Today, Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Adha or Hari Raya Haji in Malay. This day commemorates the obedience of Abraham, was willing to obey God and sacrifice his son. In both the Bible and Quran, God intervened and supplied a ram instead. The events are recorded in the Bible in Genesis 22:1-14 and the Quran in Surat Aş-Şāffāt (Those who set the Ranks) 37:99-109.
The message in the Bible was one of atonement, of substitution. God had provided a ram to replace Isaac.
Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD will provide"). To
this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD
it will be provided." (Genesis 22:14 NLT)
This is the theme of God's salvation, a message that was to be repeated again and again in the Bible. We come across this theme again in Exodus, when God had decreed that all the first born of Egypt must die.
On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! (Exodus 12:12 NLT, see also Exodus 11:4-6)
How shall a firstborn son escape death on this terrible night? A lamb shall be killed and its blood be smeared on the door posts. When God saw the blood, He will pass over the house and the firstborn son of that house will be spared. Whether the household is Hebrew or Egyptian, it did not matter. What mattered is that the blood must be at the door posts.
Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. (Exodus 12:6-7 NLT)
But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13 NLT)
This is the message of salvation by substitution again. The firstborn son is suppose to die, but the lamb died on his behalf, and when God sees the blood of the lamb, he pass over the household. Thus it is the Passover Lamb.
This message is summarized by John the Baptizer when he saw Jesus.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29 KJV)
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV)
Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. (Revelation 5:6 NLT)
Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered -
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing."
And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:
"Blessing and honor and glory and power
belong to the one sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb forever and ever."
And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. (Revelation 5:11-14 NLT)
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