When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.  Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.  But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.”  He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.  So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

Genesis 22:9-14, ESV

How gracious of God to provide a sacrifice to spare Isaac!  Unquestionably, this ram caught in the thicket is the foreshadowing of God’s gracious provision of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Note, however, that while the ram was given to Abraham in response to his unconditional obedience in offering up his son of promise, Christ was provided for a people who, according to Romans 5:8, were sinners.  Abraham demonstrated regard for God’s command and God provided a substitute; we were demonstrating contempt for the commands of God, and yet He provided for us the perfect sacrifice.  Though God spared Abraham the unthinkable act of sacrificing his only son, God the Father was willing to do just that, and offered up His only Son because a suitable substitute did not exist.  What an incredible testimony to the love and grace of God the Father and the obedience of God the Son! 

Christ came then, not as a result of our obedience, but because we could not obey.  His perfect obedience is imputed to those who trust in Him, clothing us in the righteousness of Christ.  God has indeed provided!

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