“I will make you into a great nation,

    and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

    and you will be a blessing.

 I will bless those who bless you,

    and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

    will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:2-3

DEVOTION

 Genealogy has gained a lot of popularity over recent years. At-home DNA kits have made it easier to discover information about family history, leading to reunions with lost and even previously-unknown siblings, parents, and distant relatives. This fascination with family trees is not new, however. From the very beginning, with God’s interaction with humankind in the Garden of Eden, curses and blessings have been promised to be fulfilled in offspring.

One of those promises was made to a man named Abram, as recorded in Genesis 12:2-3. God said,

“I will make you into a great nation,

    and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

    and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

    and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

    will be blessed through you.”

This promise would come through Abram’s offspring, and generations to follow. The only problem was, Abram and his wife, Sarai, didn’t have any children. Years went by and Sarai was unable to become pregnant. When Abram and Sarai were nearly 100 years old and still childless, the Lord came to Abram again explaining that within a year, he and his wife would have their son. God also changed Abram’s name to Abraham, and Sarai’s name to Sarah. Through Abraham and Sarah, their son, who was to be named Isaac, would be the first of the great nation God would create.

Abraham was a great man of faith and God called him righteous. But God tested Abraham’s faith in a way that any parent would find hard to imagine. Genesis 22:2 says,

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’”

Abraham must have been distressed, but he obeyed. He took Isaac, and some firewood and set out for the place he would carry out the sacrifice. On the third day, they arrived at the location. Isaac, who had been present for many sacrifices in his short life, asked his father where the lamb that would be offered as a sacrifice was. Abraham replied, “God himself will provide the sacrifice.”

Abraham built the altar, arranged the wood for the fire, and in a move that can only be explained by great faith in a good God, Abraham bound his son and laid him upon the altar on top of the wood. Just as he was preparing to take his son’s life, an angel of the Lord appeared and told him not to lay a hand on the boy. A ram was provided and the sacrifice fulfilled–Isaac was spared.

The Lord spoke again,

“I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

I can only imagine that three-day walk to the mountain in Moriah. What must have been going through Abraham’s mind? “How could a good God…?” “Take me instead.”

The words of the promise God had given him must have outweighed the doubt. Faith won over fear. He had to keep reminding himself how God had promised to bless all the people through Isaac. How could he do that if Isaac was dead?

When Isaac questioned him about the lamb, Abraham declared the Lord would provide. This had to be what was going through his mind throughout that journey. And God did. Abraham named that mountain The Lord Will Provide.

Generations and generations have come through Isaac. The nation of Israel was an offspring of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham’s faith was so strong, he is known as “The father of our faith.” And when the time was just right, God provided a sacrificial lamb again, a descendent of Abraham, God’s one and only son whom he loved: Jesus. It was through Jesus that all nations would be blessed. In Jesus, the promise passed down through the family lineage was born.

In the end, God restrained Abraham’s hand from sacrificing his son, but God held nothing back when he sacrificed his one and only son. As we face tests and trials, even those when we question, “How could a good God…?”, we need only to gaze upon the cross to remember the Lord will provide. As you prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, remember to praise him as your redeemer, the promised one, your greatest hope and provision.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are a promise-making, promise-keeping God. In the most confusing and chaotic times, you are faithful. While we can’t always understand your ways, we can have faith that you are good. You will provide. Thank you for your Word that gives us glimpses into the lives of those that came before us, to witness your provision and faithfulness. Thank you for the gift of your son, our redeemer and hope. Amen.

Cindy Western

Pastor of Discipleship Materials & Small Groups

Cindy Western is Pastor of Discipleship Materials & Small Groups. She is passionate about helping people experience Jesus through Bible studies, small groups, and community. 

 cwestern@crossings.church

RESOURCES

• Sermon on the Mount series
• Find your Christmas Candlelight service time!
• Listen to Christmas Music