Untitled Sermon (20)

22 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together. 7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide, the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.” 12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.” 

Genesis 22 is among the most recognized chapters in the Old Testament. Genesis 22 is climactic in the life of Abraham. The account of the sacrifice of Isaac constitutes both the beauty and theological summit of the whole story of Abraham.

It is a familiar text and whenever a text is familiar it is often read without looking for new revelation, but this morning I want us to feel the tension in this text. I have heard this text preached many times—I have preached myself, and most of the sermons on this text focus much on the ram caught in the bush and miss the fact that this is an ultimate test of faith.

Notice with me—the chapter begins stating: After these things God tested Abraham and I want to point out this is the first time the word “Test” is used in the Bible. It is not the first test—chapter 12 was the first time Abraham was tested by God.

It was a test when God said to Abraham leave Ur and Abraham went out not knowing where he was going. Abraham’s life begins and ends—as far as Divine speech goes with two imperatives. The first imperative is in chapter 12—God said leave and the second imperative is here in chapter 22 God says take.

And just like he was told to leave three things in chapter 12—Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s house. You got to read this like you don’t know how it ends—put your hand on Abraham’s heart as the Lord now says take three things—your son, your only son Isaac—whom you love up on one of the mountains I will show you and kill him.

Three things mentioned sum up the ultimate test with each expression becoming more intense—your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love—each expression is more intense,

A couple Sunday’s ago I mentioned worshiping while you’re wounded. Umm, can you worship when you’re suffering—when your life is full of one storm after another—can you worship when you still have unanswered questions and the way to worship when life may be falling apart is trusting in God’s plan even when from a human perspective it makes no sense.

And this test will not make sense until you are able to see that the test is not about Isaac dying. God didn’t want Isaac to die, but God did want Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in his heart so it would be clear he loved God more than he loved the long-awaited and promised son.

It is a test to see if God is prioritized above all else. And let me drop this in cause everyone of us here this morning have an Isaac in our lives that is prioritized. Some times Isaac is a possession and other times Isaac is a person and every now and then we are the person and God may be preparing an exam to test our priorities and one thing I know about exams—is that they reveal to us what we don’t know.

And it could reveal we are not as committed to God as previously thought and this test will reveal what is held tighter than God. So, for next few minutes I want to point out three things about Abraham’s commitment to God.

Umm, first thing this text reveals: Abraham is committed to immediate obedience

If we would be committed to immediate obedience we must recognize that Abraham was prepared to obey when God speaks a word of command.

The journey he was appointed by God and without delay he went. He was bidden by God to leave his country and he left—Abraham left friends and family. Gathered his belongings—he exiled himself so that he could sojourn with God. And this chapter—in verse 1 where it says: After these things God tested Abraham.

Verse 1 sets the stage and then verse 2 God reveals what is on the exam. This exam is the second question from the first exam in chapter 12—because it was one thing to leave, but this second exam deals with Abraham taking his son, his only son Isaac, whom he loves on a mountain to offer him as a burnt offering.

Talk about a test of obedience. The ultimate test of faith, and verse 3 he begins to answer with immediate obedience.

Look what it says: Abraham rose early. He is intentional. He does not procrastinate. He does not go back and forth wondering if he heard God right. He just rises early in the morning.

I told us you have to be prepared to obey. Abraham received the command and the next morning he is preparing what he needs to offer Isaac. Put your hand on his heart again as he gets up—saddles his donkey. He gets two of his servants to go with them. He got Isaac, split the wood, arose and went to the place of which God told him.

He is committed to immediate obedience. And I’m sure he had some questions, but he doesn’t use his unanswered questions to delay his obedience. We don’t have to wait till we have it all figured out—obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. If God brings you to it He will bring you through it. If God says do it then He has already provided with provisions to do what He said get done.

I’m sure he had some questions, but he doesn’t raise his hand during the exam, because the instructions were clear.

Did you get that? He may not understand it all, but he knows enough about God. He knows God must have a plan—I don’t know how this is going to work out but I trust God and I’ve seen God turn things around. I have seen God make ways where I couldn’t see one. He immediately obeys because he knows God—I may not be able to map out how this is going to work out—don’t know how it’s going to turnout, but I know God. I have read the book—I have seen what God can do—So, Abraham teaches us in verse 3 to obey God and leave the consequences to God.

Secondly: Abraham Committed to the Journey

To be committed to the journey means he is committed to the ongoing process of progress, perseverance and growth. The point is active—he had to take everything for the test. He needed to carry with him everything that is needed for a burnt offering.

I said this already but notice with me again the two imperatives of his life. Chapter 12 he is told to leave—chapter 22 God says take your son…

And I don’t know about you but the longer they walked the harder the journey became. Every step is a step closer to the ultimate test of his faith. Leaving was an act of faith, but taking his son to offer him as a burnt offering is another level of faith. God says I want you to give up what you waited 25 years to possess.

