Abraham the Father of Faith

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Genesis 22:1–18 CSB
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together. 7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.” 12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.” 15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”
Now
In order to be born you needed:
2 Parents
4 grandparents
8 great-grandparents
16 second great-grandparents
32 third great-grandparents
64 Fourth
128 Fifth
256 Sixth
512 Seventh
1024 Eighth
2048 Ninth
For you to be born today from the 12 previous generations you needed a total of 4094 ancestors over the last 400 years.
Think for a moment-How many struggles? How many battles? How many difficulties? How much sadness? How much happiness? How many love stories? How many expressions of hope for the future? did your ancestors have to undergo for you to exist in this present moment.
Then
In the book of Genesis God gives Abraham a final exam on what it means to trust God.
Abraham in Chapter 12 of Genesis has been called out to follow Yahweh, by moving him and his family to an unknown land, and Abraham complied
In Chapter 17 of Genesis Abraham is promised a seed that would represent the Nation of Israel
In Chapter 21 after some years Sarai begets Isaac the promised seed.
In Chapter 22 God decided to give Abraham a final exam “test”…. a test is given to ascertain levels of growth…intellectually, physically, relationally, and spiritually
Always
Faithful Fathers walk in the footsteps of their past examples.
Transition: Let’s take a look at this narrative to see look at some of the traits of our First Spiritual Father Abraham

I.  Faithful Fathers are quick to Obey God

Genesis 22:1–4 CSB
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
Genesis 22:1 CSB
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.
(EXE-v.1) “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered
we have Yahweh calling Abraham, and Abraham responded “here I am.”  This implies two things: 
Abraham understood the voice of God
he was available for the Master's use. 
Abraham said “Here I am”……. now God knew where he was, so why the response as if God was looking for him.  This was not a location update given by Abraham, but a spiritual update given by Abraham letting Yahweh know that I am “Here and Reporting for Duty.”
Abraham is not a super-saint. He learned to obey God through discipline.
He lied twice about the nature of his relationship to his wife to save his life and hers. And he failed to patiently wait for Isaac and obey his wife’s voice which started the Arabic nations which became a thorn in the flesh of the children of Israel.
Sidepoint-God can take an imperfect past and make it a productive future if you are willing to learn from his Discipline(Fathers)
Genesis 22:2 CSB
2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
(EXE-v.2) 2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
Yahweh gives Abraham the final exam….the exam challenge is this “take your only son, the son whom you love, the promised seed Isaac and go up a mountain that I will show you and then offer him up as a burnt offering.”
The Burnt offering…Lev. 1:1-10 Don’t Read just reference:
a. Male without defect
b. Animal was killed and his blood was sprinkled at the doorstep to the tent of meeting
c. Animal was cut in pieces then rearrange bodily
d. All the internal organs were cleaned then put on the altar
e. All the internal organs, external flesh were then burned up
f. When done right the sacrifice became a sweet smelling aroma to God, often used when God was angry as a form of repentance so that he would not have to judge.
- This is the final exam given to Abraham, to do exactly what I just describe to his “baby boy”
Genesis 22:3 CSB
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about.
(EXE-v.3) “So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about.”
Abraham after sleeping on the final exam rose early in the morning and set out to offer up his son as a burnt offering.  Every step he took up the mountain would have been a faith walk.  It require faith in that God told him earlier that his son Isaac would be the chosen one, and then now God is calling him to slay the chosen seed.  How do you become the father of many nations without a son.  Abraham continues up the mountain despite the contradictory nature of this exam. (Genesis 12 & 16)The Bible does give a little bit of a hint as to what Abraham expected to happen. 
Hebrews 11:17-19
Hebrews 11:17–19 CSB
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, 18 the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. 19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.
look at Genesis 22:5
(v.5) when Abraham got close to the place that God had designated for the offering he held the other two young men back and went up the Mountain;  the scriptures says to “Worship”….Worship is defined as “bowing down, or prostrating oneself before a monarch, or superior in homage. Though you do not see Abraham bowing down physically, his heart & will is in total submission.
This word is strange in our thinking because when we think of worship, we do not think of Sacrifice (Killing of his own son), and bowing down.
Abraham says I am going to worship….sacrifice to the OT saints was a part of worship not separate but a fundamental part, sacrifice was how they were able to approach a Holy God
the only thing that has change in the NT church is that we don’t kill animals, we let the HS kill us.
Transition Statement
-a life of faith always leads to a life of submission

