Yahweh Sees

Intro - Thomas Manton - “God has one son without sin but no sons without a cross”

Suffering’s Prototype

Thomas Manton - “God has one son without sin but no sons without a cross”

We live in difficult times. As I’ve learned more about counseling, trauma, abandonment and its affects I’ve come to realize that suffering has happened to us all.

I look at my children and realize that they too will have to one day endure suffering.

The reality is that suffering will come.

This world attempts to inoculate people from the reality of suffering and when it comes it tries to explain it

The god of this world consistently baits us and drives us mad with an insatisable desire to flee suffering at all costs, even at the expense of our souls

We try to sedate the pain from it with drugs and alcohol. We try to silence it through entertainment. We try to suppress it through reason and humanitarian efforts but the truth is that it has come and will more than likely come again.

Why this tragedy? Why this pain? At times we feel abandoned, hopeless, resentful and flat out confused by what God is doing and dare I say if there even is a God.

Let’s be honest, the most difficult part of suffering isn’t when it comes, but when it comes to the innocent, the “good”, the “caring”, the “vulnerable”.

While theologians for years have said there is no one that is innocent, and they are right, tbh that has always been an argument that gets at the head but not the heart.

I remember years ago preaching at a service called the Darkest Night. It was a Christmas Eve service but it was for the loved ones who had lost family/friends to gun violence that year. I remember I held the aunt and niece of a young boy that got shot. They wept from a place that was deep. Where no theological arguments reach, no Greek words resound, no sermon rescues. It was just…pain.

What do we do in the midst of such suffering…such pain that feels out of step. It’s unnatural yet all too common.

I’ve always held the belief that the unnatural feeling of suffering proves it’s not part of the intended way we ought to live. Where breathing, eating, laughing, loving all seem so easy to do....suffering is takes away everything else there is to life.

So why does it exist? Let’s first look at a man who had to endure suffering through one of the greatest trials imaginable…turn to Gen. 22

Story of Abraham

Abraham was a friend of God based on

He was the Father of the Hebrews and was promised by God to be blessed beyond measure with children, influence and land.

God had upheld His promise by blessing Abraham with a son, even in Abraham’s old age, being near 100 at the time of Isaac’s birth and as one could imagine, Abraham loved him dearly.

I look at my children now and I can only imagine how enveloped in their love I am.

But now Abraham is posed with a trial…this trial is going to test him beyond what many people could ever imagine

Genesis 22:1–2 ESV

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

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Here we have it…after leaving his family, living in a foreign land, and weeping his way through most of his life as a man yearning to be a father…he finally has a son and God ask for you to kill him as an offering.

Imagine what that night was like as Abraham tossed in his bed…trying to figure out why God would ask such a thing? How would he tell Isaac? Will he even obey it?

Here’s the glaring issue....Yahweh God DOESN’T BELIEVE IN HUMAN SACRIFICE.

That was something that the pagans did! Not the God of the Bible…

Abraham is going through something that is not only so out of step with his relationship with God but also is out of step with God Himself.

Yet the next day he rose…saddled up....cut the wood, the very same wood he intended to use to burn the body of his only son whom he loved dearly, and rode off with Isaac. No doubt stoicly silent.

It took Abraham and Isaac, along with the men that accompanied them, 3 days to get to where they were going.

When they got there. Abraham took Isaac who was carrying the wood which he would be burned on, a knife to slay his son and fire to ignite Isaac as an offering.

Do you think Abraham was suffering?

Isaac, lovingly and gently asks his father, “dad....where is the sacrifice for the offering?”....oh gut-wrenching.

Abraham still believed that God would somehow provide, that this suffering, that seemed so unnatural, would be mitigated by God somehow.

Genesis 22:8 ESV

Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

So now they’re at the mountain…still no word from God, no explanation.

Imagine Abraham, internally pleading for something to happen.

Abraham, laid the wood down, tied up Isaac, the look on Isaac’s face probably was unimaginable....and then he reached for the knife.

As he took it to slaughter his son…God showed up.

He told Abraham to stop…because Abraham was obedient he passed the test. He showed that he would withhold nothing from God.

Instead God provided a ram in a bush to sacrifice and Abraham named that place, Jehovah-Jireh, which means “The Lord will provide”…God will provide a way in the midst of this trial

states that Abraham believed that God would act in accordance with His nature and even if God asked Abraham to kill Isaac that He would resurrect him again.

So what does this all mean for suffering? For trials?

It was from this moment that Abraham became known as the Father of all those who had Faith in God…why?

Because in spite of suffering through one of the most grievous trials imaginable…He never doubted the character of God.

What do I mean? The trial…human sacrifice seemed like something for pagan gods…not the holy and righteous God.

