The Faith of Abraham Part 2.

Opening:

It is a beautiful thing to open the Word of God on the Lord’s Day.

Introduction of the Passage:

This morning we will be in Hebrews 11:17-19. We are continuing along in our study of the giants of the faith contained in Hebrews 11. The Apostle calls this our great cloud of witnesses. And this list is given to demonstrate what it means to live by faith. Throughout the Bible we are told that the righteous shall live by faith. And this list is given to show us what that looks like. We are to see the saints of old and how they lived by faith and emulate them. Hebrews 11:1 tells us this “1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This is our definition of faith. And we turn again to the faith of Abraham. So let’s read our text this morning.

I would ask you to stand with me out of reverence for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of the Passage:

Hebrews 11:17–19“17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”

Behold, the Word of God. Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Our gracious Heavenly Father, we commit this time in Your Word to You this morning. We ask that you would use it to draw us ever closer to You. May we learn from You and our ancestor Abraham how to live by faith. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.

Introduction:

Matthew Henry says in his commentary that “A greater trial was never put upon any creature” than on Abraham here. I fully agree. In my eyes, outside of Christ’s sacrifice, this is the greatest trial of faith recorded in Scripture. But what made this so difficult? Not only was Abraham called to sacrifice Isaac, which would be unthinkably hard, but in doing so he was being called to cut off the promise of God, the hope of the Messiah, and the salvation of the world. In essence, Abraham was being called to sacrifice the life of his child and in doing so damn the World. This is an unthinkable thing.

But there is so much we can learn here. So let us examine our text.

Text Idea:

Our text is saying that Abraham's faith was so sure in the Lord and His promises that He was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice at God's command believing that God would raise him from the dead.

Sermon Idea:

This morning we must learn from the faith of Abraham to obey God even in the most difficult of things knowing that God is good and keeps His Word.

Transition:

So let us begin. The first thing we see is that:

Abraham Offered Up Isaac.

Explanation:

To set the stage, we really should go back to Genesis 22. It will be helpful to us to recall the details of the story. But before we do, I want to take just a moment to tell us how we should read this.

In recent years there has been a movement among particularly atheists to say this account shows God is a monster. They say things like “God demanded Abraham murder his own son just to test him.” They paint God as some fickle being of spite, manipulating people for his own sick pleasure. This is being foolish. But their vitriol and persistence in misunderstanding who God is and what God is doing have lead many Christians to almost feel ashamed of this passage.

They sort of stick their hands in their pockets, slump their shoulders and then do everything they can to ignore or change the passage. Liberal theologians and pastors will outright blaspheme God, agreeing with the atheists over this text. They say God has changed. He used to be so mean in the Old Testament. But then He changed and became nice. Think of Andy Stanley saying we need to “unhitch” from the Old Testament.

But this leaves us sometimes wondering what to do with this text. So before we even read it, let me set the stage by reminding you of one thing. God is Sovereign.

God Is Sovereign.

What does this mean? It means that God is divinely in control of all that is happening. He knows everything and is in ultimate control of everything. Nothing happens outside His will. When the text says God tested Abraham, it does not mean that God is up in heaven going, “gee, I wonder what Abraham will do? Does Abraham really love me? Does he trust me?” No, God knows exactly what will happen. God knows exactly what Abraham will do. God has set this event from before time began. He ordained everything. God ordained the ram to be born at the right time, to be on the mountain at the right time, and even to be caught in the bush that God had ordained to be there.

God is testing Abraham here, not to prove anything to Himself, but to prove something to Abraham and all of Christianity. God is teaching His people through this act. So keep this in mind.

Now, listen to the account in Genesis 22:1-19.

22 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

2 Then He said, “Take now 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.”

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

So he said, “Here I am.”

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.”

13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

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.

This is the account. And this is what the Apostle is speaking of in our Hebrews text. So let’s dive in. The first thing we see is that:

God Calls Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac.

God speaks to Abraham and calls him to offer his son, the son of the promise as a burnt offering. Abraham was to go to the mountain, set up an altar, and burn his son as a sacrifice.

