The Secret of the Akedah

Opening:

Story

Kevin and Ryan, ages 5 and 3, were waiting for breakfast one Saturday morning. As their mother was preparing some pancakes, the boys began to argue loudly over who would get the first one from the griddle. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson and said, “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake—I can wait.’”

Kevin immediately turned to his younger brother and said, “Okay, Ryan, you be Jesus.”

Intro

Pst.- Secret series

What are secrets? - Mysteries

Do you know the secret of the Akedah

Akedah- Hebrew for binding- represents the story of Abe & Isc.

Many similarities between Gen.22 and The Sacrifice of Jesus

At the end of the test God sealed His covenant with Abraham

· A covenant where each party had to be willing to do what the other was willing to do

· Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son…therefore…

· The Father would have to be willing to offer His Son as a sacrifice

· 22 chapters in, first time LOVE used

· The father loved the son

· Many subtleties we miss in this story that align with Messiah

· 3 day journey

· Abraham’s positive about both returning

· The question with no further questioning

· A willing, prepared, and provided sacrifice

· A new covenant

Lets turn to Gen 22:1-19

The Test (Gen. 22:1-2)

Do you like tests?

God Tests us, not for his knowledge, but for our faith and growth

God Tests Abraham’s obedience & Faith

Jesus- Went through a similar Test - Mat.4:1-11

The Obedience (Gen. 22:3-10)

Gods test are a meant to show us our level of obedience

When God tests you, does is it show you where you are, when you look back

Abrahams faith is attested in scripture for this

Hebrews 11:17–19 ESV

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

The New Testament speaks of christs obedience

The Akedah (Sacrifice)(Gen. 22:11-19)

God stops abraham and provides the scapegoat

He confirms his covenant (I swear by myself) Gods own authority

A single decendant that will save (Gal. 3:16)

God does stop Jesus and he becomes our scapegoat (Rom.8:32)

he confirms His convenant

Mat. 26:26-28

Closing:

story

Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration:

To give my life for Christ appears glorious. To pour myself out for others…to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom—I’ll do it. I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory.

We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $100,000 bill and laying it on the table—“Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.”

But the reality for most of us is that He sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $100,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, “Get lost.” Help a neighbor with a building project. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Give someone a ride.

Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul. That’s taking up the cross daily. That’s sacrifice.

Prayer