Caught in a Thicket

Genesis 22:13

“Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns.  He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.”

In the movie “Indiana Jones” they are searching for the holy grail.  They are walking through a cave, come to a massive cavern and they see that the cave goes on to the other side. Perplexed, they consult the book and it shows a man walking on air to the other side.  Indiana Jones has to step out blindly from the cave and into the cavern where the map says there will be a bridge that they cannot see.  For those that haven’t seen it, spoiler alert: he finds the narrow bridge that they cannot see until he was actually on it. It was a step of faith that revealed the path forward.  

God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, the only son he had and the one God told him that He would bless.  He obediently goes to mount Moriah, builds an altar, binds Isaac, and puts him on the altar.  Just as Abraham was going to come down with the knife to his son, the angel of the Lord stops Abraham and tells him not to sacrifice him.  He looks up and sees a ram caught in a thicket and he sacrifices the ram instead of his son.  God provided the sacrifice.  

I feel compelled to focus in on one thing, the ram.  It was caught in a thicket.  Abraham went over, took it, and sacrificed it.  Why is that special you might be asking?  Notice that the Lord did not provide the ram in a pasture or on a separate hill where Abraham would have to go retrieve it.

Growing up in the county, I saw first hand how nimble and quick most of God’s creatures are.  We could only catch the lizards and frogs and small things but a ram, well, that was never going to happen.  Those things run like the wind, especially when you are not familiar to them like Abraham must have been with this ram. No, this ram was caught in a thicket and unable to get away, which was easy to grasp and use for the sacrifice. 

Today, be reminded that the Lord is easy to get to and you don’t have to run after Him to catch Him.  He tells us in the gospels that his burden is easy and His yoke is light. Those who seek Him, find Him.  In the past, religious people made the Lord something to earn after confession or something that was too good for some sinners.  No, the bible says that all who seek Him find Him.  The ram was caught in a thicket unable to get away, the Lord provided and it was easy to grasp and sacrifice the ram. 

You don’t have to clean yourself up or even confess your sins to a priest in some attempt to get clean before you live the Christian life.  No, His arms are wide open waiting to hold you and show you mercy, love and grace.  Just like Indiana Jones has to step out on faith to see the bridge over the cavern, we have to turn our face and hearts to the Lord and step toward Him in everything we do.  We walk by faith and not by sight.

Prayer: Father, we thank you for being our constant provider. We don’t have to go out and seek grace and mercy, you have already provided that through the sacrifice of your one and only son, Jesus. We receive your mercy by faith today. In Jesus name, amen.