Think of the confusion. God knows all, but Abraham must have been so incredibly confused. God had promised Isaac to Abraham and Sarah for years. Isaac was the promised child. The heir to the covenant. And now God is calling Abraham to kill this child.

I cannot imagine this. The pain Abraham must have felt. What did God just say? He must kill his child? There is no greater pain a parent can feel than the death of their child. I honestly cannot imagine what Abraham must be feeling. The fear, the pain, the confusion.

And add to this the extra weight of Isaac’s life. It is unthinkable to harm your child. But Isaac was not any ordinary child. Isaac is the son of the promise. From Isaac would come nations. From him would come the fulfillment of all the promises. From Isaac’s descendants would come the Messiah, the savior of the world. With the death of Isaac, the world would be damned.

Abraham must have had so many questions. Why would God ask him to do this? Is God breaking His promise? What is going on? The shear amount of confusion must have been overwhelming.

How would Abraham respond to this confusion?

Abraham Obeyed.

This amazes me. The response of Abraham is just to obey. He does not say anything. He packs up, prepares the wood, gets Isaac, and sets out. The level of faith this took is just incredible. He does not question, he does not argue, he just obeys.

They approach the mountain and the wood is laid on Isaac, and Isaac asks where the sacrifice is. There is wood and fire, but where is the lamb? And Abraham tells his son “God will provide.”

They climb to the top of the mountain, Abraham lays Isaac on the altar, and is preparing to sacrifice Isaac. The knife is in Abraham’s hand. But the Angel of the Lord called from heaven and stopped Abraham.

And then we see probably one of the most beautiful parts of this passage.

God Provided a Substitute.

Listen again to verses 13-14 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

Here again we see the the sovereignty of God. He had planned this out. God had provided a substitute. He placed the ram there.

Argumentation:

Now:

What Do We Learn From Abraham?

1. Abraham endured the most difficult test anyone could endure, by faith.

How was Abraham able to endure this trial? What was it that caused him to even be able to endure such an unthinkable command? It was faith. It was purely faith. God called Abraham to do something that seemed so opposite to God’s own character and promises. And it was faith that carried Abraham. His faith gave him the ability to endure. But what was that faith specifically? That brings us to:

2. Abraham Trusted God to be True to His Word.

This was the faith. God had given Abraham the command to sacrifice Isaac. How did Abraham endure? He trusted God to be true to His Word. We learn in our Hebrews passage that Abraham thought he would sacrifice Isaac. He thought he was going to actually have to do it. But Abraham trusted the promises of God. He knew that God would keep them. He knew God promised Isaac would be his heir. He knew God promised to be Isaac’s God. And Abraham believed the God would raise Isaac from the dead.

I can almost see it. Abraham in his tent. God just having told him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham wrestling with this. “Why would God tell me to do this? Is God breaking his promise? Is God breaking covenant? NO. God is true. God will never break covenant with me. He won’t. If Isaac Dies, then God will raise Him from the dead. He will keep His Word. I can trust Him.”

Abraham trusted God to be true to His Word. But what do we learn about God?

What Do We Learn About God?

1. God Does not Tell Us Everything.

God did not spell out everything for Abraham. He did not tell Abraham that there would be a ram in the bush. And this is true across time. God does not tell us everything. If He did, there would be no need for faith. God does not tell us what the outcome will be of everything in our lives. We are to trust Him. God tells us what we need to know. He tells us in His Word and in the book of Nature everything we need to know. But He does not tell us everything.

And here is a comforting truth. Even when God does not tell us everything, we know:

2. God is Always True to His Word.

God does not change. God always keeps His promises. God never lies. This was Abraham’s comfort while marching up the hill. God never breaks covenant. God never breaks His Word. We know that everything in His Word is true. We can trust it. We can build our lives on it. And this gives us hope. You see, the third thing we learn about God is:

3. We Can Always Trust God, Even When We do not Understand.

Abraham did not understand. But He knew who God was. You see, when you understand the character of God, His sovereignty is a comfort beyond words. How many of us have looked at someone who is suffering deeply and reminded them God is control. God has a plan. Why is comforting? It truly is, but why?

