September 7, 2026; Genesis 22

Daily Dose of Hope September 7, 2026   Scripture:  Genesis 22   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come to you today in awe.  You are almighty and wise but also filled with love and mercy.  And we have the pleasure of experiencing that love and mercy.  Despite our brokenness, you care for us and you continue to walk alongside us.  Thank you, Lord, for your patience.  Help us to focus more on you.  Fill us with a consuming desire to know you better.  Work in us.  Stretch us.  Challenge us.  Convict us.  We love you.  Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the book of Genesis and today we are looking at Genesis 22.   In our reading for today, we have Abraham almost sacrificing his only son, Isaac.  This passage has always kind of bothered me.  It seems inconsistent with God's character to want Abraham to kill his son.  And remember, when something seems off, we need to dig deeper.  What is God doing here?  In the past, Abraham doubted God.  Think about all the mishaps we have been reading about.  He tried to have children his own way instead of waiting on God.  He repeatedly tried to pass Sarah off as a sister instead of his wife. By asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, God was testing Abraham.  Does Abraham finally trust God?  He is finally ready to trust in God's provision?  I don't think God ever intended harm to come to Isaac.  I think he wanted to see how much Abraham had grown.   Besides that, this passage is a beautiful foretelling of another sacrifice.  God himself sacrificed his only son in order for us to be reconciled to a holy God.  John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.    At the end of the chapter, we find more genealogy.  At first, this seemed out of place.  But when you dig beneath the surface, it actually makes sense.  This genealogy lists the family members of Abraham's brother, Nahor.  Nahor has many descendants, including a granddaughter named Rebekah.  Rebekah will eventually become Isaac's wife.  God has the covenant line all taken care of.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki