The Well

OUR SUBSTITUTE

Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the knife and the fire. As the two of them went on together, Isaac said, "Father."
"Yes, my son," Abraham replied. "We have the wood and the fire," said the boy, "but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"
"God will provide a lamb, my son," Abraham answered. And they both went on together…
Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering on the altar in place of his son.
Genesis 22:6-8, 13

Can we even begin to imagine what Isaac was thinking on the journey to this sacrifice? Surely, throughout his life he had observed many sacrifices, but each and every time they had the object to be sacrificed with them. Both Isaac and Abraham believed that God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. They were wrong. God had another plan.

Have you experienced God's new plan? I have. For many years I attended church, I even sang songs, but I rarely worshiped God. I thought that what I was doing was worship; until I worshiped Him.

So many times we attend church, sing songs, listen to a sermon, and walk away thinking that we have really done good. We believe attendance in a worship service is all God expects from us. Actually, we are robbing God when we do this and denying ourselves the genuine joy of worship.

Several years back, on a regular Wednesday night service at the little church we were attending, a young Pastor, Troy Nicholson, poured out his heart to those who had the privilege of attending church that night. He shared how he had read through the book of Acts twice in one month and just how this reading had convicted him of our need to pray. He realized how we had abused this privilege. We repented and God showed up.

Attending worship without worshiping God in spirit and truth is much like laying a lamb on an altar and setting fire to it. We think we have atoned for our sins, when in all actuality we are just being busy. Instead, God wants us to allow the Holy Spirit to consume us and burn away the attitudes that make us sin. Then, and only then will we have a genuine desire to worship Him.

I believe that God provided a ram that day rather than a lamb because there was only one lamb worthy to be sacrificed ¾ Jesus Christ. He paid the price for our sins, and He suffered physical anguish so that we can experience healing. Why aren't we worshiping Him from our hearts? Because in order to worship Him from our hearts we must recognize who we are in light of the price paid. That hurts. Oh, the joy of those whose sins are forgiven! That leads to worship!