Tuesday, March 06, 2012

1804- THE NEW ISAAC

So a few days have gone by- and the number one media story- the story that topped the deaths in Syria- the U.N. report that says we and NATO backed a group that committed ‘war crimes’- yes- the top story- that Rush Limbaugh referred to Sandra Fluke as ‘a slut’ and that he finally apologized- yes this was the headline of the week.

What U.N. story John?

Glad you asked.

If you remember during our ‘kinetic action’ in Libya- I wrote a bunch of critical posts about our involvement.

I kept saying that we were using the wording of the U.N. resolution- that said we had the authority to go in and use DEFENSIVE means to protect civilians- well that wording became twisted [by us] to mean we can chase down Gadhaffi and his family [and his friends] and simply kill them.

When some observers began questioning this act- we said we were using ‘defensive’ means to knock out the ‘command and control’ of Gadhaffi- and that’s how we justified it.

Now- this whole thing was a farce- there never was any ‘command and control’ in the buildings we bombed- we simply thought Gadhaffi might have been there.

So we bombed his sons house in a private neighborhood- killed his grandkids- but missed him.

Okay- the U.N. did a yearlong study to see if we did indeed violate human rights by lying like this.

The report came out- and it said we tried to reduce the civilian causalities- but did kill around 60 innocent people under the guise of ‘taking out command and control’.

They found that there was no evidence at all that these buildings we targeted were command and control centers.

War crimes?

Yes- the report also states that the rebel group we backed did commit war crimes- now- the report says Gadhaffi’s side committed ‘crimes against humanity’ [far worse] but that our side did commit war crimes- and till this day the new ‘govt.’ will not investigate the possible crimes committed when they killed innocent people.

So- this story was a small article in the back of the paper- it should have been headline news- not ‘the slut’ comment.

Okay- in the last post I commented on Jeremiah chapter 33.

This was the promise God made to Israel that he would fulfill his promise and they would be restored into a strong nation.

I referenced the earlier story we find in Genesis [chapters 12-15] where God makes this promise to Abraham.

If you read these 2 chapters- plus 17 and 22- you will get the main promise.

God called Abraham to leave his homeland and go on a journey. In this new land God would bless Abraham and he would have tons of kids and grandkids and eventually become a nation [the nation of Israel].

So over a period of time- thru many dangers and trials- he finally has a son- named Isaac- and this son is the promised child thru whom all the others will come from.

In chapter 22 of Genesis- when Abraham was an old man- Gods tests him and says ‘Abraham- go and take Isaac- your only beloved son- and offer him up to me on Mount Moriah’.

Abraham went thru many years of doubt and struggle before he finally received the promised son [read chapters 17-18 of Genesis].

And when Sarah finally had the child- it was a miracle.

So when God says ‘offer this boy up’- to Abraham it was putting at risk the whole purpose of his life- the very reason he left his friends and family and moved to a strange land.

But the bible says he took the child- and when they got near the range of mountains where mount Moriah was- he told the servants ‘you guys wait here- me and the boy will go to worship- and we will BOTH BE BACK’.

This phrase is picked up in Hebrews chapter 11- the writer says Abraham simply believed that God would raise the boy from the dead- that’s how he justified in his mind the order to offer his son- and this same son being the child thru whom the others would come.

So as Abraham approaches the mountain- he takes the wood for the offering- the ‘fire’- and no animal.

He puts the wood on Isaac’s back- to carry up the hill.

Isaac asks his dad ‘dad- we have the wood and all- but where is the animal for the offering’

Abraham simply tells his boy ‘God will provide himself a lamb for the offering’.

As they get to the top of the hill- Abraham ties Isaac with the rope- and puts him on the altar and takes out a knife to slay him. At that moment- an angel calls out to him and says ‘STOP!’

The whole thing was a test- to see if Abraham would do what God said- even if it seemed contrary to Gods promise and purpose for his life.

It should be noted that the Rabbi’s tell us that Isaac was not a young boy at the time- he was probably an older teen- strong enough to carry the wood up the hill.

This signifies that Isaac could have probably put up a fight- and won!

But he heard all the stories about God’s miracles- his dad recounted all the great signs and things that God did in their lives- and when Abraham got to the point of offering up his son- maybe Isaac simply accepted that God was in control and he would do whatever needed to be done.

Over a thousand years later- Jesus would walk the dusty streets of Jerusalem- he too was a promised son.

He preached and healed and was a true miracle worker.

He often used ‘Father Abraham’ as an example to prove his teachings- one time he said ‘before Abraham was- I AM’.

This incensed the hearers and they took up stones to kill him- the words I AM- are the words that refer to God [during Moses time he told Moses he was the I AM].

So the day comes for Jesus to ‘take the wood’ of the sacrifice- and go up the hill- called Calvary.

History tells us that Calvary is in the same range of mountains that Moriah sits on.

Jesus- the ‘second Isaac’ took the wood of the Cross- just like Isaac- and carried it to the top.

In the story of Abraham- when the angel said STOP- they looked around and found a ram in the brush- they used the ram as a sacrifice.

But this day- the day of Jesus- no ram was to be found- he looked up to his God- and he said ‘why do you forsake ME LIKE THIS’.

Yes- Jesus was the lamb that Abraham prophesied of- he was the ultimate sacrifice.

Sometimes we go thru things that seem contrary to the true purpose- things that we see as course changers.

When Jesus died- all of his followers thought the goal was gone- they thought he was going to lead a present day rebellion against Rome and become the new Messiah ruling out of Jerusalem.

When he died on the Cross- they could not harmonize what they thought was the whole purpose- and this gruesome death.

Yet 3 days after they saw the true purpose- the ultimate reality.

Are you at Mount Moriah?

The place that seems like all is lost.

Trust God- after 3 days everything will look totally different.

www.corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com

Note- Do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. Thanks- John

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