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Just as the sacrificing of animals in the Old Testament (their shed blood being the requirement for the forgiveness of people's sins) was replaced by the One Perfect Sacrifice, Jesus the Son of God, on the cross, so another important event had foreshadowed the Lord's plan of salvation for the whole world. Abraham lived 2000 years before Jesus was born on earth. He was told by God that he would become "the ancestor of many nations"(Genesis chapter 17 verse 4), with descendants as numerous "as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore" (Genesis chapter 22 verse 17). Isaac was born to him and Sarah when they were very old. Chapter 22 of Genesis tells how the Lord commanded Abraham to offer his long-awaited son as a sacrifice. They were to go to a certain mountain, three days' journey away. Such was the faith of Abraham that he set out to do this!
Abraham made Isaac carry the wood for the sacrifice (Genesis chapter 22 verse 6). Isaac not surprisingly wondered where the lamb was that was to be tied to the bundles of wood on the prepared fire. His father said "God Himself will provide one". Examples of people famous in Israel's history for their great faith are quoted in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 19 says "Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death - and, so to speak, Abraham did receive Isaac back from death". For Abraham did not have to kill his son, because when he looked round he saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. They sacrificed the ram instead.
This ram represented the Lamb of God - Jesus Christ, God's own Son who came to sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world. Jesus carried His wooden cross through the streets of Jerusalem to Calvary, a hill outside the city limits ("Golgotha" in Hebrew). There God the Father did not spare Him but allowed Him to be nailed to the Cross, where He paid the price, in full, for the sins of the world. Then He was raised to life - the eternal life that we (and everyone not yet born!) can look forward to in heaven if we BELIEVE this by faith.
Abraham had a radical faith in God, and so should we. God keeps His promises! Romans chapter 1 verse 2 says "The Good News was promised long ago by God through His prophets, as written in the Holy Scriptures".
