God Illustrates the Plan #1

So, the man and his wife moved to the land God directed them to. And, after many years, the man and the woman had a son.

And God told the man, that he would build his family through this son. Through the son’s children, God would produce the people group to represent him. Through the son’s children, God would produce that one person, who would become the way, and means, to a restored relationship between God and man.

But then, God commanded the man to offer his son as a burnt offering.

This must have been very confusing. God says it’s wrong to kill the innocent. God says this boy will be the start of a large people group, and the ancestor of God’s Savior. And God says, give this boy as an offering.

Did God lie?

It is against God’s nature to lie. So, the man believed God’s promise. And he believed God’s command. So, how could God create a family, and a people, through this boy, if he was sacrificed? It says in another part of Scripture, that the man knew God created the world. If the boy was killed, as a sacrifice, and his body burned, God was able to re-assemble his atoms, and breather life into the boy. In short, God could keep his promise, and he could obey the command, because God would restore him from the dead.

So, he acted to obey God. And when the son asked, why didn’t they have a lamb for the sacrifice, the man responded that God would provide.

But, instead of raising the dead, God told the man to stop, just in time. And he provided a ram for the sacrifice.

Sometimes, God’s commands are difficult to obey. God never contradicts his Word. God will never command sin. He will only command what will complete his design, and give life. Scripture says that love fulfills his commands. So, he will only command what shows love.

Sometimes, God’s commands are difficult to obey. But people are able to obey them. People will always be better off, if they obey them. And the world will be better if people obey God’s commands.

NOTE: Throughout history, God gave pictures of his heart for people. Here the picture of man, who rebels against God, and his ways. Each one will pay with his life for that rebellion. Except God provides a substitute. The substitute is sufficient to meet the requirements of God’s justice, and the depth of man’s helplessness. He gives us his sufficiency.