The Greatest Act of Fatherhood Known to Man

Introduction

Many will examine the events of Genesis 22 and ask ‘How in the world is what Abraham did a good thing?’ But I will submit to you, that not only what Abraham did to / for Isaac a GOOD thing, it was THE BEST thing that he could have done for his son.

If we are to trace the ruination of our country, it would go as such:

I think you can trace the beginning of it prior to WW2. Consider the following:

The Great Depression demonstrated that America’s love had shifted from God to money.

American’s dependence shifted from God to Government, thereby instituting ‘Socialism Lite’ with FDR

WW2 gave power to the ‘Rosie the Riveter’ women’s lib movement. The men came home from war, and instead of the women going back to keep the house, they stayed in the workforce, creating an abundance of supply thereby diminishing wages and leading us into a two income society.

By winning the war, our country was lifted up with pride and a rebounding economy

The 1950’s our country begins to change.

Television becomes the most influential form of medium in the country

Credit cards are first introduced

Elvis becomes a pop culture phenomenon.

Billy Graham and the rise of ecumenicism & a perverted view of God is popularized - ‘God is Love’ replaces ‘God is Just’ - all Heaven, and no Hell.

The 1960’s America continues to devolve.

Demonstrated at the onset by choosing charisma over character in the election of the first Roman Catholic President of the US.

The emergence of the Beatles & Rock & Roll

The rise of drug culture & fornication

Sin is no longer an undercurrent in America, it’s on full display

But the true precursor to the turning point in American homes began in 1964.

This being said, I want to continue this thought in my first point in speaking of Abraham, we see that He was Present for His Son

I. He was Present for His Son

‘…Here am I, my son.’ - v7b

After the assassination of Kennedy in 63, The elections of 1964 gave way to landslide liberal victories in government and led to what is known as ‘The Great Society’.

The reason you have 1 in 4 children growing up without a father in the home, is due to the policies of the ‘Great Society’ put forth in the 60’s.

The importance of fathers simply being present for their children cannot be overstated: (Ill. - Read statistics on the back of the handout)

So let’s look at how Abraham was Present for his son…

They Walked Together (v6)

The servants weren’t there

His momma wasn’t there

It was just Abraham and Isaac - father and son.

This is important. It’s important that a father spends time with his children. Just present - and available to them. Letting them know that their value is worth your time.

They walked together.

They Worshipped Together (v7)

Notice that Isaac wasn’t ignorant about the purpose for their trip. He knew what the wood was for and the fire - and he knew that they should have had a lamb. This act of worship wasn’t foreign to Isaac, as obviously Abraham had familiarized him with proper worship unto a deserving God.

Let me just say - thank God for mama’s who take their children to church. But it’s a shame that so many of them must alone.

(Ill.) As you know, I have a new grand baby, born to my daughter & son-by-Grace. My daughter has had a good Spiritual foundation laid since she was about 5yo. She’s well versed in the Bible and overall a very intelligent woman. But irrespective of all that - it’s not her job to be the Spiritual leader of the home - it’s his.

Daddy’s - you should be the one taking your children to church. You should be the one that they see is faithful to the House of God and the things of God. It shouldn’t be the exception - it should be the rule!

They worshipped together

He Taught Him to Work (v6)

He laid that wood on his back. He taught him to work.

He didn’t baby him - he taught him how to work.

We need to train our children in the truth that there’s satisfaction in a job well done. There’s not only pleasure in the fruit that is produced by labour, but in the process and labour itself.

He Taught Him to Work

Abraham was Present for his son. Secondly, he gave his son a pattern

II. He Gave His Son a Pattern

Abraham Demonstrated:

God as Priority (v16)

He didn’t put the WANTS AND / OF NEEDS of the child in front of God.

Regardless of his cries

Regardless of his protests

Isaac didn’t lay down willingly, Abraham had to bind him.

LISTEN: You are not doing your children any favors by putting them ‘first’. You are teaching them improper priorities.

When we put our children first, their sin-nature takes center stage. They become prideful, disobedient, arrogant. They are trained to think that the world revolves around them - and they carry that mindset throughout their lives!

(In my estimation) one of the most dangerous things you can do to your child is to put their wants and activities in front of God. I have warned parents over the years on multiple occasions that by taking them to ballgames / practices / activities / parties when they should be in church, you are teaching them that those things - as meaningless as they are - are more important than the things of God.

I’ll take it one step further… How come when it comes to church on Wednesday or Sunday evening, so many Christians are either too tired, or too busy, or too sick - but none of those things prevent you from making your way out to the ball field?

How many are too sick to come to church, yet they aren’t sick enough to keep them home from work! It’s all about Priorities people. And it’s hard to teach our children proper priorities if we don’t have them ourselves!

Jesus said: Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

If we’ll just put God and the things of God first in our lives, it will amaze you how much fuller your life can truly be.

Abraham Demonstrated God as Priority

Obedience (v18)

Abraham taught Isaac a lesson in obedience.

Church we’re all accountable to someone - everyone of us. Our children are subject unto the parents, but the parents are subject unto God.

Question: How can you expect your children to obey you, if you don’t obey your authority?

(Ill.) In 1Sam. 15, the LORD sent Samuel unto a disobedient king named Saul. God instructed Saul to destroy king Agag of the Amalekites and all the spoil - however he took Agag alive and the best of the sheep & such. When confronted by Samuel, Saul said that it was to Sacrifice to God. To which Samuel replied: 1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to hearken than the fat of rams.”

