A Ram in the Thicket

What is the hardest thing you have ever done? Maybe it was a physical challenge such as illness or an extreme workout. Perhaps, you faced emotional turmoil within a relationship that was most important to you. 

In Genesis chapter twenty-two, God tests Abraham by commanding him to offer his only son, Isaac as a sacrifice. This was surely the hardest thing Abraham had been asked to do in his lifetime. He and his wife Sara had longed for a child. Isaac was a miracle from the Lord and a true answer to prayer. How could God be asking him to do such an unthinkable thing?

Through the strength of the Lord and an act of obedience, Abraham accepted what he was being called to do. After three days of travel, Abraham laid wood atop of his beloved son. Isaac cried out, “My father!” to which Abraham reassured him with the powerful reminder that God would provide. 

The Lord did indeed provide. At just the right time, Abraham heard the Angel of the Lord. God delighted in Abraham’s sacrificial obedience and willing spirit. In substitution for Isaac’s life, there was a ram in the thicket. Atop the same mountain that Jesus would later be crucified for the sins of mankind, God provided. The Lord gave Abraham the blessing of keeping his son, while He would one day lose His. 

Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So, they went both of them together (Genesis 22:8, ESV).

Sacrificial love is a difficult thing to understand before experiencing personal moments that require the laying down of one’s own preferences in order to care for the needs of others. Christ displayed the highest form of sacrificial love by laying down his very life for the past, present, and future transgressions of the entire world. 

The testimony of Abraham’s obedience to God the Father beautifully mirrors that of Christ’s. Slandered by a crowd of thousands and mocked by religious leaders, the Lord Jesus submitted to the will of His Father. In His humanity, Christ asked that the cup of death be taken, yet He continued to trust God for His provision. 

God is faithful to His promises. Romans chapter eight tells us that God will work all things for the good of those who love Him. There are circumstances in life that seem utterly hopeless. We may verbally confess to the belief in God’s promises while silently doubting that He cares at all. “How could you ask this of me?”, “Why do I have to do it in this way?” “Where are you in this darkness, Lord?” Questions pile in our head, attempting to steal our joy and suffocate us because of the unknown answers. 

The distinction between Jesus and Abraham is that Jesus knew every detail of what would come next. Jesus did not have to carry the weight of fear because He knew that Sunday would arrive. We, too, have the hope of Sunday. Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave. Our confidence rests in the Risen Savior who extends grace and mercy to His children every single day. 

The Old Testament is a place of many sacrifices. Abraham was familiar with the necessity of climbing a mountain, building an altar, and offering his best sacrifice to the Lord. Giving up his son Isaac would have been the costliest form of payment he could ever lay down. God knew this, and He provided a substitution through the unlikely means of a ram in the distant thicket. 

We do not always know the how or what of God’s will. However, we do know who. His name is Jesus, and He is the Spotless Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. In Christ, we are provided with everything we need to face even the most tragic circumstances of life. 

Are you in need of a ram in the thicket? Maybe it has felt like God forgot about you. Rest knowing that you are seen, loved, and protected. The book of Psalms says that in the presence of God there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. While God does give good and perfect gifts, the ultimate gift is Himself. In the presence of the Lord, there is freedom. There is no longer a mountain climb required of us to meet with the Lord. Through Christ, we may approach the throne of grace just as we are. 

Our obedience to God always precedes His blessing to us. We do not serve God for what He gives us but for who He is. Yet, He is gracious to extend the blessings of His love, mercy, and grace, as we seek Him in a posture of surrendered obedience.  Abraham chose to obey the Lord, and God promised him children upon children. You are not forgotten. In fact, an entire generation of people can be impacted by your daily steps of faithful obedience to the Creator of the universe. Press forward toward the tasks God has uniquely and specifically given to you.