Sunday

God provided a lamb

Voices in the head, the heart, over there, over here. Outside the clamor another noise, bleating..
Abraham dropped the knife, fell down and lay in the dust. Waves of relief coursed over his tired frame. The sun beat down on his back. Rivers of sweat ran down his face. Tears welled up in his eyes.

“Abba, Abba” he heard afar off through the haze of thoughts racing through his mind. He lay quite still, sobbing. Great waves of emotion racked his body and he heaved inconsolably.

Another voice commanded his authority and broke into his reverie. “Abraham, now I know that you fear me, for you did not even held back your son. Get up and be blessed”.

Slowly Abraham drew himself to his feet. “Abba, Abba” came the shouts again, closer now. He looked through his misty eyes and suddenly remembered Isaac was still tied to the altar. He grabbed his knife and ran to the boy, who recoiled in fear. But Abraham quickly severed the cords and untied Isaac. The boy gingerly rose from the altar, but his father lifted him and then embraced him.

Isaac held on to his father but remained wary. But the emotions of the moment soon overwhelmed him and he returned the embrace. “This was between us Isaac. Your mother must never know that God told me to offer you as a sacrifice, but then spared you.”

The bleating of the lamb then reached both men. Abraham deliberately sacrificed the lamb on the altar and showed Isaac how “God had provided Himself a lamb”.

“Abraham”. Both men went still and listened to a whisper caught on the wind. “Blessed are you Abraham. I swear by myself that because you have done this and 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 the sands on the seashore. Your descendants shall take possession of the cities of their enemies and though your offspring all nations on earth shall be blessed because you obeyed me”.

The two men stood for a long while and then sat down on some rocks to watch the sun set on that momentous day. The smoke of the fire curled up into the evening air and the evening star shone in the twilight. “Abba, what happened here?” asked Isaac at last.
(c) Peter Eleazar at www.bethelstone.com

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