Bible Questions and Answers

Romans 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Paul presents one of the greatest assurances of God's concern for our salvation. If God gave us His only-begotten Son, how could He possibly hold back anything? The greatest possible gift assures all the lesser ones that follow. This verse is in fact a conscious reference to God's commendation of Abraham in the offering of his son Isaac: "because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son..." (Gen 22:16). In the Septuagint version - the ancient Greek version of the Old Testament - the phrase is virtually identical. This suggests the astounding thought that here Abraham is typical of God Himself, in that his sacrifice of Isaac prefigured the Father's sacrifice of His only Son. Abraham and his son both participated in the offering (surely this is the significance of Gen 22:6,8: "they went both of them together"). Thus Abraham suffered along with (perhaps even more than) Isaac in the anticipation of the sacrifice. But the outcome of their dedication was the promise of blessing to all nations (vv 17,18).

The analogy, then, is that God participated in the offering of His Son (Isa 53:10; Acts 2:23). And though, in a sense, it was His "pleasure" to do so, nevertheless the effort involved a sacrifice and an affliction on His part. Here is a side of God's character hinted at in such passages as Isa 63:9: "In all their afflictions He was afflicted." The ultimate act of sacrificial love from God's viewpoint was portrayed by Abraham on the human level. And we have been privileged to see it! Finally, completing the parallel, this was all done so as to bring blessing upon others -- the blessing of eternal life (Joh 3:16).

Can God sorrow? Can God feel pain? Can God be compassionate? Can He love? The Greek 'gods' supposedly sat on Mount Olympus, mocking and scorning poor feeble men. But the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, is no such God. He is, simply, a Father; a Father who piteously loves His children, finding boundless joy in their smallest faltering steps toward understanding and obedience of Him; a Father Who has provided and will provide all things we shall ever need for our salvation.

ALONG WITH HIM: That is, along with Christ. "Sunauto", the last of the 'sharing' references (compare verses 6,17,22,26,29)

GRACIOUSLY: "Freely" in AV. Without receiving an appropriate recompense.

from: www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/comm/45_rom/rom09.html

I hope you have found this helpful.

May God bless you,
Mike