So what happens when suffering comes that seems out of step for God’s character…do you still trust in what you know about God or do you doubt?

Even when the experience seemed out of step for who Abraham was to God…he never questioned God’s promises.

What do I mean? Abraham was a friend of God…He should’ve received the best God had to offer.

What happens when suffering comes that seems out of step based on your relationship with God…do you still trust or do you doubt?

God you’re asking me to do this....to go through this....you’re wanting to take this person from me....have me deal with this pain....I’m suppose to be someone you LOVE!!

God asks, “but do you believe I love you?”....if your answer is “yes, I just don’t understand” than that is the faith of Abraham and that brings us to

TR: If your answer is “yes, I just don’t understand” than that is the faith of Abraham…trust in the character of God in spite of the present circumstance…believing that as with everything else…suffering too has its purpose...

There are a lot of women in this world but only 1 is my wife and gets the best I have to offer. If for a period of time I treated her as common

Suffering’s Purpose

You don’t really know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have - Tim Keller

There are many purposes for suffering and we will highlight some here only to unpack them in later messages

However, all the purposes of suffering center around one word…faith

Let’s explore some purposes briefly

Trials come to show us our strength/weakness

Abraham was without question put on display…Job’s faith was put on display…did they really believe the praise they’d given God before or was their faith weak?

Do you really trust God in adversity…discomfort…pain and sorrow? Are you grieved to the point of being distraught…worried to the point of panic…angered to the point of hatred/bitterness?

Or do you rejoice through suffering…knowing that your God has not changed and He provides and SEES you!

Trials come to humble us

Suffering has a way of putting us in our place....I’m reminded of Moses, who spoke to God as a friend, thought it was okay to lash out at God’s people and was punished for it.

Some of us have been given great things…especially here in America…are you grateful for them? We can join in worship together every Sunday…and now we can’t. I wonder what that produces in your heart?

Trials come to wean us from worldly things

Trials and suffering diminish our reliance upon the things of this world…instead I trust God is sufficient

1 Timothy 6:8 ESV

But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Trials come to drive us toward eternal hope

Romans 8:18–23 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Romans 8:

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

The more I suffer the more I long for the things of the Lord and for His return…does suffering do that to your faith? I know alleviation of suffering is only found in Him?

Trials reveal what you truly love based on how you react

Imagine Abraham…was there anything he could’ve loved more than Isaac?

Do you find yourself clinging to things…or do you realize that all that you have…your life included is the Lord’s? Do you trust Him with it?

Trials teach you to value the blessing of God

Trials come to enable us to help others in suffering

2 Corinthinas 1:1-11 shows us that sometimes we go through things simply so we can help others that go through them

2 Corinthinas 1:1-11 shows

Our resiliance in faith in God is needing to be used to strengthen someone else’s faith…your suffering isn’t always about you. Just as Abraham’s faith in suffering was used today to encourage you…so too your’s will be tomorrow for someone else.

Trials come to develop enduring strength for usefulness

“the worth of a soldier is never known during times of peace” - Thomas Manton

…suffering produces strength to remain.

Than why have compassion? Because Jesus did on those who suffered.

Doing a couch to half marathon routine…started out small and gradually, through the suffering of smaller runs, built stamina to be able to stay in the race longer. As suffering comes and you develop that trust in God, you’ll be able to endure more. The problem is some of us find ourselves in a marathon, being forced to run, but we’ve dodged all the smaller sufferings and now find ourselves inadequately prepared.

TR: But praise God that although suffering may come…He will not leave you to yourself…suffering will have it’s product...

Why stop suffering? Because it is not our job to determine who deserves divine suffering and who doesn’t

Suffering’s Product

1 Peter 1:6–7 ESV

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Pet.

The end result of suffering…of trials…the product of suffering is genuineness of faith

LAND IT LOUD

Genuineness of faith

Notice the assumption in this passage!

Faith is precious, suffering is short but necessary, and that your faith may be found to result in praise and glory!

Family, Jehovah Jireh means that the Lord provides but the word translated is consistently used as God sees....God NEVER LOST SIGHT OF ABRAHAM DURING HIS STRUGGLE

And He promises the same to you…so although the pain cuts you…the walls close in around you…your body aches from ailments…loved ones struggle and pass away....fear grips you at night...

God SEES YOU AND HAS NOT LEFT YOU AND HAS PURPOSE FOR THAT MOMENT.

He will give you grace! He will give you strength! He will give you refuge! If you can just TRUST IN HIM…DON’T GIVE UP…REJOICE…SCREAM PRAISE THROUGH THE PAIN!!!

Yahweh sees you....and He is a provider!