HOLY SACRIFICES are just that – Holy. Thus, I should take sacrifices seriously – not even seriously, but with reverence, honor, before the Lord in all obedient, diligence, and guard, refusing distraction. Oh the sacrifices He calls me to. Thinking of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus. Thinking of Abraham’s sacrifice He obediently, in honor, in seeking, presented to the Lord in Genesis 15. Abram did as God commanded him…. waited on the Lord. Guarded the sacrifice.
“Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.” Gen. 15:11
~ A watch must be kept upon our spiritual sacrifices. When vain thoughts, like these fowls, come down upon our sacrifices, we must drive them away, and seek to attend on God without distraction.
Just prior to this sacrifice God had encouraged Abraham with “I am your shield, do not fear. I AM your exceedingly GREAT REWARD”, along with reminding him, I AM THE LORD… WHO BROUGHT YOU & YOUR FAMILY OUT of the WICKED place you were in, with a PURPOSE of GIVING YOU an INHERITANCE. The land of Canaan being the physical symbol of the PROMISED LAND & HEAVENLY KINGDOM.
Abraham was given promises. He offered this sacrifice to the Lord in those promises, and seeking more understanding from Him. He took great care in the sacrifice to the Lord. God would have him wait to hear more. Abraham would would wait with EXPECTATION in the “seemingly delay”. Dwelling by the sacrifice and praying.
God often keeps his people long in expectation of the comforts he designs them, for the confirmation of their faith; but though the answers of prayer, and the performances of promises, comes slowly, yet they COME SURELY!!
Eventually God gave him the sign he desired.
“When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land..”
~This passing through of a blazing torch through the middle of the sacrifice and consuming it, revealed the completion of the sacrifice and God’s acceptance of it. This blazing torch, the LIGHT that would be the comfort in the affliction to come. The light of deliverance. A direction that would continually be given as the children after him, would depend on God’s every Word.
Take aways for me (not all, so consumed with the DEPTH OF THIS STUDY)
1) WATCHFUL EYE: again, here it is, in another part of scripture (and it’s everywhere) to have a watchful eye over the sacrifices I am called to offer daily. The watchful eye must be kept upon the sacrifice, that NOTHING be suffered to prey upon them and render them unfit for God’s acceptance.
2). DRIVE AWAY – and do not let thoughts, or hindrances to the sacrifice be allowed to lodge within us, but attend on GOD, WITHOUT DISTRACTION.
3). Our sacrifices are to be understood as HOLY.
4). God accepts our spiritual sacrifices, as He did Abraham’s, as we are the descendants through faith in Christ Jesus.
5). God’s acceptance of our spiritual sacrifices is a token for good and earnest of further blessings. We know that He accepts our sacrifices if He KINDLES in our souls a holy fire, with a devoted affection.
6). MY CALLING: That I would leave a spiritual Inheritance – the KINGDOM of GOD to my children. Knowing, I have obeyed my call, pointing them to Him. Praying earnestly, and never stopping, for the Holy Spirit to move upon their lives and Jesus to be their hope and salvation. That I would do this, through my devotion to God. Understand the devotion to my husband, in relating to him according to the commands of God’s Word, because this will be a necessity in showing my children the way… a good inheritance. That I would understand that my sacrifices are seen by God. As I view them as the holy offering they are in my daily serving, speaking His Word, teaching, dying to self, God blesses. That’s a promise. He receives, He accepts. He blesses. And it’s only by HIS GRACE and power given to me, that I can do any of it.
7). That just as the vultures seek to devour the precious endeavoring, obedient sacrifice, this will be true to my sacrifices. So I must guard, with determination to dwell in my place, with the reverent awe of sacrifices that Jesus has done for me, in reverent desire of the sacrifices I make to Him, to be a blessing.
8) There is WAITING – Abraham waited for more to come. God allows the waiting often to confirm our faith. Thus to take us further, through the trial, and affliction to the other side. To fulfillment of His promises.
9)God’s promises are His gift. The possession is as sure, in due time, as if it were NOW delivered to them.
God has delivered me from so very much. Delivered me from the chains that bind, the bondage of the enemy.
The INHERITANCE I want to pass onto my children… just as Abraham leaving behind and moving forward to the land of promise… and I want this INHERITANCE that I pass not to be uncared for, but to be so SWEETLY cared for and rich with SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS, and for my children to see Jesus and HIS SWEETNESS. By HIS GRACE He calls out of the darkness. It is BY HIS GRACE we are saved. It is by HIS GRACE that He enables me to speak, share, live His Word. It is by HIS GRACE that He convicts me of sin, kindly draws me to repentance, so that EVEN THIS ACT of redemption He performs daily for me, will be BY HIS GRACE, to do ABOVE and BEYOND what I CAN IMAGINE for HIS GLORY and PURPOSES… that He may BLESS and pass a SPIRITUAL INHERITANCE to our children which is more precious than GOLD THAT PERISHES.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. Rom. 12:1
” you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5