This is comforting because God is good. God loves His saints. God has promised all things will ultimately be for our good and His glory. So you see, we can always trust God. We can trust God even when He tells us to do things we just do not understand.

Transition:

But there is another part to this we have not covered. Our text tells us that in a way:

Abraham Received Isaac From the Dead.

Explanation:

Abraham believed that God was going to raise Isaac from the dead. And then the Apostle tells us that in a way, in a figurative sense he did. And it is here our ears should perk up. You see, Isaac is a type of Christ.

Isaac is a Type of Christ.

What do I mean? That word “Type” means a picture or image. It’s used in literature. You see, an author will sometimes foreshadow things to come. You see this a lot in storytelling. The author wants add symmetry in his story. He will sort of rhyme things. In fiction this is a way to add poetic beauty to your story. You hint at things to come. And then when it happens all the threads come together to reveal the beauty and intricacy of the story.

But where did humans get the idea to do this? Well, we must remember that God is telling a story. He is THE Story Teller. And we are in His story. And it pleased God in the story He is telling to point ahead to what He was doing. In this real historical event, God is painting a picture of the ultimate salvation to come. God is using reality as His canvas to tell this story.

And think of it. Isaac is called the only begotten son. Now Abraham had other children, but Isaac is the son of the promise. He is the only begotten son of the father (Abraham). The son marches up the hill carrying what on his back? Wood. Not just wood. The wood he would die on. He comes to the top and is there laid on the wood he himself hauled up and is to be sacrificed.

And many generations down the line, a descendant of Isaac would do almost the same thing. The only begotten Son of the Father (God) was marched up a hill carrying wood on His back. The wood of His own execution. At the top He was laid on the wood where He was to die.

Isaac died in a figurative sense. Jesus died in the true sense. Isaac was resurrected in a figurative sense. Jesus was raised in reality. God was telling a story here. God was painting on the canvas of history what He was going to do.

But there is another type of Christ here. I wonder if you see it.

The Ram is a Type of Christ.

Isaac was laid on the altar. His life was demanded by God. And what happened? God provided a substitute. This is a mirror of what we deserve and what Christ has done.

All of us lie with a death sentence. Our lives are demanded by God. We have sinned against God. The just punishment is death and hell. All of here deserve hell. And the death blow is coming. Every one of us will die. And if you die in your sins you will face hell. But here is the hope.

There is a substitute. Isaac did not die because he had a substitute that took his place. You do not have to face hell. Jesus Christ took the blow for all those who will believe on Him. If you will trust in Christ, you will be saved. This is the hope. If you confess your sins and believe on Him, you will be saved.

Transition:

But perhaps there is still a question lingering. Why did God test Abraham’s faith? Why does God test our faith? Well, let’s look at:

The Testing of Our Faith.

Explanation:

What does Scripture have to say about the testing of our faith? Why is our faith tried? Why does God test our faith? Well, we see the answer to this in James 1:2–4“2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

The testing of our faith is for our good. It produces patience and patience has its work on us making us lack nothing. In short, what James is saying is that our faith is tested to strengthen us. Why did God test Abraham’s faith? It was not for God’s benefit. Remember, God was not in heaven wondering what Abraham would do. God knows all. No, God tested Abraham’s faith to strengthen Abraham and Isaac.

And I want to make a quick distinction. Testing of faith is different from temptation. James 1:13–15 tells us “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” God does not lead us into sin. God does not tempt us to sin. God will test our faith in order to strengthen us and aid us in this life. But He will never tempt us.

Transition:

This passage from Hebrews contains so much. But I pray you have seen this morning

Conclusion:

That Abraham's faith was so sure in the Lord and His promises that He was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice at God's command believing that God would raise him from the dead.

Visualization:

And we likewise can full faith in God even in the most difficult of times and trials knowing that God is good and always keeps His Word.

Reiteration:

We can always trust God to keep His Word even when we do not understand.

Application:

And this should change how we live. As we live our lives we should always remember:

God is Good and Keeps His Word.

Never forget this. Never forget the character of God. God is all good. He is good. There is no darkness or shadow in Him. And God ALWAYS keeps His Word. God will never lie. These two combined are the greatest hope for the Christian. They give us so much peace. It is because of this that we can have faith in Christ, in God. It is because God is good and always keeps His Word that we can have faith.

