The God Who Keeps His Promises / El Dios Que Cumple Sus Promesas
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The loss of a child is a very difficult thing to experience.
It is unnatural to loose a child.
Parents are supposed to die before their children.
A child’s death is a devastating event in the life of any family.
Abraham was about to face one of the greatest trials of his faith. In our journey through the Bible we read through which recounts the story of Abraham offering up his son as a sacrifice unto the Lord. Today we will consider:
Abraham’s trial of faith
God’s promise
God’s power
I. Abraham’s trial of faith
I. Abraham’s trial of faith
II. La fe de Abraham es probada
II. La fe de Abraham es probada
God’s power
God’s power
Abraham is called by God to offer up his son Isaac.
Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”
Aconteció que después de estas cosas, Dios probó a Abraham, y le dijo: ¡Abraham! Y él respondió: Heme aquí.
Y Dios dijo: Toma ahora a tu hijo, tu único, a quien amas, a Isaac, y ve a la tierra de Moriah, y ofrécelo allí en holocausto sobre uno de los montes que yo te diré.
God calls Abraham for the purpose of testing his face. Abraham responds immediately to God’s voice - “Here I am.”
Abraham is commanded by God to do something that goes against our human instincts.
He is called by God to take his son, his only son, and offer him as a “burnt offering”.
We know that Isaac is not Abraham’s only son. He had a son a few years earlier - Ishmael. However, his son Isaac was the son of the promise. He was that son that God had promised him from his own wife Sarah.
He is not called to offer Isaac to the service of the Lord for the rest of his life. He is not called to dedicate his son to a life of prayer. He is called to offer his son as a “burnt offering”.
This would require Abraham taking the life of his son with his own hands.
This would also require Abraham setting his son’s body upon a pile of wood - as he set fire to completely consume the body and wood.
The writer to the Hebrews recognizes this great trial of faith when he writes:
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
Por la fe Abraham, cuando fue probado, ofreció a Isaac; y el que había recibido las promesas ofrecía a su único hijo;
He recognizes that Abraham’s faith is being tested by God.
The test is whether or not Abraham will obey God’s command. We are not given any reasons why God would ask this of Abraham. All we are told is that God called Abraham and he obeyed as the Lord had commanded.
So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
Abraham se levantó muy de mañana, aparejó su asno y tomó con él a dos de sus mozos y a su hijo Isaac; y partió leña para el holocausto, y se levantó y fue al lugar que Dios le había dicho.
The Bible describes to us how Abraham “rose early in the morning” to obey as the Lord was commanding.
Abraham did not delay in obeying the calling of the Lord.
This would be the hardest thing he had ever done, nevertheless Abraham’s faith in God lead him to act without delay. He had a true faith for our faith is demonstrated in our obedience to God.
A dead faith simply says “I believe” but does not obey. A living faith says “I believe” but it is demonstrated through obedience to whatever the Lord commands.
I cannot imagine/think what must have been going through Abraham’s mind.
The Bible does not reveal to us in detail Abraham’s inner thoughts.
However, I think we can all agree that what God was asking of Abraham was something that would make many of us agonize had we been in his situation.
God was testing Abraham’s faith and whether he truly trusted 100% in God’s promises.
II. God’s promises
II. God’s promises
II. Las promesas de Dios
II. Las promesas de Dios
The writer to the Hebrews tells us about a promise that Abraham had recieved from God:
it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.”
fue a él a quien se le dijo: En Isaac te sera llamada descendencia.
This was a very special promise that he had received from God - that he would have a child from his wife Sarah who would be his heir and through whom all the nations would be blessed.
Many years before the Lord had called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees. He had lived as a foreigner in the promised land.
He had left his homeland to a land that he did not know. He was leaving the security of his home to an unknown place without any guarantees - except for God’s promises.
He finally arrives to the promised land and the Lord tells him that his descendants will be numerous like the stars of the sky and the sand upon the land.
There was one problem - he had no children.
But the Lord had promised that Abraham, even in his old age would have a child.
Isaac’s birth was the fulfillment of God’s promises.
We are told that Abraham was 100 years old when the child of the promise was finally born.
Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Abraham tenía cien años cuando le nació su hijo Isaac.
Isaac’s birth must have been one of the great joy’s in Abraham’s life.
This was a moment for which he had waited many years.
Nevertheless, God was now asking that Abraham offer up his son as a burn sacrifice.
