Genesis 22
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Welcome Wednesday night family. Look if you are not growing with us on Wednesday nights, you are missing out. I pray that those of you that come on Sunday but not on Wed. are at least watching the live because there is some deep context going on here. Tonight will be no different. I will say this, if you had been in my wife’s and I last lift group we did together, you are going to get some repeat tonight but maybe, just maybe you get something different because we are handling the entire context of the story. For some of you all tonight it may be a bit of a stretch and a pull to what you have always been taught. You know me, I will push the boundaries of tradition to get to the truth of the scripture. I do my best in due diligence to be able to back up everything I say here. So lets go.
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Ok first verse let’s see where we are with understanding. Who test Abraham. Ok I just want to be sure we on the same page. Because I hear in the church God doesn’t test you. That God only leads you to blessing and favor and ya da ya da but here is God testing Abraham. What the bible says he will not do is tempt you.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
A temptation is not a test. They are not one in the same though we have used them interchangeably in the church for a good while. Earlier in
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
He says the testing of your faith. So in the same chapter, we have two different words here. The word for testing is dokímion and the word for tempting is peirázō.
dokímion means to remove impurities by affliction
peirázō means test by soliciting to sin
The hebrew word here for testing is nāsāh which means to prove
and it is used in this way 40 times of God testing other in the OT
So the difference is the intent of the person doing the action. One wants to make better the other wants to harm or make worse. So God is not attempting to ruin Abraham, he wants to make him more dedicated. He wants to make him more like himself. He wants to make him a better worshiper.
This is why that misquoted verse in scripture
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
That is not saying God will not test you more than you can bare. That verse is saying there is not temptation greater than God and there is not excuse for your sin. You could've handled it but you didn’t. Because you chose it. But if you walk with Christ he has always provided a way out. He will most definitely test you more than you can bare because if you weren’t you wouldn’t need him.
The question that we should ask ourselves is do we have that kind of faith. Do you have the faith that can be tested? Do you have the faith that God can say have you thought about my servant and place your name there? That is the aspiration. That is the goal that no matter what comes my way when it is all said and done I stand with God. He has waited over 30 years for this promised son and he is well over 100 and here is God with his greatest test.
Don’t you dare think that you are too old to be tested.
Oooooooo write this down.
God will only take you through test that he has prepared you for.
Now some of yall took a little bit longer in the preparation lol. But you got there. So when the test comes, know that a good teacher and our good good father always makes sure that you are prepared. Never get too a place where you are too old for a new test, too old for a new battle, or too old to learn. Nothing in scripture tells a man that once you reach a certain age you can knock it out of gear. We should be finishing just as strong as we started.
We we stop learning, we stop growing and when we stop growing we stop living. That may be figuratively but you will be no good to the kingdom.
So here is the rule for our lives according to the bible concerning our faith.
4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Just for emphasis
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
That is the faith and it most certainly will be tested. Here comes the test.
2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Now first thing we need to remember or to think about is how old Isaac is. Most scholars would put him in his teenage years. I would agree. He is not a little boy any more definitely not a baby because he will care the wood.
Then I love how God gives these instructions. He takes away any excuse or question that Abraham might have to this command. If God just says take your son and offer him as a burn offering. The first question would be which son so he calls him by name. Then the next thing would be but he is my only son. Then the next would be you know how much i love him. God gets rid of all of that. God says go take your son. You only son Isaac whom you love. God knows how difficult the ask is and he is letting Abraham know that he knows. just in the instruction. What ever God is using to test you, he is not ignorant to it. He knows what he is doing and he knows why he is doing it. God is not silent on suffering and testing. You may not like it but he is not silent.
When you look at this study through the weeks, Abraham has failed some test. Can I get an amen. I mean this dude right here. But I have failed some test.
