10/1/18 – Genesis 21, Genesis 22, Genesis 23 Matthew 8:23-34, Matthew 9:1-13 Psalm 7:10-17

Gen 21:1 – The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.

#reassuring

This passage tells us 2 things. Or one thing twice, really: What God says He will do, He will do. God is faithful to His promises. He is good and you can trust Him.

It seemed impossible, it really did. But if God said – God will do. The big question isn’t really “will God?” – the only question is “what did God say?”. We can’t hold him to promises He hasn’t made, things we’ve misheard or made up. But when God has spoken into a situation – He will be faithful to that. No doubt at all.

Gen 22:2 – 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.” 

This chapter is always a challenge. It can be hard to get our heads around, why would God fulfil the promise to Abraham only to ask him to sacrifice his son?

But we miss the wonder of the Gospel contained in this story when we overlook it. This took place in an area, where Jerusalem would be and this story would see its ultimate fulfilment in the same place. Isaac was not a child at this time, but a young man in his prime. And his father was prepared to sacrifice him.

Before they go up, Abraham says God will provide a lamb. As things continue, God provides a Ram – not a lamb. Why not a lamb?

Because the Lamb was still to come.

2,000 years ago, a different young man was a willing sacrifice. Our Heavenly Father gave his only son, Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice – the lamb of God for us. God never wanted the sacrifice of Isaac. He wanted to show us what He was going to do – that He would give the ultimate gift to us.

Matt 9:11-13 – And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Those who are well have no need of a physician… Which begs a question, who is well? When it comes to sin, none of us are well. We are all sick. We have all fallen short and we all continue to do so.

So Jesus isn’t saying there are some people who are good enough, who don’t need him. Not at all.

But there are many who do not know they are sick. Those who the world looked at and called “sinners” knew they had a problem. But these people have an advantage – when you know you have a problem, you look for a solution. You look for a doctor.

Many don’t look for Jesus because they don’t know they are sick. They think try are doing just fine. “why do I need Jesus, I’m a good person?”

If only we could all see how desperately we need him and how lost and sick we are. We’d grab ahold of Him and cling to Him – our rock, our hope and our salvation.