Trust and Obey for there's no other way!
Hebrews 11:1-2 & 8-19
[1] Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
[2] This is what the ancients were commended for.
[8] By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
[9] By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
[10] For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. [11] And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.
[12] And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
[13] All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
[14] People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.
[15] If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
[17] By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,
[18] even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
[19] Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
Genesis 22:1-18
[1] Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
[2] Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
[3] Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
[4] On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
[5] He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
[6] Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,
[7] Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” [8] Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
[9] When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. [10] Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
[11] But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. [12] “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
[13] Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14] So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
[15] The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time [16] and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, [18] and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Talk
Trust and Obey for there's no other way!
- Genesis 22:1-18 Introduction
Although Abraham didn't look for another way, he could have. Moses certainly did in Exodus 3 & 4 as he writes the original book of excuses when called by God! In the end, after God despaired with him, he went!
We are all different and at different times respond differently to God! There are probably days when we have faith that moves mountains and others where it would move a grain of sand! Does it matter, yes, but, not so we take a big stick and beat ourselves with it!
I have frequently said God is not threatened by our faith levels especially when they are low. What matters is being real with ourselves and God and remembering his love for us and all he has done and does do because of the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
In looking at God's test of Faith for Abraham we are going on a slight detour within my first point so we better understand what is going on.
1. Observe the Text
• A Crazy Test - vv 1-2 We have to take a detour and
2. Observe the Context
• This was part of the surrounding culture as part of fertility rights and remember our time is approx. 2000 BC
• It is not until Moses is given the law about 600 years later that it is absolutely condemned and outlawed by God, Leviticus 18:21 “ ‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
• It still crept back in at a later stage, as did idolatry, and brought condemnation from God. The door to this was opened by Solomon in his old age under the influence of some of his foreign wives -1 Kings 11:5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. One compromise leads to another and then a slippery slope!!
End of detour and back to:
1. Observe the Text
• An Unquestioned Response - vv 3-6 [3] Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
[4] On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
[5] He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
[6] Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,
• An Alarming Query - v 7 [7] Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
• A Response of . . Avoidance or faith? - v 8 [8] Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
• Fearless Determination - vv 9-10 [9] When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. [10] Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. • Timely Intervention and Provision - vv 11-14 [11] But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. [12] “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” [13] Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14] So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
• God's Final Affirmation to Abraham - vv 15-18 [15] The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time [16] and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, [18] and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
3. Consider the Test
• We can't even guess why God gave this test.
• We can't see why another test.
• All we can note is that it is at a critical time of God's plan for a nation through Abraham and so we have to also see:
• God is sovereign and he does what he wants and knows what and why!
• Who are we to question? We are all individuals, he treats us a such and he knows best. When Jesus has challenged Peter about his love for him following his denial at the trial and talked about his future Peter asks about John, the reply, John 21:22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” I think we can also consider two other scriptures about test / temptation: 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Also the writer to the Hebrews talking about Jesus - Hebrews 4:15-16 [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. [16] Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
4. Observe the Context That is - scripture - and I only want to do it briefly, very briefly as it would be a talk itself All through the OT God is carefully and slowly working out His plan of salvation through people like you and me which will lead to ultimate restoration. In doing so he keeps his eye on both goal and the focal point - dealing with sin through the passion, cross and resurrection of His Son Jesus. What he called Abraham to do and stopped, by providing the sacrifice for an offering, he was going to do himself by offering his son as an offering for a once for all sacrifice for sin for our total and utter benefit, Paul writing, Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? And Jesus himself speaking, - John 3:16-18 [16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Conclusion At the end of Abraham's final test God declared once again that, through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.' That includes you and me through responding to Jesus in repentance and faith. Jesus was tested and approved as 'fit for task'!! - likewise, the test involved trust We will be / are tested . . .
And I leave it there but see and hear our closing bible responses. These follow here for this document:
Hebrews 12:1-3 [12:1]
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, [2] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 1 Peter 1:3-7 [3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. [7] These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.
