A great story has a hero, often some self-sacrifice, and ultimate happy victory. But here’s a story that wasn’t quite as expected. Abraham and Isaac are having special father and son time. They planned to worship the Lord together – a good thing indeed. But at this point in the story Isaac’s getting a bit concerned. There’s no sacrificial animal around. They’ve got all the stuff but no sacrificial lamb.

There used to be a commercial for a burger that sought to outdo its competitors by having more beef than bun. The ad ran ‘Where’s the beef’? and became a household phrase. In our story Isaac might have said – ‘Where’s the Lamb?’ So…

Just asking… where’s the lamb?

Well, the answer Abraham gives concerns God’s provision. And that is a wonderful truth (that ties in with our ‘Who is ‘he?’ question). Abraham and Isaac couldn’t have a worship time without the Lord’s providing a lamb.

In fact the prophet Isaiah records the Lord saying ,’I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams… I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or of goats.’ (Isaiah 1:11)

So then really where’s the lamb? Or really, is a sacrificial lamb enough? Well, in truth, it’s not. It’s never enough. It had to be repeated year on year in the Temple. So when is enough? And where’s the ‘sufficient’ lamb? I’m just asking.

At the very least we can take to heart Abraham’s words, ‘God will provide for himself a lamb’. What does that mean? But whatever it means, I do like that provision, for there’s not much animal sacrifice around these days! Yet I wonder, why is that? I’m just asking!