Hineni - Abraham

Hineni — "Here I Am"

Genesis 22:1–4

Big Idea:

Genuine faith answers God's call with immediate trust because it knows the character of the One who calls.

Introduction

Read Genesis 22:1–14.

Throughout Scripture there is a repeated pattern.

God speaks. God calls. God initiates. Man responds.

Christianity does not begin with man searching for God. God is not the one who is hiding; all throughout the bible we see that God is the seeker, and we are the ones who are being found and redeemed by him.

It begins with God calling sinners to Himself.

Then point them to verse 1.

"God tested Abraham and said to him, 'Abraham!'

And Abraham responded, Hineni. “Here I am."

Slow down.

This little Hebrew word appears only about 17 times in Scripture (In this form). It appears 3 times here in Gen 22.

It doesn't simply mean, Yes?" Or how you would respond to your mom or dad when they call you… “Yeessss Mom”

It means “I am at your disposal." “I am completely available." “I belong to You. I am at your service. It is the language of surrender, willingness, complete obedience before knowing the assignment. It is a very rare word, that we see being used in the bible in very special occasions when the divine encounters human beings.

As we are going to see over the course of the weekend, God calls to men like Abraham to sacrifice his son, he calls Moses from a burning bush to come out of obscurity, he calls a young boy named Samuel to be consecrated to him, and he calls Isaiah in the night; what do they all have in common?

They all responded with one simple word: Hineni. Hineni.

We often respond much differently to God, don’t we? Think about how Jonah responded to God? Jonah and Abraham, two Important men of God in the bible, two completely different responses to the call of God.

Our response is usually “Depends." Depends on what you're asking. Depends how much it costs. Depends whether I like it.

Depends whether it interrupts my plans.

But Abraham says Hineni before God tells him anything.

That is remarkable. It is fascinating. And so this morning, I want to spend time trying to wrap our minds around that. How could Abraham respond in such a way? Was he just some spectacular person, with incredible faith? What does genuine Hineni look like?

The first truth I want us to look at from this passage is this:

I. Genuine faith submits before it understands (vv.1–2)

Notice the order. What happens first? God calls and Abraham answers.

Only then does God reveal the command. Abraham hears God’s voice through the Angel of the LORD, the Angel of YAHWEH,

by the way just as an interesting note, if you ever want to explore more into who or what is the Angel of the LORD, I would recommend to you the book by Doug Van Dorn and Matt Foreman, the title is “The Angel of the LORD”, and they explore the bible and church history to give a more biblical understanding of who this person is. It’s not just some voice that appears out of nowhere, but they actually argue that the Angel of the LORD is the preincarnate Christ, the second person of the Trinity.

I don’t want to brush over this first verse because there is so much for us to contemplate here. God calls him, Abraham responds immediately, without hesitation, HINENI.

What does Hineni mean? Ask the Youth to repeat.

He has no idea what is going to follow, he has no idea what God is going to ask him. Just think about that. God already called him a few chapters earlier to leave his home, to go to a land that he promised to give him, but he didn’t have apple maps, google maps, he didn’t even just a regular old paper map, like how they had back in the day. So Abraham already knows, that this God, can ask him to do some pretty crazy stuff. Things he doesn’t expect.

You would think there would be some hesitation; maybe trying to stall a little bit, to give him some time to think or ask some questions to get an idea of what it could possibly be that God wants from him. But he doesn’t do that. He answers Hineni, Here I am. I am at your service Lord. I am completely yours; whatever you call me to do, I’ll do it.

[THINK ABOUT THIS MORE]

And then God tells him what he wants him to do. Maybe Abraham thought in his mind, the LORD is going to ask me to move again, or to go speak to someone… but imagine hearing these words:

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 which I shall tell you.” This sounds like something you read of in the LOTRs.

Everything intensifies. Abraham is not a robot, he was flesh and blood just like you and me.

This is the promised son. The miracle child. The covenant child.

The one through whom Genesis 15 would be fulfilled, all the nations would be blessed through this child, eventually having more descendants than the very stars in heaven.

At a human level it makes no sense. Its like trying to understand how 2+3=4. It doesn’t square up. It doesn’t add up. The bible doesn’t tell us what he thought in his mind right then and there, but you have to imagine that he was in shock, a million thoughts must have flashed through his mind. How? Why? How could this be? At least, those are things that if we are honest would go through all of our minds. Especially as a father, looking at my little one; taking him up to sacrifice him. How different my respond would be.

John Calvin commenting on Abraham’s response, Hineni writes that

"Whatever God may have been pleased to command, I am perfectly ready to carry into effect." [remove or alter]

We love saying, “I would have done what Abraham did." We read many of the biblical stories and like to think that we would respond better, as if we did not have our own sins, our own blind spots. That’s what the human heart does. It thinks of itself more highly that it should.

