For several years I taught Sunday school to the littles of our church. One year, I would teach the Old Testament stories and the next year I would teach the New Testament stories. At the beginning of each lesson, I would give the children a brief overview of all that had happened prior to the story I was going to teach. By the end of the year, the children could recite the whole Biblical timeline. It was something to see. I am going to do that for you each day this month. Let’s see if you, like the little ones, by the end have a better grasp of the timeline of redemptive history.

I want to tell you what happened before telling you today’s account of Isaac.

Creation

In the beginning God created the heavens and earth and Jesus was with God in the beginning. God created this world in six days. On the sixth day, He created Adam and Eve and gave them a command not to eat from a certain tree in the garden.

Sin

But, Satan, in the form of a snake, came and tempted them and they disobeyed bringing sin into the world. However, God promised that one day, He would send a Savior to crush the head of Satan, but the Savior would be wounded to do so. Adam and Eve had to leave the garden and life was hard. Sin became rampant on the earth.

Flood

After some time, God decided to cleanse the world of its sin by starting again with Noah, a man blameless before the Lord. Just as Noah and his family were safe from the judgement of God in the ark, we, in Christ, are safe from God’s judgement to come.

Tower of Babel

God commanded Noah and his family to spread out over the face of the earth, but they disobeyed and stayed in one place and built a huge city. Noah’s descendants wanted to build a tower that they had made; something they could worship; something they thought could help them worship God. But God, in His mercy, confused their language. The people would no longer understand one another and so the building of the tower stopped and they began to spread out over the face of the earth.

Blessing

God chose one family to be His chosen family. This family started with Abraham and his wife Sarah. God told Abraham that one day he would have as many children as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore and that in his offspring (Jesus), all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Abraham and Sarah had no children and had to wait until they were very old to have a child. This boy’s name was Isaac. Isaac brought joy to his parents. His name means ‘laughter.’ Little did they know how God was going to test them and that is where the account of Isaac picks ups today. Here is the account in Genesis 22:1-14.

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 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.” 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. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 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.”  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.  And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”  Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 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.  Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.  But the angel of the Lordcalled to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”  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.”  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.  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.”

As Isaac grew, the same blessing was given to him as was given to his father.

And the Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.  Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.  I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father (Genesis 26:2-5)

As we think about the account of Isaac, do you see Jesus?

Who is God in the person of Christ? He is the Lamb of God, the Provider of Our Ransom

John 1:29 The next day he (John) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Who are we in Him? We are Ransomed. Like Isaac who was ransomed by the ram, we are ransomed by Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

	Who is God in the person of Christ?	Who are you in Him?
Creation	Creator	A New Creation
Sin	Sinless	A Saved Sinner
Flood	The Way of Salvation	Safe from Wrath to Come
Abraham	Fulfillment of Promise	A Blessed Heir According to Promise
Isaac	God’s Only Son – The Lamb of God	Ransomed

When You Pray…Pray for:

1. Yourself
2. Your Spouse
3. Your Children/Grandchildren
4. 1st Saturday – Neighbors

Praise the Lord for sending His son, His only Son, the lamb of God to save you. Pray for those that are not believing that today would be the day when they bow their knee and confess with their mouth and believe in their heart that Jesus, who came as a baby; God in the flesh, who grew and eventually took their place, taking the judgement that they deserve by dying on the cross for their sins

Blessings to you,

Heather