Title: God Will Prepare for Himself
Contents
Genesis 22:1-14 God Himself will provide for Himself.
One day God speaks to Abraham, the father of faith. “Abraham, take your only son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering there on the mountain as far as I will show you.” It is difficult for a father to kill his only son, Isaac, who was born at the age of 100, with his own hands, but it is not easy to cut the corpse into pieces and burn it.
But Abraham said, “Why would a good God do such a thing? Moreover, it is said that my descendants will become as numerous as the stars in the sky and like the sand on the beach because of this only Isaac... He had his only son, Isaac, erase the wood for the burnt offering, and he took the fire and the sword in his hand to offer the real only Isaac as a burnt offering. At that time, the reader Isaac, who did not know any English, asked. “Father, there is fire and wood, but where is the Lamb for the burnt offering?”
Then Abraham said: “Son, God himself provides for himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” As Abraham said these things, he said to himself, “Son, the lamb for the burnt offering is none other than you. I offer you as a burnt offering!” Tears must have flowed from within. But on the other hand, Abraham believed that even if he sacrificed his only son Isaac as a burnt offering, God would spare him again. So when I went down the mountain, I thought that I would not go down alone, but with Isaac.
As Abraham raised his sword and was about to slaughter his only son, Isaac, an angelic voice came from heaven. “Abraham, Abraham, do not lay your hand on the child. You have not withheld me, even your son, your only son, and now I know that you fear God.” When Abraham heard these words, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behind him was a ram whose horns were hanging from the bushes. It is the ram that God has prepared. Abraham offered the ram as a burnt offering and called the land: It means ‘Jehovah Jireh’, which means ‘God who prepares’.
Guys, who does this ram symbolize? Isn't that our Lord Jesus Christ? God Himself prepared the Lamb Jesus Christ who takes away the sin of the world to save us sinners. And on the cross on Golgotha Hill, he killed him and saved us. Without Jesus Christ, whom God prepared for sinners, we would all face eternal judgment and destruction. But God prepared Jesus in advance to save us. And when the time came, he sent the prepared Jesus to this earth.
Guys, don't forget. God prepares in advance. And when the time comes, he is the one who reveals that preparation. Therefore, he saves us and reveals the glory of God. Before God created humans, He prepared various trees and animals on this earth, so He took great care of them so that they could live without any lack.
Also, God, who had freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt for 430 years, opened the Red Sea when the Red Sea blocked it, and prepared a highway for them to live so that they would not be captured and killed by the Egyptian army. And God, who led them into the wilderness, prepared a large table for millions of people to eat with manna and quail in the wilderness.
And he prepared a spring of water to burst out of the rock in case they were thirsty, he prepared the tabernacle so that they could worship God even in the wilderness, and he prepared the animals to be sacrificed to God, and all the silver and gold items to build the tabernacle. And finally, He made it come to the land of Canaan, flowing with milk and honey. Regarding this, the Bible says: “I will send an angel before you to guard you on the road and bring you to the place I have prepared” (Exodus 23:20).
In order for the Israelites to escape from their slavery and enter the land of Canaan, they simply need to accept what God has prepared by faith. It is as if we only need to believe in Jesus, the Lamb prepared by God to enter the kingdom of heaven. No matter how prosperous we humans are, we cannot prepare ourselves for salvation. God must prepare true success, happiness, peace, blessings, and health. Moreover, in this foreign land, how can we live if God does not prepare a tent, a job, a business, material, health, happiness, and peace for us?
Do you know the story of the prophet Jonah? One day God speaks to Jonah. “Jonah, go to Nineveh and preach the gospel to them.” However, Jonah rejected God’s command and fled to Tarshish, a far, far away land. And he was sleeping under the belly, so that God might find him. Suddenly, a storm surges in the sea. However, due to the great storm, the ship was in danger of being wrecked.
Then the sailors say: “Let’s cast lots to see who has caused this calamity to come.” But when lots were cast, the lot fell on Jonah. The crew eventually toss Jonah into the depths of the sea with a 'Plop!' But, miraculously, Jonah did not die. Why? If you think, “Jonah was a swimmer of the Israeli national team, so he was a very good swimmer and made a living.”
As to the secret of his survival, the Bible says: “The Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, so Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). is. And he repents in the belly of the fish and goes to Nineveh to preach the gospel. But inwardly, looking forward to the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, the enemy country, he climbs a hill in the distance and looks forward to seeing when Nineveh will fall.
God is working again to teach Jonah, who has such a double heart. First, a gourd vine was prepared for Jonah, who was on a hill where the sun was shining. The gourd gives Jonah a cool shade. Jonah was so happy with the gourd. “Oh, my dear gourd, you give me a cool shade!”
But God also prepared worms to gnaw on the gourd. He also prepared a scorching east wind to bring down Jonah. Then Jonah gets angry and complains to God. “I’d rather kill, kill!” Then God spoke to Jonah. “Jonah, if you have cared for this gourd, how much more must it be that in Nineveh, there are more than a hundred thousand people who cannot distinguish between left and right.
God prepared a great storm for the prophet Jonah, a large fish, a gourd, a worm, and a hot wind. In this way, God's provision is revealed not only in the natural world, but also in lowly plants, fish, and insects. When we look up, the whole world is a work of art prepared by God for us. And what has been prepared is being presented to us in an orderly and orderly manner.
If God has not prepared for us, we are all doomed. Think about it. If the sunlight that rises every day was not prepared, how could animals, plants, and you and me live on this earth? Aren't the clothes we are wearing now also made with what God has prepared? And isn't the energy that goes into the car, the gas that God has prepared, is being used? In other words, the whole world is full of God's prepared works, and we are living because of that provision.
However, if we are caught up in our narrow thinking, we cannot hear or understand God's prepared world. Looking at the rising sun every day, I don't think of it as a work prepared by God, I just think, 'Where did it come from!' And while looking at all things, I think, ‘It must have been created by themselves!’ However, if you look at it from the perspective God has given you, this world is clearly God's prepared work. And you can see that what God has prepared for you and me has been prepared by God Himself.
The Bible says about this. “All that God has prepared for those who love him. But as it is said, No human eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived. But it has been revealed by the Holy Spirit, who searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
Ladies and gentlemen, God has also prepared a foreign land for us who love us. He has prepared not only visible food, clothing, and drink, but also splendid and brilliant dreams and visions that are invisible to the eye. And he prepared the church so that we would not lose faith in this foreign land, and he prepared it so that we could have the joy of devoting ourselves for the kingdom of God.
Just as God had already prepared a ram when he told Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac, just as he had prepared fish, gourds, worms, and the east wind for the prophet Jonah, we also have the things God has prepared for us in this foreign land. When there are difficulties that we cannot overcome ourselves, He has already prepared the way to overcome them; when poverty comes, He has already prepared wealth; when misfortune comes, He has already prepared happiness; and when death comes, He has already prepared us. You have prepared for the resurrection.
So don't worry. God Himself prepares for Himself. Even though we are foolish and ugly, if we come to God as we are, God is the One who generously gives the good things that have been prepared for us. Just as a mother prepares a table for her beloved child who is running and playing outside, God Himself is preparing today for us who we love. I pray that you will lift up your eyes to discover all these things that God Himself has prepared, and to share in the joy of obtaining and enjoying them in due time.