The Final Test

Introduction

Here in our last week in Genesis until August we are going to see the arrival of the promised son and the final major moment in the life of Abraham. When we return in August we are going to see Abraham fade away as Isaac take the spotlight of the main human character. This moment though it like the climax of Abraham’s life.

As we have journeyed through this study in Genesis we have seen many themes arise. One of the biggest themes that we have seen is God keeping his promises. In this section we see some of the biggest promises fulfilled as well as smaller ones also holding true.

Another theme that we have observed is the role of faith. We have seen that Abraham is a man of faith but he has had his struggles along the way where his faith has lapsed. This final test shows that his faith is solidified in God. Making Abraham worthy of the hall of faith seen in Hebrews 11.

We are going to see three parts of this text tonight; first is the promised birth is going to happen, then the estranged son Ishmael will be cared for, and finally we will see the sacrifice of Isaac and the faith demonstrated by Abraham in that moment.

Lets pray and then we can dive into the text.

The Promised Birth

Genesis 21:1–7 ESV

The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

The promised son has finally arrived. Notice throughout this section the language points to how this is the fulfillment of God’s promises. It also shows us that it happened just as God had promised. The author Moses does not leave any room for doubt about this in our mind.

Abraham circumcises Isaac on the eighth day just as he was previously commanded by God. Isaac is the first infant that is circumcised in the covenant and it is through him that the covenant will continue.

In the language that Sarah uses throughout this section we can see that it is evident that Sarah is now demonstrating faith in God and the unusual nature of this birth is clear. There is no doubt that God is involved in this to anyone.

In their lives we see the role that faith plays. Though there is often difficulty associated with it we are not much different. We also see how this relates to the promises of God. God always fulfills his promises and can you imagine how this story would have been different if they had faith in those promises from the beginning.

In another way think about how your story might be different if you have faith in God and all his promises right now. I was telling someone just last week how I didn’t take my faith seriously until college. I can only imagine if I took it seriously when I was yall’s age. If I were to go back and tell myself one thing that would be it. I would say Daytona start taking your faith seriously now and you will never regret it.

The Estranged Son

Genesis 21:8–21 ESV

And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

When it got time to wean Isaac there was a great party. At this party it says Ishmael was laughing. We should interpret what this means in light of Galatians 4.29

Galatians 4:29 ESV

But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

This verse in in reference to this story here and it says that the one born according to the flesh, Ishmael, was persecuting the one born according to the Spirit, Isaac. So the laughing here is him doing something negative towards Isaac. Because of this Sarah wants him and his mother gone and God allows this to happen.

They prepare their things and the following day they are sent out. When all of their supplies run out Hagar puts Ishmael away at a distance because she does not want to see him die. God says that he heard the voice of the boy and comes and provides for them. We are then told that the boy grew up and eventually found a wife.

Why would God provide for them out in the wilderness? Because of his promises. God promised Abraham that this child would be taken care of and would become a great nation, though he would not be the child of promise. This is Gods provision towards that promise. God watched over Ishmael just like was promised.

This is yet again another place where we see that God holds to his promises.

The Sacrifice

Genesis 22 ESV

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 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.” 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. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 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.” 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. 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?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 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. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 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.” 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. 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.” And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba. Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

This is one of the more well know sections of Abrahams life and a helpful thing to help us understand it is in the first few words, it is a test. This is a test of the faith of Abraham.

As it goes they set out to go and worship and offer sacrifices to God after God commands him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. They arrive at the place and Abraham is confident that they will both return. Abraham is faithful and obedient until the end through when an angel stops him. Abraham ties up his son, the long awaited son, and puts him on the altar preparing to sacrifice him to God.

This place where this is all done will eventually become the temple mount where the temple is in the day of Jesus.

The final test for Abraham is complete and he passed. Abraham has complete faith in God that does not waiver. Abraham trust in all of the promises of God without question. What a long way he has come in the last 10 chapters that we have covered.

Conclusion

So as we wrap up this school year in Genesis before we take a break lets think again about these recurring themes.

God is faithful to his promises and he ask us to put our faith in him. This is how we live right with God. We all need to live right with God because we all fail him, we all have sin. Faith is the only solution for that.

In the beginning of Genesis God made everything perfect and man brought sin into the world, there was a promise though that one would come and make a way for forgiveness. What we have been tracing through all of this story is the path to that person. From Adam to Noah to Abraham and now to Isaac. I will tell you where it ends though, it ends with Jesus. Jesus was the one that was promised when sin entered the world and it was Jesus that made a way for forgivness through faith and faith alone. Lets pray.