What he’s saying is Obedience is more important to God than worship. This is where the contemporary church gets it wrong. They think that if they just Jam out for Jesus, that God is pleased, yet they fail to obey the doctrine of Separation - therefore God is NOT pleased with that worship!

Abraham taught him to be Obedient - and you never see Isaac rebelling in Scripture against Abraham.

Sacrifice (v10)

Abraham taught Isaac what it was like to sacrifice. (In the most real sense possible).

Let’s put this Sacrifice into perspective:

Isaac was born MIRACULOUSLY unto Abraham and Sarah at the ages of 100 & 90 respectively.

This was the only son that Abraham had - We’re not counting Ishmael, as God doesn’t count him as legitimate either.

This was the PROMISED CHILD! Can you imagine the love Abraham has for this miraculously given, only child of promise?

He also represented the other promises of God to multiply his seed.

Abraham was willing to Sacrifice the present family, and his future hope for God!

So what he’s teaching his son is that NOTHING is too important to Sacrifice for God. No ask is too great!

MAKE NO MISTAKE - God sacrificed His Best for YOU! We should do as Paul said in Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Abraham taught him to Sacrifice. To give EVERYTHING to God!

Know this also comes with a promise: Jesus said: Luke 18:29–30 “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

Abraham taught him to Sacrifice

Faith (v5)

Consider this:

God told him to go there and sacrifice his son.

Abraham goes there (as we know - v10) with full intention to kill his son

Yet, Abraham is confident that he and Isaac would return unto them.

Now there’s only two explanations as to why Abraham thought that. Either:

He thought God would resurrect Isaac - as he was the hope of the promise.

He thought God would supply a substitute - which is what the lamb represented anyway.

Either way, Abraham Fully Relied on God to keep His promise unto him. THAT IS WHAT FAITH IS! Faith is simply believing God!

Faith makes the difference

(Blind men) - Matthew 9:29“Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.”

Ones Faith effects others

(The cripple in) Mark 2:5 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”

Children need to see YOUR faith - not just mama’s, not just the preachers, but YOURS!

Abraham Demonstrated Faith

Dependence (v8)

Another thing that he demonstrated unto Isaac was to depend on God. Whatever lied before Abraham, Abraham was dependent upon God.

(Ill.) Last week I preached a message (many of you were absent for) about Survival Culture. In that message I spoke about the cancerous mindset that so many have these days where they not only worry themselves sick, but miss their purpose in life because they are too concerned about things that are completely out of their control. But all of that is derived from a lack of dependence upon God.

Abraham didn’t have that problem. He stayed in his lane. He obeyed what God asked him to do, and trusted God for what was ultimately God’s responsibility.

He understood that fulfilling God’s promises was God’s responsibility. And he depended on God to do so.

He demonstrated Dependence upon God

God’s Providence (v13)

Another valuable lesson that Abraham taught his son is that God provides - and God provides perfectly.

This ram couldn’t be caught anyway else, or else he wouldn’t have been a fit sacrifice. But because he was caught by his horns, he was still without blemish and a fit substitute.

Daddy’s, we need to teach our children that God will provide.

Do you know why we know He’ll provide? Because He’s able, and He’s promised to provide for our needs!

Abraham Demonstrated God’s Providence

God’s Proving

Lastly, something else that Abraham demonstrated for Isaac is a proving of God.

What I mean by that is - Abraham tried God, and God didn’t disappoint!

Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

God challenges us to prove Him concerning our giving: Malachi 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be meat in mine house, And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, If I will not open you the windows of heaven, And pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

(Ill.) God has done this time and again for me. Mrs. Dorothy was telling me about how she’d placed her faith in God for a certain thing - and God proved Himself able then too!

Daddy’s - if we’ll be obedient unto the LORD and prove him - let your children see God work in your life!

Abraham Proved God - and Isaac saw it.

Abraham was Present for his son. He gave his son a pattern, lastly, He left his son a Priceless Patrimony

III. He Left his Son a Priceless Patrimony

Patrimony (def) A right or estate inherited from one’s ancestors

In other words, an inheritance.

Most people when they think of inheritance, their mind immediately goes to money. While Abraham certainly left Isaac that, what he left him here is by far better.

I’ve got nothing against money - but if that’s all you’re leaving, then you’re leaving your children poor.

He Established the Foundation

The House of Abraham was built upon faith in the God of Heaven.

Daddies - what foundation are you building for your children?

Everyone of us was given a foundation upon which to build. And everyone of us is laying a foundation for our children. The Question is, what foundation are you laying?

Are you laying a foundation of God first?

Are you laying a foundation of Faith?

Are you laying a foundation of Obedience?

Or are you laying a foundation of selfishness & worldliness?

I got news for you - one foundation is solid and sure, while all others are sinking sand!

He Established a Foundation

He Elicited the Blessings of God (v16-18)

Abraham’s actions exhibited direct blessings - not only upon his son, but his sons’s sons.

Do you really want your children to be blessed? Do you really?

If you do - then follow the behaviour of Abraham in Gen. 22.

I titled this message “The Greatest Act of Fatherhood Known to Man” because everything that a father needs to be for their children, Abraham exhibited them here.

You see, the world will look at what Abraham did in Gen. 22 and see something wicked and unhinged. But to God it was anything but. And that’s the difference between viewing things through a Biblical or Carnal lens.

Abraham Elicited the Blessings of God for his Heritage

Conclusion

Daddy’s:

What are you teaching your children?

What are leaving your children?

Remember the Words of Christ: Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

If you truly want the best for your child - be willing to Sacrifice them for God. And then watch God provide and bless you and your child with more than you could ever dream of.