Background- God made a covenant or a promise in Gen 12 God made a promise to Abraham that He would make him into a great nation and bless all nations through him. And his descendants would be like the stars of the sky
Gen 15:17-18 God seals this covenant or promise by passing through the carcasses, it was customary for both parties to pass through and basically what you were saying was “may I become like this carcass if I do not keep up my end of the deal”
Abraham did not have to pass through this was a unilateral covenant, God is loyal to his promise. Now this may seem fine but Abraham had no offspring from his wife Sarah vrs 3
Then we find out several chapters later 18, God promises Abraham and Sarah and Sarah laughs because she is old. Chapter 21 records their sons birth and Abraham names him Isaac which means “He (God) is Laughing (now)” At this point Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90
So we pick up the story in Chapter 22
Genesis 22:1-19
22:1 As the story begins we see this comment “God Tested Abraham” Tested so he can show Abraham’s true character and prove to the generations to come that Abraham believed Him even though the request was crazy.
22:2 - Isaac was uniquely born John 1:18 and Hebrews 11:17 Isaac was unique because he was their only son and Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100, so against the odds they had this boy and now God wants him to sacrifice him.
Burnt offering was giving the best of what you had in your herd or flocks. Isaac was truly that, Abraham did have other children but Isaac was the one that God laid His promise on.
This does not make sense. If God was promising a blessing through this boy why would He ask his dad to sacrifice him?
In life many times we come across things God wants us to that don’t make sense to us or the world around us at the time but we know that God wants us to do it. Like with our finances, it does not make sense to give money away to God but God Blesses when we do.
Maybe you are confronted with a new and better job opportunity but God wants you to stay where you are because you will be more effective there.
Maybe you thought a certain career path was right for you and God keeps pressing on your heart to take a career path that pays less or may be harder.
Maybe God is pressing on your heart to do a ministry that will take a good deal of time and it seems to crazy to do.
Maybe it is forgiving someone who has hurt you that is not sorry or expressing love to your enemies.
God asking this of Abraham was enormous because Isaac was the fulfillment of the promise and Abe’s descendents would be blessed through him. So what was up why did and why does God ask us or lead us to do things that seem to be harder, less appealing or down right crazy? He wants us to trust Him and see the great things He has in store for us. He wants us to realize “Father knows best” A simple truth that most of you dads teach your children “Listen to me” Proverbs 23:22
Remember God wants the best for you, He is not trying to hurt you.
I always say when I held Zane in my hands for the first time it changed who I am, as a dad I look at life with new eyes, I think about what would interest my children, what would make them happy, how I can help them succeed, and no matter how much they annoy me, disrespect me and don’t listen to me, I love them. The things I want to instill in them are don’t make the mistakes I made, listen to wise counsel
22:3-4
If I was ever asked to give them up my answer would be no, that’s where I can learn from this example of a man who was truly willing give up everything for God. As soon as he received the word he went and made preparations for the offering. Notice there was immediate obedience, that is what God desires. Kind of funny because that is what I desire from my kids
22:5 The Hebrew is actually better translated determined, we will go, we will worship, we will come back. Showing his trust in God. Do we trust God that much, I am going to give my money, I am going to give my time, I am going to forgive that person, I am going to love my enemy. I will do these things and not only trust God to provide but have an expectant trust that God will take care
22-6-7 The question “where is the lamb?” This question must have burned Abraham’s ears, how can I answer this?
22:8 God will provide, the right attitude when we worship God, letting go of everything for Him
Romans 12:1 Sacrifices of our God are a broken a contrite heart. Psalm 51:17
22:9-11 A Son’s trust of his father. He was probably about 116 and Isaac was around 16. He could have taken Him but He trusted that his dad was following God
22:12 For now I know you “Fear” God “Reverent Awe” “Because you have not withheld your only son”
Matthew Henry said “The best evidence of our fearing God is our being willing to serve and honor Him with what is dearest to us” “Not withheld your only son”
22:13-14 God provided, just like Abraham said in vrs 8, He believed God and God delivered
22:15-18 Before the covenant was sealed but now it was sworn with an oath. Notice God says by your “seed” all nations will be blessed
God is loyal to His covenant or promise
What is the deeper meaning of this story?
Isaac = Jesus the true “seed” willingly went to the cross for us all. All nations everyone is blessed because of Jesus death. Isaac is what we call a “Type” of Christ in the Old Testament. “Type” figures help us to understand God was always setting the stage. Isaac willing went to the alter and Jesus willing went to the cross for us.
Abraham = Father, willingness to give up his son. Many times when we think about God the Father we don’t always thin of Him as having feelings, but as a father or a mother we can understand the pain a turmoil the Father went through when He gave up His son. God wanted to show all of us that this was the biggest possible sacrifice for Him to make.
So what does it mean to us today on Fathers Day in 2008
1 John 3:1a Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
God the Father in His grace love and compassion has given us the great opportunity to become His child through trusting in the sacrificial death of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead, if we trust that we will have life everlasting.
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