very different place before the Fall. Neither people nor animals (v30) killed for food. After the Fall, the pattern we see is that people kill animals so they can live. The picture is one of sacrifice. God killed an animal to clothe them in skins (3:21). And later, in the sacrificial system established by the Mosaic law, the animal that was killed was also eaten. The priests and the Levites received their share, as did the person who brought it. This was foreshadowed in the Passover feast. Whenever we eat meat, it should remind us that a Sacrifice was required for our salvation.

Sacrifice

So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Gen 22:14)

The mountain of the Lord is the place of sacrifice. Here where Abraham offered up Isaac is where the Temple would later stand. Here all Israel brought their sacrifices. In the place of sacrifice God will provide. Metaphorically, we must also get to that place before the Lord can provide. If we hold tightly to what he has already given, why should we expect God to give more? It is not until we are willing to lose what we have that God can bless us. If we are stingy with the gifts he has already given we will never know what abundance could be ours. Abraham was willing to do the inconceivable – to sacrifice his only son. No man has ever been asked to surrender more and none has ever been more greatly blessed. Lord, forgive me for holding on to what I have too tightly. Teach me to be willing to abandon all and trust in faith that you will provide.