But really? We complain when someone asks us to empty the dishwasher.

Take out the trash. Serve someone. Forgive someone. Give up our own plans.

Abraham says yes before he knew the cost.

Faith submits before it understands. Every call of God is first an invitation to trust His character before it is a command to obey His will.

How we respond when we don’t understand, reveals the true nature of our hearts.

The second truth I want us to look at is this:

II. Genuine faith trusts God's promise when circumstances make no sense (vv.3–5)

Verse 3 is astonishing. No argument. No delay. No negotiation.

He rises early. He saddles the donkey. Cuts the wood.

Abraham takes Isaac and begins to walk. Imagine those three days. Every swing of the axe. Every piece of wood. Every mile that they walk. Every glance at his son Isaac. There is not a moment that goes by that he is not thinking about what God called him to do, and what he knows he will do. Every act is preparation. I can’t imagine that he did all of those things with dry cheeks.

Then verse 5.

Genesis 22:5 “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.””

He says, we are going to come back!

Ask: How could Abraham possibly say that?

Turn to Hebrews 11:17–19; there we are given a very interesting detail that is not found in Genesis 22.

“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, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”

He believed God could raise Isaac from the dead.

Why? Because God had promised, Through Isaac your offspring shall be named.

Abraham could not solve the contradiction. He had no idea how this could possibly work out for good, for God to keep his word, it did not make sense to him.

But he trusted the God behind the promise, the God who cannot lie. I skipped over something in verse 5; Abraham had confidence that he would return with his son, but did you notice he told his young men they’re going to worship and then return?

Abraham knew as Calvin puts it, God was not “his adversary,” he is not his enemy.

He could not untie the knot. Abraham could not figure out how this could be resolved but was persuaded that God is faithful and so he entrusted himself to Divine Providence.

Application.

Many of you are trying to untangle every mystery, every difficult thing to understand before you obey. You want God to explain everything.Where you will live. Who you will marry. What University you will attend.

What career to pursue, or perhaps start a business or trades. How will everything work out? But God rarely gives explanations. You know what He does give? He gives Himself.

In fact, those are the questions that I know are going through your mind every single day. At your age (13-18), you have a whole world ahead of you, and you’re trying to figure out what in the world am I going to do with my life; what am I here for; what is this all about? and if you’re honest, because I know it happened to me; that’s all you think about. God takes a back seat to your desires and your goals, and maybe you think about him in so far as he can give you what you want.

But we see that Abraham flipped that thinking on its head. None of this makes any sense; but I am going to trust God anyways. I don’t know what to do, but Lord my eyes are upon you. Hineni. Here I am.

Every call of God is first an invitation to trust His character before it becomes a command to obey His will. Even if the circumstances make no sense, and appear to contradict what we think we know.

The third truth we see in our passage is this:

III. Genuine faith is refined through testing (vv.1–4)

Go back to verse 1.

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

Immediately explain James 1 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” You often hear people wrestling or struggling to understand this part, how is it that God tested Abraham, I thought God never tempts anyone. That word to test and to tempt, have a very similar meaning. So which is it, did God test Abraham or should we remove James from the bible?

Well, no they are both right. God never tempts anyone to sin. Thats the distinction we have to make. God does test and he does allow and bring in temptation but the end, the goal for which God brings it into our lives is not to produce sin but for good, for his glory.

The devil tempts us in order to destroy. To disobey God. To bring destruction, death, and misery.

But God tests to refine.

One our favorite hymns of the faith captures this perfectly:

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,

my grace, all-sufficient shall be they supply;

the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

thy dross to consume, and thy Gold to refine.

We put Gold into the fire, not to destroy it but to remove impurities.

God is doing the same thing with Abraham. The fire wasn't meant to consume Abraham. It was not meant to hurt him.

It was meant to consume everything Abraham loved more than God.

Application

And God does the same thing with us.

Sometimes God puts friendships in the fire. Those friends that you are close with now, that you love so much. Sometimes God takes other things that you’re holding onto very tightly. Let me prepare you now, if you haven’t experienced any of this yet, you will.

God will take your dreams, your career dreams, your personal aspirations to do great things. He will take your relationships, friends, girls or boys that you’re interested in. He will take many of the comforts you want, or enjoy; good food, money, traveling; he will take success and even things like the ministry and he will put them in the fire. You know why?

Because He refuses to let anything rival Himself. He refuses to let you or me, make little gods out of anything else, even good things.

God loves you too much to let your greatest treasure be anything less than Himself.

