Genesis 22:13

The sheep had horns. A horn is a hard point on an animal’s head. The bush held the sheep’s horns.

God tested Abraham. But God also did something for us. He taught us about Jesus Christ. And he did that very many years before Jesus came. This *offering helps us to know how Jesus saves us from God’s judgement.

This is how God teaches us about Jesus:

• God had said that Isaac should die.

God provided a sheep.

The sheep died instead of Isaac.

So God saved Isaac.

• God has said that we must die.

God provided his son Jesus.

Jesus died instead of us.

So God has saved us.

God has often used the deaths of sheep or cows to tell us about Jesus. Exodus 12:3-6 tells us about one example. Each family killed a young sheep. Because they did that, they did not die. The death of the young sheep was a picture of Jesus’ death. And John called Jesus ‘the young sheep that God provided’. (See John 1:29.)

v15 Then the *Lord’s *angel called again from heaven. v16 He said to Abraham, ‘The *Lord says, “By myself I have made a firm promise. You have done this thing. You were ready to give to me your son, your only son. v17 I will certainly make many good things come to you. I will make you have many *descendants. They shall be as many as the stars that are in the sky. They shall be as many as the sand that is by the sea. Your *descendants shall control their enemies’ gates. v18 By your *descendants I will make good things come. These good things shall come to all the nations that are on the earth. I will do this because you have obeyed me.” ’

v19 Then Abraham returned to his young servants. They set out and they went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham stayed in Beer-sheba.