Jesus the Hero Family Devotional: Week 4 Day 2

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Week 4: Day 2

Genesis 22

Key Text

“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.” Genesis 22:13

The Sacrifice of the Seed of Promise and the Provision of God

Men break promises. That’s why we don’t have much faith in the promises of man. But what about the promises of God? Can we always trust God? This question must have crossed the mind of Abraham as he saddled his donkey and packed the supplies for the burnt offering of his son Isaac—the son of the promise. But, Abraham didn’t hesitate when he was commanded by God to take Isaac to the land of Moriah to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Even though he couldn’t have understood why God wanted him to kill his beloved son, he prepared to do it anyway. That is faith (Heb 11:17-19).

Faith is following God’s command even when we don’t understand why or even how it will be accomplished. Faith is putting God first above your own understanding in every situation in your life.

Isaac knew something strange was going on because he didn’t see the lamb for the sacrifice (Gen 22:7). But, Abraham assured him in a fatherly way that God would provide (Gen 22:8). And as Abraham lifted the sharp blade of the knife in defiance of all worldly logic to kill his own son, he heard the saving words of the angel of the LORD telling him to stop (Gen 22:11-12). Then Abraham looked and saw the substitute sacrifice of a ram caught by his horns in the thicket (22:13). The LORD will always provide. He provided a substitute sacrifice then on a hill in Moriah—and later on a hill outside Jerusalem.

Chad Lindon

Connection with Newer Testament

Hebrews 11

For the Kids

Ask your kids about the promise you made yesterday. Are they worried you might change your mind? Are they confused when your actions don’t match their expectations? Explain how God always fulfills his promises, sometimes in very unexpected ways.

Prayer Prompts

1. Praise God for Jesus, the perfect Son who was sacrificed on the cross for us. God willingly crushed his Son in order to make a way for us to be reconciled to him.

2. Ask God to help you live every day with the God-given faith of Abraham, trusting God to provide in even the most difficult and trying of circumstances.