A Father’s Encounter
Notes
Transcript
Encounter Series
Losing Tasia in Walmart
This morning, we are going to look at an encounter of a Father….Abraham… and more importantly, our heavenly Father
As we begin our encounter this morning, it is quite simple
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
At this time, God had already promised Abraham that he would be the father of many children
5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
So, it seems a bit odd that God would ask Abraham to sacrifice his son when He had already promised may offspring
As the text says, it was a test
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
So, a 3 day trip to consider what he was about to do!
Talk about some prayer time! Though we don’t know if he prayed during this time
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
This is probably one of the most powerful questions in the bible!
One that all of us must answer! Maybe not exactly where is the lamb, but, WHO is the lamb?
Abraham’s response is as much powerful
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
This statement is probably prophetic and he doesn’t even know it!
In his mind, he was likely not ready to tell his son that he was going to sacrifice him! But his statement would shock probably even him later
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
Notice the obedience in this story!
It is actually quite horrific!
So bad actually, that atheists will often cite this story to prove that the bible and God is pretty messed up!
And maybe it seems like that!
Probably not the best story for Father’s day!
We are celebrating father’s but here we are talking about a father willing to sacrifice his son!
Yes, yes we are, but not Abraham, ultimately!
Nonetheless, Abraham was obedient!
He trusted God, no matter the outcome!
So, this morning, maybe a lesson for us is as a good Father, we must trust our Father in heaven!
Abraham is noted in Hebrews 11 for His faith notice what it says:
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
Abraham had such faith that even if his son were to die, God would surely raise him from the dead!
I’m curious this morning:
Do we trust God like Abraham did?
Do we trust God like Abraham did?
Maybe when we encounter God, He will ask us to do something that seems contrary to His will or promise.
One thing that I like about this example is it shows how relational God is!
God made a promise and then seemed like maybe it wasn’t going to happen. Now, Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead and he held onto that promise.
But sometimes, it seems like what God promises is not going to happen, and yet, we still trust Him!
Do we have the kind of relationship in God that we can trust Him even when things don’t line up?
What God says will happen, will happen, even there seems to be a bump in the road?
Do we trust Him?
I believe that Abraham so believed what God had told him, that he hung onto it!
Maybe it wouldn’t happen in the way that he expected or there would be a bump in the road, but what God promises, will come to pass!
10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
So, God stops the sacrifice and the test is complete!
Abraham passes the test! He trusts God!
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Remember what Abraham said to Isaac earlier? The Lord will provide the lamb!
He probably didn’t know that it was going to happen this way, but it did!
Another note for us this morning:
When God promises, He will provide!
When God promises, He will provide!
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
After he passes the test, God reaffirms His promise to Abraham!
One of the things that people often think when they hear this story is that Isaac may have had some trauma from this…and that is certainly possible!
As I thought about it this week though, maybe he did initially, but in the long run as Isaac grew to know and understand God, wouldn’t this be a good legacy to leave?
Not that your dad almost ended your life, but that your dad was so trusting in God, that he would give up one of his most important things, or people…his son for God!
Yeah initially, I am sure Isaac had some questions, but to grow in understanding of how much your dad loves the Lord would be pretty amazing!
What kind of legacy are we leaving for our kids?
What kind of legacy are we leaving for our kids?
Do our kids or grandkids or kids in the church look up to us and say about us “my mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, friend in the church, love the Lord”
They will do anything for God!
Since it’s father’s day, I will pick on the dads. Dads your kids notice what you do!
They notice what you say and how you act!
They notice the differences in what you say and how you act!
You can say all of the right things but if you don’t live it yourself, they see that!
I have heard people talk about how much they want their kids to know the Lord. In fact, many parents will send their kids to church because “they want their kids in church” but they don’t go themselves.
Why is church important for kids but not adults?
And how important do you think that kid thinks church is when you don’t go?
Going to church is a simple example to pick on, but how much do we live like Jesus at home!
We teach out kids that they should pray, but they never see us pray!
We tell them to tell people about Jesus at school, but they never see us telling people about Jesus….
It may seem odd in Isaac’s mind initially, but I bet he would grow to respect his dad trusting God!
As we wrap up this morning, I want to make a couple parallels in this story between what happens here and what God does for us.
For the atheist or those who think this was quite cruel, you should know it was never God’s plan for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac! In fact, the story began with God testing Abraham.
There is a bigger picture that is happening here:
Notice the parallel here:
Abraham offers:
Isaac:
Beloved son
Carries the wood up the mountain
Offered by his father
On Mount Moriah
God Offers:
Jesus:
Beloved Son
Carries the cross
Offered by the Father
Crucified in the same region centuries later
The similarities are glaring but:
The difference is crucial:
For Isaac, God stopped the sacrifice.
For Jesus, He did not.
The ram died in Isaac's place.
Jesus died in ours.
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Worship Team
This morning as we talk about being a father, we know that
Our Father
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This morning, I want you to know, that no matter whether you have/had a good father, bad father, or no father, you have a father who loves you!
One who did not spare His son for you!
He gave Him for you! He died in your place so you can live!
Gospel
