“The LORD Will Provide!”

“The LORD Will Provide!”(Gen.22:1-14).
There is an African wisdom of the sages that they give you with the right hand, and you give back with the left hand. What they mean is that you give back with reluctance. Again, parents used to test a child by putting meat inside a lump of fufucorn and give it to the child to see if the child will take it or not.
Even though Christians use the Old Testament as a document of faith they downplay the story of Abraham accepting to sacrifice Isaac.
It is Islam that has given great importance to the sacrifice of Isaac.
“Eid al-Adha, commonly called the ‘Feast of the Ram’ or Festival of Sacrifice, is a major Islamic holiday that honours Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. But before the sacrifice, Allah provided a ram to be slaughtered instead.”
The study of ancient religions reveal that human sacrifice was a common practice in the ancient world. The story of the attempted sacrifice of Isaac was YAHWEH making a difference by putting a stop to human sacrifice. That is why he put a stop to this kind of sacrifice by using his Son once and for all as the last human sacrifice.
What is it that you possess and which you find difficult to surrender to the LORD? And while you are holding tight to it, have you ever asked yourself, “But who provided this thing to me?”
Let me put it this way, “What or who is your Isaac? – a priced possession that you cherish so much that you feel bad to surrender but yet compelled to surrender!
Abraham’s acceptance to sacrifice Isaac is the peak of obedience, though naive. Abraham did not know that the LORD was testing him when he asked him to sacrifice Isaac. But he obeyed without questioning. Poor innocent Isaac; a pawn in God’s game of chess!
Dear friend, the story of Abraham willing to sacrifice Isaac – a son he prayed for, and who came in his old age – is a story of submissive obedience or obedient submission!
Isaac is a prototype of Christ. By the death of Christ, God did not only test himself, he did it! The death of Jesus is the peak of the demonstration of God’s love for humanity!
Life lesson: There is nothing that you own that is too precious. Whatever the LORD ask you to give comes from him. “All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above…”
Remember this: The LORD will always provide! Do not hold tight to what the LORD request from you. It comes from him. Nobody has ever become poor just because s/he gave back to God the Owner of all things!
Prayer: LORD help me to learn the lesson of submissive obedience. Amen!
Welcome back to a new working day and week! Have a blessed day and week!
Rev Babila Fochang.
23/03/2026.