Abraham's Test

Genesis 22:1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

To begin with brothers and sisters, Christian Friends, well wishers and saints of God, there are a plethora of plum pleasing positives presented in this Genesis 22 text presents. You got a minute? The main character is Abraham. Abraham is the Great Patriarch of biblical history and

Abraham holds a key place in the unfolding narrative of the Bible and the history of Israel. With Abraham, God narrows his plan for the world to a specific family. God’s plan will lead to the blessing of all people through Abraham. God told Abraham (Gen 12:1–3) to get out of his own country and go to a land that God would show him, and Abraham was obedient. So much so until when God is referred to we often times say “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob because the promise is in Abraham.

The book of Genesis in chapters 12, 15, and 17 reiterates the construct that provide the basis for understanding four things

1.Circumcision,

2. The promised land,

3. The work of Christ, and

4. Faith in the Gospel.

As I read this passage of scripture I was a little skeptical, a little doubtful, a little uncomfortable with the literal implications of what God said. Genesis 22:1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. Just let me paint the picture, because it seems to me that it’s a set up from the beginning

1. God tempt Abraham what???? wait now Scriptures say in James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: The bible clearly says that God does not tempt any man, Right? But Genesis 22:1 says that God tempt Abraham. So to clear the matter up I looked up the word tempt from the Hebrew vernacular and I found out that tempt is called Nasah. And Nasah means

1. to make a test

2. to tempt and try by venture and

3. Nasah means to put it to the test. And sometimes in our lives God will put us to the test. Because you don’t really know what you’re made of until you’re put to the test.And God makes an unusual command, and unusual directive, and unusual imperative statement.. look at the text in verse

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

1. God tells Abraham to take his son Isaac to the top of Mount Moriah and the bible says Isaac is thine only son. Isaac is The child of your old age whom thou lovest.

Human nature would have said Lord first you gave me and Sarah one child in our old age.

2.Then Lord now you telling me to sacrifice my baby boy on the altar at Mount Moriah. and

3. Lord that doesn’t make any sense at all. Because you gave me the child when i couldn’t have children at all.

Tell your neighbor: That doesn’t make no sense.

Wait how you gon give me a child then tell me to kill my own child.. EVERYBODY SAY THAT’S STRANGE

Then Lord you use the term Nasah which is word for tempt and you don’t tempt no man everybody say THAT’S STRANGE

Then Lord you want me to kill my only child. This is strange language because the Jews were considered to be a civilized people, civilized people don’t go around killing their own children!!! Then furthermore Lord you’re the God of Abraham and in your word you strictly forbid human sacrifice, especially on an Altar dedicated to Jehovah Jireh…Because human sacrifice was considered to be a part of demonic dedications.

But look at Abraham’s response in verse 3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

This is a serious demonstration and declaration of obedience. We know that obedience is better than sacrifice right but here in the text God wants Abraham to be obedient enough to sacrifice his beloved baby boy Isaac. And Abraham follows God’s plan to the letter.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the donkey; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

This is existential behavior as they would say in my psychology and philosophy classes, And the part that is existential is when Abraham says Y’all stay here with the donkey and me and my boy are going on up the mountain and worship and and and come again to you. What Abraham is saying is existential !!! because practical people with common sense know that if you kill your only child, he’s not coming back,If Abraham would have kill Isaac, In 2022 Isaac would not be going back down no mountain walking and talking.

So Abraham must be figuring that even if I sacrifice Isaac and kill him on this burning altar for the Lord, God Himself will raise my baby boy Isaac back from the dead fully restored. Even all burnt up God will bring him back.. Abraham had unwavering faith in God. I don’t care what it is, I trust God, I have faith in God even unto death. Because Abraham is facing an “unto death situation”! Look at verses 6 &7

6. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

Isaac is the child of promise but Common sense is starting to set in with little Isaac.. “Wait a minute now daddy I see the wood I see the fire and I see the knife in your hands and I see you looking at me funny. Hold up daddy, but where is the sacrifice? Isaac ain’t crazy, because Abraham have left the servants back at the base of Mount Moriah and it’s only me and my daddy up here, And my daddy ain’t looking right and he ain’t acting right, and for the first time I feel uncomfortable being up here with my daddy...Something is wrong with that man.

And just for a moment take a look at this text from Isaac”s view, from Isaac’s perspective, and from Isaac’s disposition Because the next thing Isaac knew when they came to the right spot the bible says in verse 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. Isaac must have been an obedient young man, because Abraham is an old man.

Abraham couldn’t caught Isaac if Isaac would have run off. In real life in 2022 those young people today ain’t waiting for you to tie them up put them on an altar and jugg a knife through their hearts talking about I’m sacrificing you to God. In 2022 young people today they’re not like we grew up I would have run off.

but these children today will shot their own grandmother then go down to the elementary school with an ar 15 rifle and shoot up the school. Something is really wrong in our modern society today.

And this is where I take my hat off to Isaac… Knowing what’s about to happen to him knowing that my daddy who has protected me from all of the vicissitudes of life and knowing my daddy who has kept me from hurt harm and danger, !!!NOW!!! My daddy is now the greatest threat I face

And Abraham grips the knife raises his hand holds Isaac down and !!!Just before Abraham comes down with the dagger God talks to him.

Look at verses 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham:

and he said, Here am I.

Verse 12 Says Start Closing “And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And that incident is what is called the scapegoat The ram took Isaac’s place and was sacrificed Great God

and That’s what Jesus did. He took our place on the hill called Calvary.

Oh yes He did He died for your sins and for mine And Early Sunday morning He got up with All Power in His Hands. Yes

and the bible said in Genesis 22:14 that Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: Meaning the Lord our Provider Yes: The Lord will make a way for you Oh Yes He Will.

Somebody say Yes He Will !!!

Because the bible finishes in verse 14 by saying “Even today people say, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” Even today we say Jehovah -Jireh The Lord my Provider

Then verse 15 says “The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “The LORD says, ‘Because you did not keep back your son, your only son, from me, I make you this promise by my own name: 17 I will surely bless you and give you many descendants. They will be as many as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, and they will capture the cities of their enemies. 18 Through your descendants all the nations on the earth will be blessed, because you obeyed me.’ ” Abraham’s Test.