And make me savoury meat, such as I love,
and bring it to me, that I may eat;
that my soul may bless thee before I die.
Genesis 27:4
I decided to look for the first time the word "love" appeared. I happened to be surfing in the old King James.
The first time that love appears in the Bible has nothing to do with God loving us ... or us loving God ... or a husband loving a wife ... or person loving their neighbor. It's about Isaac loving meat.
Funny.
I looked then in the New Revised Standard, and the first time love was mentioned involved Isaac almost becoming meat! God said to Isaac's father Abraham, "22:4 Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love ... and offer him ... as a burnt offering."
What does this have to do with Christmas? On Mount Mariah, God was teaching Abraham -- and every successive generation -- an important lesson. All the other gods and religions demanded human blood and child sacrifice. Our God does not. He provides an alternative. On Mount Mariah, it was a ram. On Mount Calvary, it was The Lamb -- Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. He died so we don't have to.
This Christmas season will surely be filled with all kinds of foods that we "love." Enjoy them. But let them remind you of what is really savoury -- Christ's self-giving love.
In Christ's Love,
a guy who loves Chex Mix
so much at Christmas that
someone once made us a decoration
out of a Chex Mix bag!
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