Tested! When God Asks Too Much!

Opening Illustration

There’s no doubt that in the COVID19 climate there are many expressions of SACRIFICE .. especially the doctors and nurses and aged care workers tirelessly working at the “front line” .. donning as much PPE .. Personal Protective Equipment as they are exposed themselves to a virus .. we know that some have made the ultimate sacrifice

Last weekend we remembered men and women who similarly donned their PPE at the front line of conflict and gave their lives .. lest we forget.

Today we look back on one of the most confronting SACRIFICES in the OT .. God calls on Abraham to offer the life of his son .. his ONLY son .. the promised son he and Sarah had impatiently been waiting for for 25 yrs .. the MIRACLE child OF THEIR OLD AGE ..

Abraham .. the FATHER OF MANY … was looking right on track to start counting the stars in the sky … and then we hit GENESIS CHAPTER 22

You Want Me To Do What?

Not sure how God communicated to Abraham .. reads very much like an audible voice …. “Abraham!” … “here I am” .. but what comes next makes you really question who you are talking to .. we the reader know that God is TESTING Abraham but just let God’s words filter in .. v.2

“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

You can only imagine that Abraham is thinking … you want me to do what?

Sounds like the same voice he’s heard before BUT .. is this the same God that promised BLESSING .. esp children .. who took him through 25 long years waiting and then finally gave he and Sarah there bundle of joy .. Isaac .. this is the one that’s the beginning of MULTITUDES … that’s what YOU SAID GOD!

How could God ask for this … this is the God who guards the sanctity of life …

You could forgive Abraham for refusing to put his son…. His only son .. the son he loves .. under the knife .. if you have children you know exactly what I mean

Whatever flaws we saw last week in Abraham’s character .. we see a strength and commitment to obey.. there’s no arguing with God …v.3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled 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.

Not much recorded conversation until they are just about there .. and note what Abraham says to his servants v.5 “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then … we will come back to you.”

What is Abraham thinking … we will come back to you … what’s the we bit?

Confusion is coming over Isaac .. we have the wood and the fire … where’s the lamb? Note what Abraham says v.8 … “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

Now Isaac is a lad, possibly a teenager .. young man? …carrying a reasonable load of wood … Abraham is old … 114yr ? 120? And they start grabbing some stones … arranging the wood .. and then Abraham looks at Isaac tears streaming down his face and ties up Isaac .. who doesn’t struggle .. what does Abraham say to his son about God at this point?

They both seem to trust God, for an outcome that will fulfil the promises of God and quietly respond with OBEDIENCE .. prepared for sacrifice

As Abraham raises his knife .. the angel of the Lord calls out .. enough! Abraham has passed the test .. v.12 Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

The Lord provides .. and there in the bush is a ram .. so Abraham cuts off the ropes around his son and the ram is sacrificed .. we can only imagine the joy and the relief flooding through victim and would be executioner

APPLICATION

We might be asking .. why does God put Abraham through this?

Why does he demand more of Abraham than he does of us?

Or does he?

OBVIOUSLY ..This is a unique situation and has a special place in God’s STORY LINE .. however .. I think we see something of what God requires from ALL of us

Big point is that the LORD has to be OUR FIRST PRIORITY .. our first LOYALTY that is He is above any other person, relationship, or ambition, or dream, or comfort or whatever …

There is nothing that will hold back the true believer from putting God first .. TRUSTING Him .. and all He has said

This was the first thing that God stressed as He moves the nation into the PROMISED LAND .. you will have no other gods but ME .. don’t make idols .. God will not share his glory with another and nothing has changed

We get to the NT .. same thing

Jesus said this … Lk.14:26-33 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Time for us all to take stock .. what is it that is rivalling the Lord for His SINGLE DEVOTION .. interesting that Jesus first of all talks about family .. MOTHER .. FATHER ..WIFE .. CHILDREN.. and that here in Genesis the horror centres around sacrificing a son .. an only son .. a son who is LOVED

