Jump Start # 3070

Genesis 22:7 “Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

  Our verse comes from one of the greatest trials found in our Bibles. No parent could imagine going through what God expected Abraham to do. Isaac was to be sacrificed. This was not a thought put into Abraham’s head by Satan. This was God’s idea. For three days Abraham knew this. The child of promise was to be killed. Up to this point in Biblical history, no one had ever been resurrected. Would Abraham ever see his child after this? He didn’t know. Yet, he knew by faith that God was to be obeyed.

Abraham took wood and fire for the sacrifice. He didn’t take a lamb because Isaac was to be the sacrifice. As the altar is prepared, our verse comes from the young Isaac. They had wood. They had fire. “Where is the lamb,” he asks. How those would must have cut through Abraham’s heart. You are the lamb. You are the sacrifice.

But consider the words of Isaac, “Where is the lamb?” There are some great lessons for us.

First, Isaac understood worship. He knew that a lamb was required. How did he know? Obviously, he had watched his father worship before. He knew the Biblical story of Cain and Able. Able offered a lamb and God was pleased. After the flood, Noah built an altar and offered a sacrifice to God. This was a permanent thought that he understood. Where is the lamb?

• Our children need to understand how to worship God in the fashion that God wants. Having a children’s church allows kids to be around each other, and play and eat, but what do they learn? Do they grow up and think that worship services are play time? Do they know, as young Isaac did, how to honor God in the way that he wants to be honored? Where is the lamb? Would our children know how to worship God properly?

• Dads need to be in worship. Our sons and our daughters need to see us worshipping. They need to see our heads bowing for prayers. They need to hear our voices are we sing praises. They need to see us opening our Bibles and learning. They need to see us helping out in the kingdom, whether it is serving publicly, or doing things behind the scenes. Where is the lamb?

Second, in an age in which worship has been refashioned and reshaped to fit an entertainment thriving audience, one must ask, “Where is the lamb?” God has been benched and replaced with comedians, drama, and light shows. It is thrilling, exciting, but we must ask, “Where is the lamb?” So few people know the Bible today. The Bible isn’t taught. It’s nothing more than a few sprinkles on top of the cupcakes of worship. Just a little Bible to know that this is religious, but not enough to make a difference or to bring about a change in one’s life. Young Isaac understood more about worship that many worship leaders today. We do well to ask, “where is the lamb?”

Third, Isaac did not offer any alternatives. He didn’t run and grab a few leaves. He didn’t fetch some fruit from a tree. He didn’t suggest getting a fish. Where is the lamb? Without a lamb we can’t go on. Without a lamb things are not going to be right. There is no substitute for a lamb. There is nothing that Isaac could have found that would have been right. Second place, is no place with God. It’s His way or no way. Isaac knew that.

Fourth, Isaac knew what would happen to the lamb. It was to be a burnt offering. Our verse states that. He knew a lamb would be slain. A lamb would be sacrificed. Living blood would be required upon the altar of the Lord. He wasn’t needing a lamb for a pet. The lamb wasn’t to be set free. Isaac knew. He didn’t argue this with Abraham. He didn’t try to change Abraham’s mind. He understood. This wasn’t Abraham’s decision. This was the choice of God. Where is the lamb?

And, sadly in our culture today, people are walking into church services asking, “Where is the coffee? Where are the donuts? Where is the food? When does the show begin?” But no one seems to ask, “Where is the lamb?” Just as a lamb was missing from Isaac’s worship, the Lamb of God is often missing from modern worship today. God is on a shelf and the devil is dancing in the aisles.

Where is the lamb? Something that needs to be asked these days…

Roger