The Trial
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Intro:
Intro:
God put’s Abraham’s faith to the test. This passage is a classic example of & 12-18 being played out.
God Asks the Unthinkable
God Asks the Unthinkable
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
He 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.”
Gen 22:1-
EX: God puts Abraham to the ultimate test
Sacrifice your son
To sacrifice was an irreversible act.
Kill, drain blood, and burn upon the alter
There was no going back.
Your only son
What about Ishmael?” you may say
This emphasizes that Isaac was the promised son, the heir of the covenant.
God gave Isaac miraculously
Now God asked for him to be killed.
The son you love
This emphasizes the cost.
We aren’t talking about an estranged child.
We aren’t talking about a rebellious boy
He is loved. He is cherished.
Now he was to be sacrificed
AP: God tests our faith
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
James 1:12-18
When God puts us to the test, it leads to a crisis of belief.
We know God’s commands
In a test, we face tension
God’s teaching
Vs our feelings
It may cost us friends, family, jobs, even life.
Fear is there
Doubt can rise
It is the trial that our character is built
Abraham Obeys Without Question
Abraham Obeys Without Question
So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.
And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
Gen 22:3-
EX: Abraham obeyed in faith
2 truths drove his obedience
He must obey God
This was not a first, Abraham had followed God’s call to leave home and journey to the the promised land.
He knew God demanded absolute obedience
God doesn’t want halfhearted obedience
Abraham obeyed without hesitation
He had faith
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,
of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”
He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
WOW
Abraham believed he could sacrifice Isaac, step back and watch God raise him back to life.
Abraham demonstrated faithfilled and faithful obedience.
AP: Always obey God
We live in a day and society in which obeying God can be contraversial
The Bible speaks clearly on moral issues.
Don’t lie, steal, commit adultery
Don’t have hate and lust in your heart
and so on
The world hates truth
they see it all as grey not back and white
They want us give in and go along to get along.
They falsely claim the moral high ground
“don’t judge” they misquote
Get with the times”, they proclaim
They even attack the truth of God’s word
This crisis of belief should be handled like Abraham handled his.
Have faith in God
Obey Him whole-heartedly
God Miraculously Provides
God Miraculously Provides
But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
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.”
And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven
and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.
EX: God Provides a substitute
This passage pictures and introduces substitutionary atonement.
As Abraham set Isaac free and they took the ram and sacrificed it, they pictured Jesus on the cross
God provided the required sacrifice
AP: Jesus is the substitute sacrifice
God gets the glory as He provides
Jesus paid our sin debt and makes salvation for you and me a possibility.
Conclusion:
Conclusion: