The Climax of Faith
Utawala Baptist Church18-02-07
The Climax of Faith
Scripture reading Genesis 22:1-2
In this chapter we come to the very summit or high point of Abraham’s faith.
When God called Abraham He was looking forward to Genesis 22.
God took 60 years to prepare Abraham for this event.
God never tests us beyond what we are able to withstand.
I Corinthians 1:13 (Paul)
A great comfort to us!
If God had asked Abraham for this great sacrifice before this time.
He would not have been ready.
God led Abraham through trial after trial.
Strengthening him with every test.
Sixty years for training so he could earn the names
Father of the Faithful
Friend of God.
So far
Journey from Ur of the Chaldees
70 years old now almost 130 years old.
Genesis 12 Beginning of his journey of Faith
Genesis 22 Climax of his journey of Faith.
The sacrifice of his only, beloved son Isaac.
60 years of difficult demanding journey.
One test one temptation after another.
Each strengthening and preparing for the next.
Gaining strength from each challenge.
Sometimes failing other times gaining victory.
Each test preparing him through God’s providence for this final victory in Chapter 22.
Everything in Abraham’s life pointing him to this ultimate victory!
God saw the purpose for which He called Abraham and moved unerringly towards that goal!
The purpose?
To finally conform Abraham to the image of God.
Is this your desired goal in your Christian walk?
Everything that happened in Abraham’s life in some way prepared Abraham for this moment!
What an example of Romans 8:28 is the life of Abraham!
God never hurries!
SIXTY years from Ur of the Chaldees to this moment!
God would not test Abraham until he was ready!
God would not ask Abraham or anyone to do something that they were not able to do.
GOD DEALS WITH US THE SAME WAY!
Sometimes the road our life travels is very rough.
Famine, thirst, temptation and trial and testing until we cry out to God in our distress!
Through it all God assures us as He did Abraham!
Romans 8:29
God’s purpose of Abraham’s life finds its climax in the sacrifice of Isaac!
In His foreknowledge God purposed that before He was done with Abraham, Abraham would be an example!
Of what?
Of God’s own sacrificial love in giving His own Son.
Ready at Last
The story begins; “After these things”. Genesis 22:1
Not before or during but AFTER
Abraham would have gone down again if it had been before or during.
It was only “after these things” in chapters 12 to 21.
Some versions of the Bible say TEMPT means to try or test.
God gives Abraham the final ACID test.
What is Abraham’s response?
“Here I am”
No arguing, no excuses no asking questions this time!
Abraham is finally a completely submissive wholly yielded and totally prepared vessel at the feet of God!
Isaiah 6:8
Through out history God has used people to carry His message to a needy sin cursed world. WILLING PEOPLE!
Are we willing?
Family, neighbor, across the street or around the world?
God then says verse 2:
The original language states this passage as “thine only Isaac, whom thou lovest.”
Nowhere in Scripture do we find a more wonderful clearer picture of Calvary then here in Genesis 22!
It gives us such a wonderful picture of what the Father did at Calvary when He sent His Son to die in our place!
There is so much for us in this Chapter but time will only allow us to look at a small part.
A WILLING FATHER
God came to Abraham and 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.”
Not one word of disagreement or discontent in the entire chapter.
We see that in the fullness of his mature faith Abraham was willing to make the supreme sacrifice.
To take his son lay him on an altar and slay him in order to please God who had called him from darkness to light.
We are immediately reminded of John 3:16
Isaiah 53:10 goes even further!
God’s love for a poor lost hell bound sinner was so great:
It gave God pleasure to give His only well-beloved, spotless Son to save wretches such as we are!
WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THIS!
It goes beyond our limited minds!
WE CAN ONLY STAND IN AWE AND SAY “MY LORD AND MY GOD!”
The first thing we see is a willing loving father offering his son.
THE ONLY SON
The second beautiful thing we see is that Isaac is called Abraham’s only son.
Wait a minute!
Abraham had other sons!
He had Ishmael who was 13 years older than Isaac!
He had many sons after Isaac as well.
God only recognized one as a fit sacrifice.
The miraculously born, supernaturally given promised son Isaac.
God would have nothing to do with Ishmael!
God would have nothing to do with the servants that were born in Abraham’s house.
God would have nothing to do with any of the children yet to be born.
Isaac is the only one God would recognize!
GOD WAS WILLING TO SEND HIS VERY BEST JESUS CHRIST AND WILL ONLY ACCEPT THE VERY BEST BOTH FROM ABRAHAM THEN AND YOU AND ME TODAY!
THERE WAS ONLY ONE, GOD’S OPNLY SON WHO WAS FIT TO BECOME THE SUBSTITUTE FOR OUR SIN!
THE WELL-BELOVED SON
The third fact is that Isaac was Abraham’s well-beloved son.
GENESIS 22:2
We who are parents understand the love that a parent has for a child.
We would give our lives gladly for our children!
As great as we feel our love for our children is.
That love is so small so weak when compared to the love that God had for His son.
It was very very hard for Abraham to give his well-beloved son!
How much harder for God Almighty to give His!
ABRAHAM GAVE HIS SON OUT OF HIS LOVE FOR GOD. BUT GOD GAVE HIS SON OUT OF LOVE FOR HIS ENEMIES!
THAT TYPE OF LOVE IS BEYOND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING!
Jesus said when he was on earth John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.”
That is the highest point that we can understand regarding love.
But a love that would lead someone to die for their enemies?
Someone who hates or would kill you!
THAT IS DIVINE LOVE!
The love of God as seen in Abraham’s example is that He gave his well-beloved son!
That is beyond all our understanding!
MOUNT OF THE LORD
We notice next where Abraham is told to go; GENESIS 22:2 “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.”
God pointed out a definite mountain to Abraham in the land of Moriah.
Bible scholars and commentaries agree that the land of Moriah included the land of Palestine and that where Abraham was told to go was Mount Calvary!
The very same Mount where Christ was crucified.
The distance and time Abraham took to make the trip agree with the distance to Mount Calvary!
The best evidence is in the Bible right in chapter 22!
GENESISS 22:14 “So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”;as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
KJV “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh.
Abraham knew what happened in this chapter will be completed in the future.
When the real Isaac, the real beloved-son, the real Son of God will hang on a tree on the same mountain Mount Calvary in the land of Moriah.
A wonderful clear picture given many years before of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ going to Calvary. Paying for our sins!
EARLY IN THE MORNING
We find in verse 3 that Abraham and Isaac leave on their terrible journey
“early in the morning”.
We find another journey in the Bible starting early in the morning.
Matthew 27:1
This journey ended three days later when Jesus cried out “it is finished.”
BEARING THE WOOD
The last picture we will look at is that of carrying the wood!
GENESIS 22:6; “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son;”
Isaac carried the wood upon which he was to be sacrificed.
Jesus carried to cross upon which he was to be sacrificed!
The picture is complete and clear!
May I appeal to those of you who are still without the Lord Jesus Christ to realize that our Savior, as He hung on the Cross of Calvary, bore your sin and died for you that you might live.
There is only one sin that can condemn you, and that is the sin of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God has offered to you in the Person of His Son.
Yes, there is only one sin that condemns the sinner today. It is not the degree of sin, but the fact that you have refused God’s remedy. The sacrifice now is complete, and God says, in Revelation 22:17; The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”