Abraham and Issac

God’s Test

Genesis 22:1–2 “1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 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.””

What has God been promising Abraham for the last several chapters?

And yet now that God has finally given this son to Abraham now he tells Abraham to offer him as a sacrifice…

He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love,

Why does God call Isaac his only son?

Why is this a shocking request from God? Why does it seem out of character for God?

Deuteronomy 12:31 “31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.”

God hates human sacrifice and never condones it and yet here we see him doing that very thing… Or does he.

It says, “God tested Abraham.” This was a test of loyalty.

What do you think mattered most to Abraham?

God is testing to see who does Abraham love more God or his son and is Abraham willing to trust that God with what he holds most precious.

How has Abraham been doing so far in obeying God?

And yet, look how Abraham responds to God’s test

Genesis 22:3 (ESV)

3 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.

Without question Abraham did what he was told.

He didn’t argue. He didn’’t barter with God. He didn’t offer something else he could sacrfice on the alter. He trusted God and obeyed.

IT even says he woke up early in the morning.

When someone tells you to do something you don’t want to do what do you do?

procrastinate….

To delay is to disobey….

What does delaying disobedience say about what you believe about the command?

delaying shows a lack of trust.

Abraham’s Obedience

Genesis 22:4–10 “4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.

It took three days to get to the place that God called Abraham to go. Three days for Abraham to chicken out. But Abraham was faithful.

5 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.” 6 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. 7 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?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 9 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. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.”

It’s hard for a teen to comprehend the agony that Abraham is going through. Unless you have a child it’s impossible to understand the love you have for them.

To care for them day in and day out. To provide for their every need. To love them more than anything else in the world. I simply cannot fathom the heartache Abraham was going through as he raised his knife to slaughter his only son.

But God was testing Abraham. To see who he loved more. HIs son or God.

What is the defintion of an idol?

“An idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”

Good things can become idols. In fact norally its good things that do become idols.

A Father’s love for their son is a good thing but if it’s more than God it can become an idol.

What are some other good things that can become idols in our lives?

RELATIONSHIPS

Examples: Dating relationships, friend groups, fear of rejection, needing to be liked, social acceptance.

Diagnostic question: If I lost this relationship, would my life feel meaningless?

IDENTITY AND IMAGE

Good gift: God gives each person dignity and worth.

Idol when: A teen tries to construct identity instead of receiving it from Christ.

Examples: Appearance, body image, clothing brands, reputation, social media image, likes and followers.

ACHIEVEMENT AND SUCCESS

Good gift: Excellence and diligence honor the Lord.

Idol when: Performance becomes the source of value.Examples: Grades, sports, scholarships, college acceptance, musical ability, being the best.

Heart issue: I am only valuable if I succeed.

COMFORT AND ENTERTAINMENT

Good gift: Rest and enjoyment are from God.

Idol when: Comfort becomes the ruling desire.

Examples: Video games, streaming platforms, phone scrolling, pornography, avoiding responsibility, needing constant stimulation.

AUTONOMY AND CONTROL

Good gift: Growing independence is healthy.

Idol when: Self-rule replaces submission to Christ.

Examples: Resenting authority, rejecting accountability, defining morality personally, prioritizing freedom over obedience.

Isaac was a good thing. But if Abraham loved him more than God than that good thing would stand in the way of Abraham’s relationship with God and it would stand in the way of the joy and promises God offers us.

“But we never can prove  the delights of his love  until all on the altar we lay;  for the favor he shows,  for the joy he bestows,  are for them who will trust and obey.”

Abraham laid everything he had on that alter. HIs greatest joy. His future hope. He laid it down.

What are you keeping back from God? What are you holding on to that’s keeping you from God?

Lay it down on the altar. Sacrifice it for God. Give it to him.

You will never know the delights of God’s love until all on the altar you lay.

Take a second right now and think. What do you need to be willing to give up for God.

Now lets ask ourselves this question.

How was Abraham able to trust God in this situation. What did Abraham believe about God that allowed him to obey?

Hebrews 11:17–19 (ESV)

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”

He was in the act of giving everything to God. But what did he believe about God that allowed him to do it?

19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead,

Abraham was willing to go through with the sacrfice because the thought God would raise him from the dead.

No where in this story do we see any hesitation of Abraham. He does along the journey question God. It doesn’t say his waiting for God to change his mind.

We do that… Are you really going to let me go through with this?

Abraham was not afraid to offer up Issac because he believed God would bring him back to life.

He was not afraid to sacrifice his greatest joy because he believed God would bring his joy back to life.

Why do we hold on to sin? It’s not because we love the sin it’s because we love what we think the sin provides for us. We love the pleasure. We love the joy sin brings.

Why do we hold on to our idos? It’s not because we love the idol it’s because we love what we think the idol provides for us. We love the pleasure. We love the joy the idol brings.

How can we sacrifice our sin and idols on the alter? By believing that God will raise those not the idols but the joy we thought they would provide.

We wonder how we could ever be happy again if we give this thing. This idol up. But God has promised that he will resurrected the joy you thought you were sacrificing. Only the joy GOd provides is infintetly greater than any idol.

Jonah 2:8 “8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.”

Don’t forsake the joy and love God provides by holding on to vain idols. Lay it down on the alter and expirence the delights and joys of God’s love.

Matthew 19:29 “29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.”

Mark 10:29–30 “29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Luke 18:29–30 “29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.””

You cannot sacrifice for God. You will always come out ahead.

But talk is cheap. You need to be willing to put it on the line.

Remember the book of James teaches that what you believe is always revealed by how you behave.

In fact James uses the example of Abraham.

James 2:18–23 “18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.”

James quotes Genesis in that last verse. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”

Do you know what chapter that verse is found in?

Genesis 15:5–6 (ESV)

5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

The belief happens in chapter 15. He’s saved by faith not works. But that invisible faith is revealed by how he behaves in chapter 22.

What does your behavior reveal about what you believe?

We are saved by faith alone but faith that saves is never alone.

Talk is cheap. What does your behavior reveal?

Back to the story.

Hebrews 11:19 “19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”

Genesis 22:10–14 (ESV)

10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 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.” 13 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. 14 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.”

God stops Abraham from killing his son and Abraham looks up and in the thicket he sees a ram stuck. God had provided a substitute. God provided something to take the place of Issac.

Why did God provide a substitute for Issac?

Because their would only be one person who would ever need to offer up His Son. His only Son. His son whom he loved.

Christ the true and better Isaac Humble son of sacrifice Who would climb the fearful mountain Therе to offer up his life Laid with faith upon the altar Fathеr's joy and only son There salvation was provided Oh what full and boundless love

Jesus comes as a new Isaac—the one and only Son of God who is actually sacrificed on the mountain. As Abraham proves his love for God throughout this story, so too does the Father prove his love for sinners by not withholding his Son from us (Rom 5:8

God didn’t let Abraham go through with the sacrifice of his only son. Because He had already planned to sacrifice his only son.

John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

For God so loved you that he sacrificed his Son for you.

I love you all. But there is not a single person in this room that I would be willing to sacrifice either one of my daughters for.

But God was willing.

God loves you more than you will ever be able to comprehend.

Can we sit with that for a second. God loves you. He knows you and he loves you. And there is nothing he is not willing to give you.

Romans 8:32 “32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

If he was willing to give you his son there is nothing good for you that he will not give you.

But you have to be willing to trust him. Trust that he has you best interest at heart.

You don’t have to know what God is dong when you know why. He loves you.

“When you don't understand His plan, When you can't trace His hand, Trust His heart.”

So here’s the big idea from the lesson. You can trust God with what you love most because He loves you most.

Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.