Isaac, son of promise
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How’s your faith?
How’s your faith?
October 22, 1844 people sat on rooftops, towers and hills waiting for Jesus to return.
Sold everything. Wore white robes. William Miller. They were all in.
Ten years ago a man who had been a long time Anglican minister walked away from Jesus when his wife died from cancer. He had been all in until God crossed a line the man didn’t allow.
Faith can go wrong without being based on God’s word - the millerites.
Can go wrong when it holds back parts of life.
Abraham is a checkpoint for us. As we watch him, listen to him, and hear God speak, it will run a check on our own faith.
[Context: long promised miracle son arrives to 100 year old Abraham and wrinkled Sarah. 25 years after the promise. Still no land to call his own. Still no people. In ch21 God makes clear that Ishmael is not the promised son - though God will still care for him. In later chapters Abraham will negotiate at length just to buy a gravesite.
And then this happens:
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
We must pay attention to this. Abraham doesn’t get this info. But we do.
A test - to prove, to demonstrate Abraham’s heart.
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.”
Like Genesis 12. Out of the blue. In ch12 it was leave family and go where i’ll show you, here is take your son and sacrifice him where I will show you.
[A word about this command and what kind of God?]
We have the words of God in Jeremiah.
35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.
Child sacrifice was never something God wanted, expected, commanded. We are told explicitly God is testing Abraham.
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.
3 day journey.
What is happening in Abraham’s mind and heart? Tempting to speculate, to presume. But we have his words:
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.”
Abraham expects to return, along with Isaac.
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.
At this stage in Abraham’s experience of God - he’s come to trust God’s word.
This is 35 years of encountering God, seeing God rescue him in his own foolishness, seeing God bless and protect and provide for him, and stick with him, and keep his miraculous promise.
And Abraham has two sets of God’s word to deal with at this point - the command to sacrifice Isaac and ...
12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.
God has confirmed Isaac is the place the offspring will come from.
So when Abraham says to the servants -we will go, and we will return;
Abraham is expecting God to give a substitute or to resurrect Isaac.
Either way, Abraham hasn’t brought a back up lamb. Abraham is all in.
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.
The details slow down. This is a painful moment. Abraham is all in.
Genesis 22:11–12 (NIV)
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.”
God intervenes and interrupts. Abraham has proved his faith is alive. He fears God. He does not withhold even the most precious thing in his life.
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.”
Abraham was right. God did provide.
18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
The promise of blessing repeated. Intensified. It was always by grace, now it is also reward for obedience.
Faith takes God at his Word
Faith takes God at his Word
Faith takes what God gives
Faith takes what God gives
// That reminds me of...
Another Father and Son
Another Father and Son
23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Another miraculous birth for a promised son.
42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Another son submissive to the Father’s will.
17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).
Another son carries his own wood for sacrifice.
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.
Another beloved only son given.
The entire chapter is a shadow of an actual sacrifice.
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?
This is the love of God for you. This is not a test, but proof.
Abraham did have 35 years of experience to go on to trust and obey God in that moment.
But you and I are not lacking on God’s proof. We have more than Abraham did. Abrahm never got to see that God himself - Father Son and Holy Spirit - were willing to carry out a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world to be dealt with.
If you are shocked at what God tested Abraham with, are you equally shocked by the sacrifice Jesus himself was willing to go through?
So how is your faith?
Is it like the Millerites? All in, but expecting things God has never promised?
Or like that minister, only in if God stays out of your private areas?
What things precious to me might I be witholding - I’ll trust Jesus but keep these parts/places/precious things to myself - my plans for a career, my sexual desires, my finances, my mind in idle moments, my temper/emotions might be off limits to God, my need to be close to my family, or a significant person in community. That’s all faith with boundaries.
Following Jesus might mean being single for the rest of your life. Or separated from family to be a witness to him somewhere else. Not owning your own home or having annual overseas trips to give to make Jesus known and provide for the poor. Refusing career advancement to give more time in service to the vulnerable, or my family, or my church family.
You can see this in your budgeting, your time management, your priorities for your children. Your holiday plans, and overseas trips, and relaxation time.
It’s ok to serve God, but don’t get too serious. Are we running the danger of that guest at the wedding in Jesus’ story from Matthew - [?] wanting the benefits but not respecting [fearing] almighty God.
If you take Jesus at his word to store up treasure here - what will that mean for mortgages, superannuation, and giving to support world mission and to the poor?
If you take Jesus at his word about leaving family for his sake - what will that mean for the Australian dream to be surrounded by grandparents and grandchildren if you instead are choosing to live as a witness for Jesus away from your blood relatives.
If you take Jesus at his word you will be setting your children up to fail in this world because your priorities will no longer be success, and worldly security, and sporting achivement. Is your highest priority for them that they would know Jesus?
Real trust in God will have proper awe and respect (fear) for God, will not withhold aspects of our lives from God, and will produce obedience to God.
When we next sing ‘In Christ Alone’ - do we mean the words ‘Jesus commands my destiny’?
This kind of faith can only come from God, and be based on his reliable word.
We’re not being asked to exercise blind faith. We’re trusting ourselves and giving ourselves to the God who has already given himself for us.