God’s command was putting at risk the promise that God had given Abraham.
When God commanded this of Abraham, this is the thought that must have troubled him the most - how could Isaac be the child of the promise, how could Isaac be the one through whom the Lord would bless the nations of the earth - if now he was being asked to offer him up as a burnt sacrifice?
Humanly speaking it does not make sense that God would ask this of Abraham and yet at the same time fulfill his promise.
Would God keep his promise to Abraham? Had Abraham misunderstood the Lord? Did Abraham believe in a lie? Was Abraham simply misguided and confused?
III. God’s power
III. God’s power
III. El poder de Dios
III. El poder de Dios
I am continually surprised how Abraham obeyed the Lord without delay. Abraham passed this trial of faith with flying colors.
There is no doubt in my mind that Abraham is truly worthy of being called “the father of the faith” for he truly demonstrated faith in the Lord.
Although does not explain to us the thoughts that were going through Abraham’s mind, the writer to the Hebrews gives a brief glimpse into Abraham’s mind:
He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
Abraham trusted that even though his son died, even through his son could be offered as a burnt sacrifice, God had the power to raise people up from the dead.
Abraham trusted that God had given a promise and that he would not go back on his promise.
God would be faithful to what he had promised his servant Abraham.
There was no doubt in Abraham’s mind that God would keep each and every one of his promises.
Would taking the life of Isaac be painful? Would offering his son be a tragic event - Yes! But there was no doubt in Abraham’s mind that God had the power to reverse even death and return his son to him.
We see Abraham’s faith in action as he goes up the mountain!
Gn. 22.
Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”
Entonces Abraham dijo a sus mozos: Quedaos aquí con el asno; yo y el muchacho iremos hasta allá, adoraremos y volveremos a vosotros.
Abraham has confidence that he and his son will return to the servants.
Abraham knows that God will not allow him to return alone - after all God had given him a promise.
Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
Y habló Isaac a su padre Abraham, y le dijo: Padre mío. Y él respondió: Heme aquí, hijo mío. Y dijo Isaac: Aquí están el fuego y la leña, pero ¿dónde está el cordero para el holocausto?
Y Abraham respondió: Dios proveerá para sí el cordero para el holocausto, hijo mío. Y los dos iban juntos.
Abraham had no idea how God would do this but he knew something - God would provide. God will be the one who will provide life and allow his son to return from even death.
Later on we read the angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from hurting his son.
We learn had God provided a ram in the midst of the bushes. Abraham would take the life of the ram and offer him up as a burnt offering to the Lord.
Isaac was spared and returned with Abraham just as Abraham had trusted the Lord to do.
How could Abraham have exercised that much faith?
Never forget that faith is a gift from God. If we are to have faith we must be given the gift of faith from God.
Abraham had received God’s call to leave his land, his people, and he trusted the Lord.
Abraham had received God’s promise of having a child from his wife Sarah, and he trusted the Lord.
God had fulfilled both promises. He was now living in the promised land and had seen his wife Sarah bare a son. God had fulfilled his promises.
There was no doubt in Abraham that God would continue to keep his promises even though death seemed to come between God and his promises.
In the same way, can you imagine what the disciples felt when the Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross?
Can you imagine how John and the woman close to the cross, what they though and felt as they saw their Lord bleed and eventually suffocate to the point of death?
Can you imagine what the frightened disciples through and felt when they saw the Lord’s body placed in a tomb?
Can you imagine the terror in the apostle Peter who continually denied knowing the Lord Jesus to protect his own life, as our Lord was being tried before the jewish and roman authorities?
God had given a promise. Jesus had come to say:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
El ladrón sólo viene para robar y matar y destruir; yo he venido para que tengan vida, y para que la tengan en abundancia.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Jesús le dijo*: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre sino por mí.
Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
How could the disciples continue to believe in this promises Jesus had given them?
How could the disciples trust in what Jesus had said?
How could they trust and have faith when his life was lying lifeless in a cold dark tomb?
Brothers and sisters, the disciples failed to believe and trust in his promises. They had forgotten what Abraham had believed - God has the power to raise the dead! God has the power to give life!
The disciples had failed to believe in God’s supernatural power.
We are called to trust in God. He has proven himself to be trustworthy for he promised to rise from the dead. The Father raised his Son Jesus Christ from dead demonstrating that his promises are always faithful and we can trust in him.
We must trust him - who will surely raise up even our mortal bodies from the dead.