II. Faithful Fathers submit to their heavenly Father above all others

Genesis 22:5–10 CSB
5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together. 7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
Genesis 22:6 CSB
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together.
(EXE-v.6) Abraham makes his son carry on his back the wood that he would be burned on.  This is a biblical anti-type(symbols used to describe events that will later take place)  the wood for the Burnt offering is symbolic of the cross on Jesus back.  Isaac is carrying his cross right up the mountain of God. In this text Isaac is the sacrificial lamb sent to satisfy the justice of God.
Genesis 22:7 CSB
7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
(EXE-v.7) Isaac is beginning to deal with the inevitable, so he ask his Dad just to make sure that what he is concerned about is really true…Isaac wasn’t a dummy…. Explain: Isaac understanding of himself as the promised seed.
-This is the point Isaac displayed great faith, in that he continued up the Mountain with his Dad knowing full well what was about to take place. The Faith of the Father spread to the “Son”(Isaac trusted his father)
Genesis 22:8–9 CSB
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.
(EXE-v.8) “Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son”
(v.8) This is a profound statement by Abraham he is speaking prophetically about a future Messiah who would take the sins of the world. I believe in this case Abraham is prepared to kill his son if necessary but he is hoping for a substitute. Abraham hope is rooted in a previous promise God made to him and that was “His son Isaac would be the Father through which God would birth a nation”
Father’s sometimes God will call you to do something that looks foolish to the world like Abraham we must trust the Lord’s previous promises which can never contradict his future plans.
Genesis 22:9 CSB
9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.
(EXE-v.9) Abraham bound his son….Isaac loved his Dad, but Abraham is about 113 years old by now, so he could have fought it and ran away but he willingly allowed himself to bound up by his own father…..You see submission started from the original call…..Abraham submitted to God, the Ram Submitted to God, and Isaac submitted to Abraham.
Transition statement
Faith and submission set the stage for the presence of God to be manifested

III. Faithful Fathers live by faith not by sight

Genesis 22:11–14 CSB
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.” 12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”
Genesis 22:11 CSB
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.”
(EXE-v.11) “But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am”
starts with the greatest conjunction ever “but” the Angel of Lord (Yahweh) called out to him “Abraham, Abraham” in the bible when you see a name called twice it is due to urgency, this tells you that Abraham was not bluffing and that  knife was going to the throat of his Son. Notice in (v.1) he called him once and Abraham answered in this text He called him “twice” Abraham was truly going to slaughter his Son. This what a Father looks like who “Fears the Lord and Lives by Faith”
You see Abraham relationship to Yahweh was more important than his relationship to his Son. He understood the greatest commandments “Love of God” and “Love of Neighbor”
True worship is giving God first place in our lives…. look at Abraham in (v.11) still available in the midst of the challenge, no bitterness.
Genesis 22:12 CSB
12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
(EXE-v.12) Abraham passed the test “Yahweh said now I know” explain this statement:
Genesis 22:13 CSB
13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
(v.13) Yahweh brings provision….”Abraham saw a Ram caught in a thicket (bushes)”
a. Ram instead of Son (explain the scene)  As Isaac and Abraham were going up the hill that same Ram was also traveling up the backside of the hill2 Cor. 5:21 “21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
-As a result of Abraham willingness to be available, faithful, and submissive in his worship…..Yahweh Jireh showed up and provided the sacrifice Explain….The name Jehovah Jireh is not primarily about external/fleshly provision, it is about God providing for himself a sacrifice that satisfied his righteous standard.

IV. Faithful Fathers will be blessed by God with a godly legacy

Genesis 22:15–18 CSB
15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”
(EXE-v.15-19) God told Abraham because of your faith. Because of your act of obedience. Your Legacy will go far beyond your life. Abraham even after your death your life of faith will continue to bless folks, Abraham. In so much through your loins I will build this nations which will encompass the Children of Israel your biological family, but also your adoptive family of Gentile folks grafted in.
Listen to the book of Psalm 128:
Psalm 128 CSB
A song of ascents. 1 How happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2 You will surely eat what your hands have worked for. You will be happy, and it will go well for you. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children, like young olive trees around your table. 4 In this very way the man who fears the Lord will be blessed. 5 May the Lord bless you from Zion, so that you will see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life 6 and will see your children’s children! Peace be with Israel.
Open the doors of the church:
Jehovah Jireh! The Lord will and has provided the Lamb!
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