FIRE AND KNIFE!

Genesis 22:6 “Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.”

The opening words “Now it came about after these things”, takes us back into the previous chapter where we read about the blessings that Abraham received. He was in the season of favour! Isaac, the miracle son was born to Sarah and Abraham, who brought ‘laughter’ into their life, besides Abraham also received favour in the eyes of Abimelech! Well, I have learnt by experience that as I dance in the rain for a while, I should also be ready at the same time, for any sudden shock, are you listening? If we do not prepare our self for that, then we would go bonkers. Whenever, we are faced with something gigantic in front of us, we tend to think that we are alone there, no…….no……God is right there with you….

CLIMBING UP TO OBEY GOD: God had great plans for Abraham, something beyond his expectations and that which he could not even imagine was getting ‘cooked’ for him; however, God had to do a ‘test’ and that was the call to mount Moriah to sacrifice his only son Isaac. God makes great demands only from his children whom He considers great and worthy. I wonder how Abraham felt when he took that fire and knife…..I have a son and now I shudder at the very thought of it….I took that scripture as the anchor scripture, so that we meditate deep on this. Fire and knife! I would scream at my son Joshua and tell him each time he takes the scooter, ‘wear your helmet’, if he was leaving for the hostel, I would say 1000 times, ‘take good care of yourself’ but now I wonder how did Abraham take that ‘fire and knife!’

Climbing up to God is paying a price, sacrifice and also painful but while Abraham obeyed and took his only son along with him for the sacrifice, he was actually going into the next dimension of his life. People who do not desire to venture to enter the unknown zone would never be able to find BLISSFUL GLORY that awaits for people who unconditionally obey. In order to hear the voice of God we need to climb and go UP, read: After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."(Revelations 4:1)

BURNT OFFERING:
Friend, FIRE AND KNIFE ARE ESSENTIAL FOR OFFERING AND SACRIFICE! Are you listening? FIRE burns out all the impurities in our life, and the knife chops out all the thoughts of ‘flesh’ in us. The challenges, afflictions and sufferings in our life are the FIRE that purifies us: This fire is called the ‘Refiner’s fire’! Read:

Malachi 2:2..”For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.
3 "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.”

For an offering to be considered a true "sacrifice," it must "cost" the individual something, involving personal inconvenience, discomfort, or the giving up of one's own desires, time, or will.