Thursday, November 08, 2007

AKEDAH-- The Bind


Did he ponder Isaac

Whilst hanging on the cross

A last second substitute

Before all was lost?


Is this why he cried out

'My God, My God' so loud

Showing disappointment

Before a hostile crowd?


Would God not intervene,

Offer another lamb

Or would he be passed over

A dangling great I AM?


Abandoned but begotten

Left to face his fate?

Would help arrive in ‘nick of time’

Or would it come too late?


Where’s the lamb, asked Isaac

And told ‘God will provide’

But Jesus died in plain sight

No place for grace to hide.


Jesus, like old Isaac

An only begotten son,

Isaac was no substitute

But Jesus was the one.


We like sheep have gone astray

Unblemished lambs we’re not

God led the One to slaughter

The Passover he’d begot.


Offering isn’t ‘finished’

Until the sacrifice

For any true atonement

Blood shed must suffice.


Behold the Lamb of God

Who takes away our sin

God accepts no substitutes

For Jesus, in the end.


Nov. 8, 2007

BW3

2 comments:

  1. This is a REALLY good poem! The dangling I am line is picturesque, and the line about God accepting no substitutes for Jesus is catchy and so true! Amen! My wife is something of a poet, so I'm going to email it to her.

    Marc

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  2. Thank you, Dr. Witherington.

    Naturally, I had thought about AKEDAH pointing forward to Jesus, but I had never imagined Jesus thinking back to the deliverance of Isaac.

    Meditating on the cross has always been such a source of perspective, humility, love, and strength for me. Thank you for adding another very powerful and poignant image.

    Beautiful poem as well. God bless you!

    (I finished school this summer and I miss Asbury greatly!)

    --Clay Brackeen

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