There’s a subtly here that we find hard to unravel .. of course God wants us to love our families and to look after then .. and in the Bible a lot of stress in teaching them God’s way

YET .. The very relationships that are a blessing and a joy , the devil uses as a SUBTLE snare to our devotion .. a distraction … competition .. to GODLINESS .. and so something that sounds so “right” .. important … can shrivell our heart towards our heavenly Father .. to Jesus our Saviour .. so much so that He is not FIRST … praying and Bible reading .. meditating .. etc are squeezed out .. gathering with other Christians whether it be church or growth group … fades away

One of the joys for us .. even in these difficult days .. is to see our young families gathered with us on Zoom .. gathering even when scattered is important

It’s easy for so many other things to erode our devotion

So .. there’s nothing like a good PANDEMIC to sort out what really counts .. what is the MOST important parts of life and living … when we re-enter our world POST COVID .. God willing .. what have we taken away form the experience

For so many PEOPLE do matter .. socialising .. valuing COMMUNITY

Taking forward better habits of reading the Bible and praying .. the space and time to MEDITATE on Christ .. His word

Of course the ECONOMY .. WORK are real areas to address .. what we spend our money on .. is working from home something that will stay in terms of PRODUCTIVITY .. in terms of better FAMILY contact ..

Will the contact with NEIGHBOURS continue and flourish as we care for each other once the crisis has deminished

As disciples of Jesus of course .. it is not just a question of what I want .. introvert or extrovert .. you’ve probably learnt a bit more about yourself … BUT .. the issue is .. what brings glory to God

The Lord says GIVE ME YOUR BEST .. don’t “fit me in where you can fit it in” .. put me FIRST .. HONOUR ME .. SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM … then let the other things settle into there right place

The Sacrifice .. par excellence

To make some sense of what was going through Abraham’s mind we have to turn to Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received 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 raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Abraham wasn’t crushed by this demand of God (NB 22:5 & 8) … He kept believing the PROMISE .. He took God at His word … somehow, someway .. Isaac would be brought back .. even if that meant raising the dead .. not that it was easy BUT it’s FAITH that gets him through

We are called on to do the same .. believe that we will be raised from death .. not just that Jesus rose from the dead but convinced that we too will rise

Friends .. isn’t it such a great PROMISE .. me .. you as a believer will be raised to eternal life! God has the power to take this feeble shell and replace it with a new resurrection body. Perhaps you’re struggling with this .. getting your head around it .. don’t think in your puny and limited NATURAL thought processes … BELIEVE in the power of a SUPERNATURAL God .. who created the universe .. created us and prepares a place for us in a new heaven and a new earth

And v.16-17 “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.

Y’see .. this episode in Gen.22 gives a foundation for GOD’s FAITHFULNESS

Mt Moriah – is where Solomon starts building the temple in Jerusalem 1000 yrs after Abraham …this is Mt Zion .. then 1900 yrs after this event .. in Jerusalem another son, an ONLY Son would carry some wood on His back .. the wood that he would befastened to … and He would be the SACRIFICE for sin

Oh yes .. God did provide the lamb for the sacrifice .. the Son who faced death believing that God could raise the dead .. the big difference is that this time God does not spare the Son

God shows His love for us .. His faithfulness to us over so many centuries .. by giving His Son .. His Only Son .. the Son who He loves

Why would we not give our first allegiance to such a God?

Romans 8:32 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?

CONCLUSION

Friends we have a wonderful God who has been, and still is, FAITHFUL

He has shown us His commitment .. and every time we are tempted to say “God doesn’t care .. God doesn’t really have my best interests at heart .. remember the CROSS

Remember the fact that God did not even with hold His own Son .. His ONLY SON the Son whom He LOVED .. this was the only way

The sign or OBJECT LESSON to this grace of God is here in Gen 22 today .. Abraham .. the Father of FAITH who sets an example of TRUST

Does God ever ask TOO MUCH of us? Let’s think again today of all that He has done .. which makes our future PERFECT

Romans 8:32 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?