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Sacrificial Faithfulness
One of the many books my kids have is the Jesus Story Book Bible.
It’s awesome, and if you don’t have one you should get one.
There are places were even Corrie and I were like, “Wow, I’ve never thought of it this way.”
It’s a great book for people of all ages.
We have a copy in the Nursery if you ever want to look at it.
It has sold more than 2 million copies.
so it’s pretty popular and widely available.
It takes all the major stories of Scripture and ties them back to Jesus.
How Jesus is the main theme and focus of all the Scriptures.
Much like we are doing with this current series.
When we were going through it with Levi there was a story that would be skip over.
I eventually asked why we keep skipping over the story and Corrie said if you want to explain it to him.
Then have at it.
What’s interesting about that fact is this is the story that God used to open Corrie’s eyes to the truth about the gospel message.
So I sat down with him, read him the story, asked what he thought and he looked up at me and asked for a Popsicle.
All of the anxiety, fear, and worry on our behalf was useless.
It is a beautiful story.
It is a weighty story.
It’s a story of trust.
It’s a story of faithfulness.
It’s a story of sacrifice.
It’s the story we are going to look at today.
So if you have your bibles open up to Genesis 22 and lets pray.
Before we begin in Genesis 22 let me set the stage for you.
This story has 2 main characters.
Abraham and Isaac.
Abraham is an important figure in the OT.
In fact, the is an important figure in history.
Three religions tie their identity and history back to Abraham.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
He is a figurehead for all three.
Needless to say he’s important.
So what’s the big deal with Abraham.
We are first introduced to Abraham in Genesis 11 in a genealogy, but his story kicks off in Genesis 12.
Father Abraham
Abraham was chosen by God at the ripe age of 75.
He lived in the land of Ur and worshipped the pagan God’s of his Father.
I mention this b/c Abraham wasn’t chosen b/c he was special.
He was special b/c he was chosen.
B/c he was faithful.
B/c he listened to God.
B/c he trusted God.
So God Calls Abraham to leave everything he knows behind and venture to a mysterious land that will eventually be shown to him.
And if Abraham would listen and obey he would be the recipient of a Fourfold promise from God.
He would be the father of many children.
He would have land.
He would be blessed.
And all the World would be blessed through him.
But there were problems.
Abraham was a nomad.
He had no ownership of land.
So he was going to have to trust God to show him and provide for him land.
Also, Abraham doesn’t have any children.
In fact, his wife is barren.
Unable to have children.
They have past their prime to have children.
But God makes a promise and he is intent on keeping it.
In fact, he makes that promise multiple times.
Genesis 15:5 “5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.”
Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.””
Genesis 17:4-7 “4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”
To speed things along and to try in his own power to fulfill God’s Promise, Abraham does have a child with his servant, Hagar.
But this child was a child of the flesh and not the child of the promise.
But God still fulfilled his promise .
God preformed a miracle.
God the Author and perfecter of life opened the womb of Sarah and she got pregnant.
90 year old Sarah and 100 year old Abraham had a son.
Genesis 21:5 “5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.”
Abraham waited 25 years for God’s promise to be fulfilled.
He waited 25 years to see his son.
He waited 25 years to hold his son.
He waited 25 years to kiss his son.
He waited 25 years to look into his sons eyes and behold the promise.
The longing, the waiting, the anticipation, and the promise was fulfilled when God kept his promise to Abraham.
And then we get to our story today.
The Test
God tests Abraham.
And not just any test.
God tests Abraham by asking him to give up, to sacrifice, the thing that he holds most precious.
His Son, His Only Son, Isaac whom he loves.
The Child of the Promise.
We may bristle at the thought of God asking something so extreme.
It may makes us uneasy at the thought that God would ask for a human sacrifice.
Especially b/c we know that God condemns the practice in his law.
He condemns murder.
But here he is asking for a human sacrifice.
But we must not overlook what we know.
The Author wants us to see and Know that God is testing Abraham.
This word test is best understood as “to prove the quality of” faith and obedience.
He is not asking Abraham to do something immoral, he is asking Abraham to demonstrate his faith in God.
God was testing Abraham’s character, integrity, and allegiance to God and God alone.
So here’s what God was really asking Abraham.
Do you love me?
Or do you love what I can do?
Do you love who I am?
Or do you just love my blessings?
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