Can i say this if you are not wanting to be tested your relationship with the lord will not grow. I wouldn’t go out looking for test but i would definitely be expecting them. Because that is how it works. That is how you know something’s worth by its proof. If you are thinking how can I avoid test, question your faith. Ask God to search you. Who joins a sports team to stand on the sidelines and hope they never get in the game? No I join the team so just maybe as fat lineman, I can scoop up a fumble and by some pure luck run it into the end zone. That happened to me one practice lol. Why in the world would you go through 2 a days and the vomiting and the like not to get in. If you tell me as the coach to send in someone else, I will not come back to you. The coach decides when you are ready as does God.
I believe that had god done this test any earlier, Abraham would have failed it. I believe that God knows he will pass this test because God has ordained him ready, thus he is testing him. So finally he is ready.
Why is God calling Isaac his only son? Because this is the only promised son that God acknowledges. this is who I see as your only son.
And look at this
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”
So when does Abraham go? Not a day later, not halfheartedly get up and go. He gets up early and he goes. He doesn’t ask any questions or ask any explanation. Abraham finally gets it. He stands on the promises of God. We have to start doing this as believers. I get so tired of people especially believers who say, i feel like God has abandoned me. There is no way that is the case. Because he said he wouldn’t. Well I just don’t feel him around any more. Well either you left or you didn’t follow. Because he said he would never leave you. He is near to the broken hearted so if you are struggling with a broken heart, he is near you. Stop saying he isn’t. Stop believing anything other than what he said. You go the things you know and you cling to those. You fight for those.
Abraham gets no explanation but Abraham remembers what God said. His descendants would be like the sand and the stars. He said Sarah would produce a son from me and God has done that. So Isaac will not be dead when this is all said and done. I don’t know what God will do but Isaac will not be dead. Don’t believe me look at this
17 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,
18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”
19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
He also knew that God’s people do not sacrifice their children. That is not what God’s people do. At all ever.
But he doesn’t sit there and argue with God. He obeys. He does it. I am going to do what God said and I will see how he makes it right. Because He and God had already been through enough that Abraham knew. He is ready for the test. Have you and God been through enough together yet? That you can just trust him?
Now on the third day…yall catch that? Who caught that before I emphasized it? What else happened on the third day… uh huh. Now boy I am about to run this place. I get so excited. See if you don’t read the bible and just read the bible you read right over that.
Now to take it out of the spiritual for just a moment because there are holes we fill in. What was the conversation of those three days, I wonder? That is the part that also gets me. What you talking about Abraham. What you thinking about? What are the two servants thinking what are they wondering? There is a great movie on Amazon prime called His only Son. It is about this journey. I would highly recommend giving it a watch. Now let me say this. They have to take some license on things said because we don’t know. But as I imagined this journey, they portray it how I would have been if in these positions. I almost wouldn’t mind doing a viewing here at the church because it is so good.
Now do you remember what God said about Abraham to Abimelech last chapter? What God calls him? He calls him a prophet. Now Abraham ain’t prophesied nothing up until this point but he just did. Look.
Verse 5 I an the boy will go over and worship and come again to you. He just prophesied the boy is coming back with him. He will not stay in whatever state he will be in. By the end of worship we will both be coming back. That is the first prophesy that we see from Abraham and that is a powerful one. He doesn’t know what all is going to take place or how it is going to happen. He doesn’t know the ins and the outs and he doesn’t know every single step it is going to take but this one thing he does know, it does not end in the death of this boy. We will be coming back. OOOOWEEEE thats good.
You know I truly have to be careful because sometimes we put this super human label on some of these guys. Do you remember when we first started talking about Abraham that we read the scripture he was human just like us. Because this moment right here. Like its one thing when a tragedy catches you off guard right. Lord I don’t want to bury my spouse first. Sorry. Lord I am really loving this job. Sorry. But it is another thing all together when you know you have to go into the bosses office and quit the job for no other reason than God told you to. When it is taken from you, it hurts. But Abraham knows what is coming. He knows what he has been asked to do and he is still getting up to do. So lets go
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.
7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
So Abraham has the fire and the knife. What does that represent? Death. Something is about to die. I am not going to get into the details but it was not a pretty picture.
Ok so let’s break some of this down a little bit. Who carried the wood? Isaac. Who placed it on his back? Abraham. So the Father placed the burden on the Son. I am saying it this way for this reason. A lot of people mistakenly think that the wood here represents the cross. However Jesus did not carry the cross all the way to the top of the hill. And the Father did not place that burden on him. What burden did the father place on jesus?
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
So unlike the actual cross, Jesus carries the sin of the world all the way to the top. So the wood which is laid upon the son by the father represents our sin.
So then Isaac has a question. Where is the lamb? We have wood and fire. So he has seen this set up before. He knows what should be happening. So he ask the question. Where is the lamb?
Let’s welcome back to the show prophet Abraham. He says God will provide for himself the lamb. Please underline that for me.
Here is what gets me. Hold your place right here and turn to
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
So when the world is asking where is the lamb. John answers it. John says there is the lamb of God. The one that Isaac asked about and Abraham prophesied about. There he is. I can’t get away from Now behold the lamb...
So they went together!!!! Yall you can’t just read the bible you have to read the bible. They went together. They are working together. Envision that. Father and Son working together. Not one in opposition. Not one begrudging. Not one forcing. They went together.
19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.
20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
Lets keep going.
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
There is no indication that Isaac is resisting this. Why is he not fighting back. When my boy was in his teens had i tried to bind him to a fire there would have been some push back and Abraham is about 115 years old maybe a little older. But Isaac willfully lays down. Jesus said no one takes my life but i freely give it. and I will pick it back up again. Wow.
Then men I want you to hear me. You want your kids to submit you want your wife to submit, This son willfully submitted to his father as his father willfully submitted to the Father.
So he takes the knife and puts it in his hand and raises his hand to slaughter his son and the angel of the Lord shouts at him twice. Tells him do not lay your hand on the boy. Now I know you fear God.
IS there anything in you that would give God the indication that you do not fear him. Is there anything you have that you withhold from him?
Then Abraham looks around and sees a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So he goes and gets that and kills it instead of his son and then calls the name of the place Jehovah Jireh or Yahweh Jireh.
Let’s see if you are paying attention. If you are in my family or have been in my lift group do not answer. Where is Jesus in this picture?
The ram is not Jesus. So many people have said that. Abraham said nothing about a ram. He said Lamb. Jesus is the Lamb. The ram is not even the type or shadow of Jesus. The type and shadow of Jesus is Isaac. You know why the ram had to be there and why Abraham coud not even lay a hand on Isaac because Jesus will not be crucified more than one. It is the same reason the rock could not be struck twice to produce the water by moses. Remember. The rock was Jesus. So the first time God says strike. The second time he says speak to it, like we supposed to do yet everyone wants us to keep beating our problems instead of speaking to them. Ok not gonna get started. But then Moses gets mad so he hits the rock again.
Jesus will not be beaten or crucified more than one time because once is all it takes. Jesus is the one talking to Abraham. Don’t believe me…watch this in verse 12
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
kept your only son from who? It wasn’t Gabriel that said sacrifice your son. Who was it. God. So the preincarnate Jesus is standing before Abraham as he has done many times. You have the lamb not yet slain talking to the father protecting the son from being slain so that the Father could provide the lamb to be slain later.
You can’t just read the bible, you have to read the bible.
15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,
16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—
17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Just to prove once again that I am who I say I am let me repeat verbatim what I told you from the beginning.
The promises of God never shine brighter than in the furnace of affliction. Do you think Abraham went home flippantly and just kind of forgot this. Absolutely not. He realized that the test had come. He had passed and God was even more true to his word and to his promise.
We have to quit trying to avoid the test and prepare for it.
20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,
22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
23 (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.