Our talk today is given by Sam Brewster from Trinity@4 and Sam will be looking at the Binding of Isaac in Genesis 22, and what means for our understanding of faith and the sacrifice of Jesus
Our reading is Genesis 22: 1-19
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
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 am I.” 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.”
15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.
Talk by Sam Brewster:
We sing – “How deep the Father’s love for us”:
And now let’s say the Grace for each other:
