Unexpected Ways

Introduction:

Genesis 22:1–18 NLT

1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” 2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” 3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” 6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” 8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

Have you ever sit back, and examined everything going on in your life and asked the question: “Why are you allowing this to happen God?” Sometimes the waves of life crash upon us, and we do not know what to do. We’re overwhelmed by all the things going on around us, and we know that God has a plan, but we can’t see it.

Throughout the Bible, we read about God commanding someone to do something, and they do it. They do not understand God’s plan, but they know God was in control, and obeyed Him.

Noah was commanded to build an Ark, because God was going to judge the whole earth.

Abram was commanded to leave his family, and go to another country.

And now we see in our reading, that Abraham was told to sacrifice his only son.

CONTEXT:

Abraham and his wife Sarah were unable to have children, and they called out to God, and God promised them a Son. When Abraham and Sarah were very old, they had their son that God promised to them, Isaac.

So keep in mind, how special Isaac was to Abraham. It is his only son, the son who he waited so long to have.

God might send us on Paths we can’t see.

Genesis 22:1–2 NLT

1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” 2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

Abraham was not given any additional information, God didn’t tell him that He was testing him. Imagine how gut wrenching this would have been for him. His only son, to be sacrificed.

Genesis 22:3–5 NLT

3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”

Look at that last verse, did he say “I will return to you?” No, Abraham said “WE WILL RETURN TO YOU.”

Abraham knew God, and he knew that God was just, and that God would NEVER break His promise. He. Knew. God.

Do we know God? When we encounter trials and death and disease, do we know God is orchestrating a plan? Or do we not know Him, so we don’t trust Him?

Abraham knew God was going to be faithful to His word.

Genesis 22:6–8 NLT

6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” 8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

So Isaac, knowing how sacrifices worked, noticed there was no sacrifice. When he asked his father Abraham where the sacrifice was, Abraham replied: “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son.”

Remember that as we keep reading, God will provide a lamb. Still, Abraham knew God would provide. He didn’t know why God was telling him to sacrifice his son, he didn’t know how God would provide, but he knew he would.

Have you ever been there before? God I don’t know how you’re going to do it, and I don’t know why everything is happening like this, but God I know you will provide. I just don’t understand how.

I am sure that is how Abraham was. But remember, keep in mind, God will provide a sheep.

Genesis 22:9–12 NLT

9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

Abraham continued with what God commanded him to do, he bound his son, and placed him on the alter. About to slay him with the knife, The Angel of The Lord spoke out and told Abraham to stop.

He said that He know Abraham fears the Lord because he has not withheld his son, his only son from the Lord.

But where is the lamb? Did Abraham get something wrong? Let’s continue reading…

Genesis 22:13–14 NLT

13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

He named the mountain, The Lord will provide. Wow. The faith in God that Abraham had, knowing that God would stay faithful to His promise. He knew God would provide.

But wait, God will provide a lamb, said Abraham, but God provided a Ram instead. Why? Why did Abraham say a lamb, but God provide a Ram instead?

Great question, keep that in the back of your mind. Where is the lamb?

Genesis 22:15–18 NLT

15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

Because you have obeyed me, said the Lord, through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

What does that mean?

We have 2 questions.

Why did Abraham say God would provide a lamb, and instead God provided a Ram.

How would, through the descendants of Abraham, all the nations be blessed?

John 1:19–29 NLT

19 This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” 20 He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he replied. “Are you the Prophet we are expecting?” “No.” 22 “Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’ ” 24 Then the Pharisees who had been sent 25 asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?” 26 John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” 28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. Where is the lamb? Christ is the lamb, who was born based on the lineage of Abraham, who’s death takes away the sin of the world, offering people, from all nations, the ability to be made right with God, and to be pardoned of their sins.

God provided a lamb, His name is Christ Jesus.

Do you see how God always has a plan? We may not see it, we may not understand why things happen in our life, we may think that God can’t do anything with the situation we’re in.

Folks, if God can create the universe that you’re having these problems in, then I promise you, that He can move and orchestrate the events happening in your life, and bring you out of them and into His unconditional love.

I’m not telling you that God is going to heal every situation going on in your life. We live in a broken world with broken things and broken people.

But know God has a plan for every single thing.

I have been in places, where I would cry out to God and say “Lord, I don’t see you in this situation. I am broken, I am unable to do anything.” And when God moved, He moved perfectly.

I would cry out and say God, I am doing what I know you’ve called me to do, but I can’t even afford Gas this week to get to church. And out of nowhere, someone would slip me money and say they just felt like they should.

There is no way, that is just by chance. God moved, and knew before I even spoke a word.

SALVATION