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Jun 21, 2024 06:00am

Foreshadowing

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Foreshadowing.

A writing technique authors use to give us a clue, a little glimpse into something that will happen in the future. I loved searching for these as I read and still do.

As I read this morning’s passage in John 19, I was reminded of a similar scene long before this event ever took place.

Here’s John 19.

“Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.”

Now, let’s go way back, to Genesis where we find a man named Abraham whom God called to be the father of many nations. He had waited his whole life for a son and when he was very old, the Lord blessed him with Isaac. In this passage, we are reading where God has called Abraham to take his only son and sacrifice him to the Lord.

I know, I know, it seems crazy. But read. You’ll see.

“And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”

Do you see any similarities in the passages?

Isaac was Abraham’s only son. Jesus was Gods only son.

Both were to be a sacrifice.

God provided a lamb for the sacrifice and it was caught in the thorns.

Jesus was the lamb of God, the sacrifice who took our place, and they placed a crown of thorns on His head.

Jehovah Jireh.

God provides.

Just as He did for Abraham, He did for us when He gave His only Son Jesus to die in our place. God provides exactly what we need.

Will you trust Him?

It seemed unimaginable that God would ask Abraham to sacrifice his son. But as Abraham was preparing to go up the mountain, he told those that were with him to wait for them. Not just him, but that they both would return.

He trusted in God. He knew that whatever was ahead, God would provide.

In order for us to receive that sacrifice that was required for our sins, we must trust that it is God who has provided it for us. We recognize that Jesus is His Son, and that He took our place on that cross.

Do you trust that God provided what you need through Jesus?

Turn from your sin and to God. Ask Him to save you. Ask Him to lead you through His Word to discover more about Him.

Do you trust God with your life? Are you willing to lay it down for Him? In full surrender, we must come to the feet of our Lord and like Abraham say, here am I Lord.

Here am I.

Do you want to know more? Go to follow.lifeword.org to learn how to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus.