Well Soul Podcast
Sometimes life leaves our souls feeling weary, parched. Come away for a few moments to drink in Scripture, reflect, and pray. Seana Scott, a seminary-trained writer and speaker, guides you in this weekly devotional podcast designed for you to connect with God. Refresh your soul at the Well of Living Water that never runs dry.
Well Soul Podcast
Ep. 51 | GENESIS 22 | The Story of the Gospel: God Who Provides (Isaac)
Reflect on the story of Abraham preparing to offer his son, Isaac, on an alter—and God's provision of a ram. The testing of Abraham's faith was demonstrated through Abraham's obedience. And Abraham learns Yhwh is the GOD Who Provides.
How has your faith been tested?
How have you been called out to obey God in the hard things?
Meditate on all of this in this episode.
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Welcome to the WellSoul Podcast, where we pause to drink in scripture, reflect, and pray. I am your host, Seana Scott, and sometimes life leaves our souls feeling parched.
So come, to the well of living water. That never runs dry.
This week in the story of the gospel, we will meditate on Abraham offering Isaac on the altar and consider this strange to us demonstration of Abraham's faith. If you are new to this series, I invite you to start at the beginning of the story of the gospel episodes.
Last week, we meditated on the writer of Genesis recording that Abram, later called Abraham, believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. We saw that, even in the Old Testament, that God still gifted righteousness through faith in God. This week's passage shows us the extent in which Abraham was tested in his faith of God keeping his promises.
(transition music)
Genesis 22 records how God told Abraham to take his only son (this is his son of promise with his wife Sarah) and to offer Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord. This is where we will meditate on the passage today.
Before I read, take a deep breath and prepare your mind and heart to listen to God's word.
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Genesis 22:9–18
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,[c] because you have obeyed me.”
Take a moment to think about the passage.
I'm going to reread the passage. This time, notice what God provided for the sacrifice instead of Isaac and what God said to Abraham in his blessing at the end of the passage.
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,[c] because you have obeyed me.”
What did the Spirit highlight for you this time? Dwell on that for a moment.
Abraham was willing to worship God by sacrificing his own son, believing that God could raise him from the dead, as the writer of Hebrews later tells us. But God, our Father, would offer a ram instead of Abraham’s only son. This sacrifice solidified Abraham's trust and worship of God. And it also foreshadows what Jesus would be for all humanity on the mountain of Galgotha: God would provide Jesus.
God's only son would take the place of us, as our Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
After Abraham's willing sacrifice and God's provision instead, God proclaimed his blessing over Abraham once again. He reaffirmed his promise to Abraham for a land, descendants, and that through him, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Through the offspring of Abraham, we indeed are blessed—with Jesus.
And through Jesus, we are given righteousness by faith, just like Abraham.
Now take a moment to reflect and pray.
What was new to you from this story of Abraham and Isaac?
Maybe you thank Jesus for dying in your place
or pray about anything else the Spirit brings to mind.
Let's pray. Lord God, Father, we worship you. Thank you for giving us your one and only Son to die in our place that through Him we might have eternal life. We love you God. Amen.
Thank you for joining me today on the Well Soul Podcast for our story of the gospel journey. You can subscribe to the well soul community and receive encouragement and resources to live with a well soul directly in your inbox. See the link in the show notes to join for free.
You can also follow The Well Soul on Instagram for more content to help you know God's Word, walk with God, and live with purpose. In closing, I remember my late friend, Brian Vasquez, who made this podcast possible. God bless you and I pray that you have a well soul.
