The Lamb for the Offering

"But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

Genesis 22:7

The offering itself is an intrinsic part of sacrifice and worship of God.  Isaac knew from experience an altar, fire, and wood was missing the most important part:  the offering.  God is seeking people of faith like Abraham and Isaac, men who worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Hebrews 13:15 says, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."  God is the one who supplies the fire within our hearts to offer a sacrifice of praise which is acceptable in His sight.

Churches all over the world supply the fire and wood in times of corporate worship.  The songs are prayerfully selected and practised so all can with one voice praise God in unity.  The music and words sung are not worship in itself, just like fire and wood is not a sacrifice without an offering.  So what is the offering we are called to give?  Ourselves.  God is to be the central focus of our lives, as we lay aside all idols and weights which clamour for our attention.  An acceptable sacrifice before God needed to be the animal prescribed for the particular offering in the law.  Though the animal might be different, they all shared one thing in common:  they had to be without blemish.

This is why holiness is a key component in worship.  Should we approach God in the filthy garments of self-righteousness or our flesh spotted with the leprosy of sin, our sacrifice of praise will not be acceptable.  We must humble ourselves before God in repentance and be born again.  We then have boldness through the cleaning blood of Christ we have been washed, and through the Gospel have received the imputed righteousness of Christ through faith.  "Nothing in my hands I bring," Spurgeon used to say, and this is the truth.  We have nothing to offer the Creator of the Universe, nor is He in need of anything from us.  But He delights in the sacrifice of praise of people who are overwhelmed with His love and goodness, and offer themselves completely without reservation.

When is the last time you allowed yourself to be overwhelmed with the glorious love and grace of Jesus Christ?  What do you know of holy affections which bring tears to the eyes and singing becomes impossible?  It is not only in the good times we can freely offer ourselves:  it is in the tough times, when we are hurting and depressed and bound in sins.  In a day when Israel was being judged by God for their sins it was spoken through the prophet in Jeremiah 33:10-11:  "Thus says the LORD: 'Again there shall be heard in this place--of which you say, "It is desolate, without man and without beast"--in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, ¹¹ the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His mercy endures forever"-- and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,' says the LORD."  It is in times of desolation buoyed by faith we can look to the certain future and hope we have through faith in Jesus Christ.  Singing of God's goodness when life isn't good becomes an act of faith in which God is pleased.

As you gather this week at your church fellowship, there no doubt will be wood and fire supplied:  but where is the lamb for the offering?