Faith is a journey and I see in the text that Abraham’s faith has grown. He has to take his son on a three day journey—he has to take with him everything needed to offer Isaac as a burnt offering—Abraham had to touch each tool that he would use to chop his sons body up. He has to walk for three days with God’s word ringing in his ear—Yeah, you can tell by verse 4 that his faith has grown. He committed to the journey and on the third day he looked up and saw the place afar off.

This is where it really gets good. They get to the place and verses 4-10 detail the process of offering, but I told us this is not about Abraham killing Isaac. This test is to discover what or who is the priority in his life.

And when you read the verses what Abraham says is subtle, but speaks to his faith. It is easy to miss what Abraham says if you are in a hurry to get to the ram caught in the bush. but look with me at verse 4—cause Abraham looks up, saw the place afar off and here is where it gets really good.

Abraham said to the ones who came up with him—Y’all chill out right here with the donkey—drink some adult refreshments—me and the boy gonna go yonder, worship and we will be back shortly.

Did you catch that—let me run it by you one more time. He looked up and saw the place—said to his boys, Y’all cool out right here with the donkey—we gon’ go a little further on this mountain—we gon’ worship and we will be back shortly.

Umm, Paul and Silas worshiped while they were wounded and now Abraham teaches that you can have some worries, but still worship. It was an extraordinary test from God and Abraham says both of us going up here to worship God and we both coming back.

There are two things being stressed in this—cause a lot of folk get mad at God cause they can’t stand up under the testing—get mad, stop coming to church cause they feel like God is picking on them, but Abraham journeyed for three days and worships the One who sent the test.

He teaches something else about his faith. He said we gon’go worship and we gon’ come back. Abraham knows what a burnt offering is and he is saying between going up this mountain and killing this boy and us coming back down together—that means God got to do something. He is going into this situation knowing that in order for us to worship and come back down God got to do something—He didn’t give me this boy to take him back—I don’t know how He gon’ do it I just believe He gon’ do it.

I’m closing now—here is my last point Look at verses 11-13: Abraham’s Commitment is a Symbol of Sacrificial Devotion

There are symbols that we can readily identify. When driving on roads you know—a red octagon is a stop sign. When a heart is drawn it is a symbol of love. A symbol is recognizable—it is something used to convey information beyond its literal meaning.

Abraham is a symbol offish and trust in God. He is a symbol for walking by faith—his life can be viewed as an example of living his life simply by trusting God. He is a symbol of sacrificial devotion. Sacrificial devotion is an act of offering to God to express devotion. It is a life practice of giving up something valuable to us.

It is a life of surrender. It is following the example of Christ—it involves presenting our bodies as living sacrifices. A living sacrifice is a profound spiritual commitment where we devote ourselves entirely to God. Which is interesting because a burnt offering is totally consumed. It is a total offering—Abraham is called to give up Isaac in an expression of total dedication to the Lord.

Let me say this and I’m done, but we see with Abraham that he is fully committed to the Lord. He is willing to give up Isaac and I just believe he teaches what worship looks like—worship when it is real holds nothing back from God. He gives obediently what God asks cause he trusts that God will provide. Abraham has said God will provide Himself a Lamb for the sacrifice. It is a statement of trust and confidence, but here is the twist Abraham has faith and trust—he is confident that God will provide, but he doesn’t know if God will provide a rescue for Isaac—he doesn’t know but he trust and when you trust God you can commit your way to the Lord…I may not understand it all, but I know God and He has never failed me yet—trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path…

Abraham is a symbol of Sacrificial devotion: he shows us what bringing it all to Him looks like. It is sacrificial devotion where one is willing to give up everything for God. Sacrifice is seen as the ultimate test of devotion—again, where there is willingness to give up something of significant value is the evidence of the depth of commitment, because it is not a sacrifice where there is no cost. It is not meaningful without an investment.

Offering a satisfactory sacrifice is more than simply supporting an idea; it means living intentionally, doing what costs dearly, and giving up something to offer God the obedience and service He deserves. As King David insisted, true sacrifice demands payment, and he was unwilling to offer anything to the LORD that cost him nothing.

Many people are willing to serve if it doesn’t cost them anything, but lose interest when there’s a price to pay.

 As one missionary observed, many Christians seek “cheap crosses,” but Christ’s cross was not cheap, and neither should ours be. The truly submissive person does not avoid sacrifice but lives for God’s glory and others’ good, understanding that sacrifice and service are intrinsically linked in genuine Christian ministry. 

Ultimately, while cost matters, the main point of sacrifice is not what it costs us, but whether it pleases God—requiring a God-centered perspective.This means making an unreserved surrender of everything to Jesus, holding nothing back, and being prepared to give up all for Him. This is Sacrificial Devotion.