And this faith:

Faith Carries Us Through Even the Greatest Difficulties.

All of us will face pain. All of us will face trial and difficulties. Some of us will endure unspeakable tragedy in this life. But faith is what will carry us through. It was Abraham’s faith that gave him the strength to endure. Our faith in Christ will many times be the only thing that gives us peace.

This is what is spoken of in Philippians 4:6–7. “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Do not be anxious. Do not be afraid. Beloved there will be moments of great tragedy in this life. There will be hospital rooms. There will be grave sides. But in faith, cast everything on Him. Cast it all on Christ. And through faith there is a peace that surpasses understanding. Believe me, I know. I know what it is to suffer. I know what it is to hurt. But in Christ, there is peace.

And faith in Christ will carry you through. It will not spare you pain. But faith will carry you through. And in that faith, you will find a peace that you cannot explain. A peace that baffles all those around. In my Lord I am at peace.

But beloved, there is one question I must ask. The life and example of Abraham demands it.

Will You Obey God Even When You Do Not Understand?

This really is the determining point of our faith. Will you obey God even when you do not understand?

Beloved, we are all sinners. And beyond this, we are products of our culture. All of us are. We are shaped by the time and culture we live in. And the combination of our own sinfulness and the thinking we have learned from our sinful age means we will have times where we do not like what God says. His Word offends us.

If you have ever spent any time in the Bible, you know exactly what I mean. If you are honest, you will admit that God’s commands are at times offensive to you. God clearly commands things that go against what you think best. Maybe it is the marriage commands in the Bible. Maybe it is God’s commands in regards to rulers or governments. Maybe its commands against lust or envy or gossip.

But the Word of God offends us. It calls us to the mat. It tells us things we do not want to hear. When we encounter these things, we have two options. Obey or disobey. Sadly our tendency is to justify disobedience. We come up with all these excuses on why our situation means we don’t have to obey God. “But I don’t have to honor my husband and submit to Him because he doesn’t love me perfectly.” Where is that provision in God’s Word? It isn’t there. imagine if a husband said he didn’t have to love his wife because she didn’t respect him perfectly. It is wrong. Or what if you were to say, “I wasn’t gossiping, I was asking people to pray for that person.” How many times do we mask gossip in prayer requests. “Have you heard _______? We should pray for her.” No, be honest, you were gossiping.

We are so quick to attempt to explain away our disobedience. And it really comes down to believing we know better than God. This is blasphemy. We don’t understand why God would call us to do something that doesn’t make sense in our little minds, so we find some excuse.

But look at Abraham’s example. He obeyed. He did not understand. But He obeyed. He did not say “Well, that doesn’t make sense! I can’t sacrifice Isaac because then God’s promise wouldn’t come true. So I won’t do that. I won’t obey God’s clear command because I don’t understand.” No, he obeyed, trusting God knew more than he did.

There will always be times where it seems to make more sense to disobey God. There will be so many times where we would FEEL justified in disobeying God. “Well, God it just doesn’t make sense for me to love my wife and be patient with her here because...” “Well God, It just doesn't make sense for me to submit graciously to my husband as unto you because...” “I need to be dishonest here for this or that reason.” “Actually God, giving financially to Your church is just fiscally irresponsible at this time because I have this or that bill.” “I know God calls me to educate my children in the faith, but it’s just so time consuming and inconvenient, so I’m going to send them off to the world to be trained in godlessness.” Or the ever popular, “sending my kids into the world with no spiritual training is good actually, because they are ‘Missionaries.’”

Often, God’s commands don’t make sense to our minds. But that is no excuse for disobedience. True faith is revealed to be true faith when obey in times where we do not understand.

Appeal:

True faith is revealed to be true faith when we obey in times where we do not understand.

So ask yourself, do you do this? Are you obeying God, even when you do not understand? What is your default? Is your default to trust God, or your own understanding? If it is the later, I call you right now to repent and learn from Abraham. Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer:

Offering:

Offertory Prayer:

Benediction:

Proverbs 3:5–6“5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”