Even for those of you who are Christians, don’t think this is not for you. Don’t think that you’re too good, or too faithful to experience this. This message is for you; not for your friend, not for that lost person you know. Its for you.

Genuine faith is refined through testing. And it is not pleasant. In the moment, it does not feel good. But it is for your good, for your eternal good.

Those things that you are living for, you will soon discover that they make terrible gods.

Here is the fourth and final truth I want us to observe from our text; it is this:

IV. Genuine faith treasures God above every lesser love

The story of Abraham here in chapter 22, how God calls him and he responds Hineni, reminds me of the story of John Paton as he is leaving Glasgow as a young man; Before he sails to the New Hebrides he records in his autobiography; if you have never read it before, Go get a copy and read it. I imagine some of you have growing up in Christian homes.

But he writes the following remembering when he was leaving home to go the mission field:

“My dear father walked with me the first 6 miles of the way. His counsels and tears and heavenly conversation on that parting journey are fresh in my heart as if it had been but yesterday…For the last half mile or so we walked on together in an almost unbroken silence…his lips kept moving in silent prayers for me; and his tears fell fast when our eyes met each other in looks for which all speak was vain! He grasped my hand firmly….and solemnly and affectionately said: God bless you my son! Your father’s God prosper you, and keep you from all evil!

I looked back and saw him still standing with head uncovered where I had left him gazing after me…my heart was too full I climbed the stone wall to see if he yet stood where I left him’ and just at that moment I caught a glimpse of him climbing the stone wall and looking out for me! I watched through blinding tears, till his form faded from my gaze; and then vowed by the help of God, to live and act so as never to grieve or dishonor such a father and mother as he had given me.”

John Paton’s father loved him; Abraham loved his son!

What enabled Paton's father to let his son go to the mission field?

It was not stoicism. Not indifference, but faith.

What enabled Abraham to walk with Isaac to sacrifice his own son in obedience to God?

It was not a lack of love. He loved Isaac deeply. Even God himself recognized that.

The text says,

"Your son...your only son...whom you love."

Abraham’s obedience wasn't because Isaac meant little. His obedience was because God meant more. HIs love for his son, the promised son, was no match to his love for God.

SLOW: Every call of God requires leaving something precious because God is calling us to Himself.

Abraham loved his son. But he knew that God gave him his son, Isaac. He did not earn him, he was a gift from God, it was all of grace. Abraham and Sarah were old, way past the years to have children. But God gave him a son. And if God wanted to take him back, that was his right as his Creator. Genuine faith treasures God above every lesser love.

But God gave Isaac back. Many times God does exactly that.

When we surrender lesser loves, God often returns them to us as gifts rather than idols.

Christ

John Paton left his home to carry the gospel to the heathen, wild savage cannibals in the islands of the pacific. Abraham left his home, and was willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac. In both circumstances he obeyed God without knowing all the details…. if we stop there and simply admire both of these men, learn a few lessons, leave here thinking I just need to have more faith…. we have completely missed the point.

Both of these stories are pointing to something, someone greater.

It is God who called Abraham, God who supernaturally gave him a son when he was old and past his youth; it was God who provided a sacrifice in the place of Isaac, a substitute. The greatest call to leave was not made by Paton, not even by Abraham, this great man we read about in the bible.

The greatest call to leave was from the Son of God, who left behind the glories of Heaven, the glory and communion that he shared with the Father from all eternity, he left behind his privileges, taking the form of a bondservant, veiling his glory in human flesh, to come to this miserable world, this fallen, sin cursed world….

And becoming obedient even unto death for our salvation. Every HINENI in this chapter, and the others that we will look at this weekend, they point us to Christ who perfectly said, Here I am, Hineni; I have come to do your will, O God.

Final Application

How could Abraham respond “Hineni” to God? Abraham could respond this way because he had faith in the One who called him. He knew his Character, He witnessed his Power; God had never failed him. He knew that God would keep his promise.

How can we respond to God, “Hineni?” Look to Jesus. Look to Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

To believers

What is God calling you to do? Is he calling you to give something up? Comfort? Popularity? Some secret sin that you are hiding? Career? Plans? Future? Relationships?

Will your answer be “depends" or“"Hineni"?

To unbelievers

Some of you are holding tightly to things you believe are too valuable to lose.

Sin. Reputation. Relationships. Pleasure. Control.

But Jesus said,

Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

You cannot outgive God. The One who did not spare His own Son now calls you to Himself. And like Abraham, he is calling each of you by name.

How will you respond? Come to Christ.

Repent of your sins and believe in Him. Trust the One who gave everything so that you might live.

Amen.