The patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all taught by God Himself on God’s plan for salvation. Anytime God has something important to teach He takes His time to explain it multiple times in multiple ways so that there can be no mistake. There is perhaps no more important teaching than the teaching of salvation. Salvation has been an issue since the fall. God promised Adam and Eve a redeemer. God gave many clues as to what it would be, but it was spelled out very clearly to Abraham and Isaac. After many years of trying, Abraham finally had a son by his wife Sarah. He loved his only son (by Sarah). This was the son that was given in fulfillment of a promise. In Genesis 22:2 God challenged Abraham. He told him to take his only son and head to the land of Moriah to sacrifice him. (The sacrifice of children was a common practice among certain religions.) Abraham believed God. He believed that God would raise up his son even if he were to sacrifice him. Upon arrival Issac said “Father, … the fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” (Gen 22:8)
At the last minute, God intervened. He told Abraham to stop and not hurt the boy. Abraham had passed the test, but in the process was taught an important lesson about salvation. The Lord instead supplied a substitute — a ram caught in a thicket as the offering. (Gen 22:13) This was a day Abraham and Issac would not forget.
In the New Testament we learn that God Himself would supply the sacrifice to redeem mankind. He sent His one and only Son as the sacrifice. Jesus was the offspring of both Father God and father Abraham. As promised, through Abraham’s offspring all of the world was blessed.
Isaac’s son Jacob also had an encounter with God. Genesis 28:12 describes Jacob’s famous dream. “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.”
This should have raised questions in Jacob’s mind. Here is a ladder that enables Angels to descend from Heaven to Earth, and to ascend from Earth to Heaven. Who or what does the ladder represent? How does it enable Angels? Does the ladder enable them legally? Physically?
Apparently it enables angels to reach Earth from Heaven as well as ascend from Earth to Heaven. The interpretation for this was given by Jesus Himself. In John 1:51 Jesus told Nathanael “And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” So, Jesus Himself was the ladder. He enables blessings to flow from Heaven to men, and for petitions from men to reach and be presented to the Father.
But Jesus, not only descended to Earth, taking on the form of man, He descended from life into death. But then, after descending as low as one could go, He ascended. He not only came back to life, He ascended to Heaven to serve as an advocate for man in the presence of the Father. But God, who is always full of good surprises, did something more. Ephesians 4:8-16 explains that when Jesus ascended, He also gave gifts to men. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine…”
Jesus, the baptizer in the Holy Spirit, gave spiritual gifts to men. Jesus is the mediator between man and the Father. He is the bridge between Heaven and Earth. Through His death and resurrection He became “the way” to God the Father.
The teaching of salvation is perhaps the most important teaching of all. It is not a new teaching unique to Christianity, but rather an ancient teaching taught by God Himself to the early believers.
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