The Life of Faith 12

Faith on Trial
Genesis 22

Take your son your only son. Jesus of course was the only begotten of the father. Isaac, innocent lamb of God. Jesus was the lamb. We will see that Isaac looks up at his father and asks, Where is the lamb? Jehovah Jirah. God will supply. Thinking that God would supply resurrection in bringing his son back from death. Abraham fully intended to kill the boy. See the picture of the cross in the fact that Isaac carried the wood for the fire. So much here. That God was showing the pain of sacrificing his son. Through it we see the love of God. But we also get a lesson on faith. Abraham showed us how to respond when faith is on trial. What to do when you find your faith on trial.

Introduction: Yeager family.

George Jeager, his aging father and his three boys were heading to port after a full day of fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. Before they reached the safety of the harbor a violent storm engulfed their tiny boat. It was quickly swamped. George Jaeger, his aging father, and three sons tightened their life jackets and stepped in the sea. It was 6:30 PM. The three boys struggled to keep their heads above the boiling water but gradually they grew too weary to keep fighting and one by one George Jaeger head his sons take in too much water and drown. Then his father succumbed to the ocean and there was silence. George Jaeger somehow found the will to fight on. For 8 hours he struggled in the sea, until he finally pulled himself and four lifeless bodies ashore. I realized they were dead, he said, but I didnt want to accept it so I kept on swimming. My youngest boy, Clifford was the first to go. I had always taught our children not to fear death because it was being with Jesus Christ. Before Cliff died his father heard him say, Id rather be with Jesus than go on fighting. The Jaeger boys died quietly with courage and faith. In a way the ultimate test was administered that night in the Atlantic and the Jaegers passed with high marks. Could you live like that? Would you die like that?

I.

Immediate Obedience.

Verse 3. Abraham rose early. Quick to act. Tendency is to postpone. Hope that somehow things will change. Opens the door to procrastination. Ill. . .One writer calls procrastination a thief and personified it like this: Allow me to introduce a professional thief . . . His name? Procrastination . . . He can out talk any student when it comes to homework. He can out think any executive when it comes to correspondence. He can out work any homemaker when it comes to vacuuming or doing the dishes. He can out last any parent when it comes to discipline. He can outsmart any salesman when it comes to selling. He has one basic product and he centers all his energy toward that single goal: defeat. .

Sometimes I wonder if the great enemy of our day in the church isnt so much believing there is no God as it is believing there is no hurry to obey him. Abraham modeled immediate obedience. He wasnt eager to do this. This was Isaac his only son of the promise. Hed waited years for this boy. Thrown a giant party at his weaning. Doted and coddled and loved the boy. But Abraham loved God more than anything else and was quick to obey.

Genesis 22. Faith on Trial.

Two themes flowing through this, the trial of Abraham and the Love of God. Isaac is a type of Jesus. Abraham is a type of God. God was not only putting his servant through the test he was trying to show us how he felt when he sent his son.

How different than Lot. Remember lot. They angels had to drag him kicking and screaming out of Sodom. I tend to be more like lot.

Interesting situation. If Abraham was traveling from his normal spot, Bethel, or the Oaks of Mamre near Bethel then the travel would not take three days. No way. Not unless he went very slowly. That might well be.

Ill. . . Footprints in the sand. One set during the difficult times. Where I carried you. I look back and see a set of footprints and skid marks where he had to drag me. Faith on trial, Immediate obedience.

But notice 21:24. Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days. Abraham was in the land of the Philistines when this command came. So he had to move from there. Easily a three-day trip considering time to split wood. Key, he was traveling for three days.

II.

Complete Obedience.

Verse 3. He spit wood for the burnt offering. Do you realize what Abe was doing? By taking wood he left no out. We might be tempted to think, when I get to Moriah if there isnt any wood then thats gods answer. No sacrifice. Oh well, out of wood! Tend to want to leave the door open for an emergency exit. Complete obedience slams the door shut. If God calls you to build an altar, take the wood. Make sure you do everything he says. Dont leave the door open for compromise. Oh lord Ill not have drink at the new years party if you will be sure to not let them remember the beer! Oh Lord, Ill be faithful to give if the church will have a checkbook for me at the door. Dont leave the checkbook at home. Dont let circumstances govern your obedience. You control circumstances that God gives you. Take the wood.

That is so significant to me. It meant that Abraham had to struggle with this for three days. All along he knew the end of the journey meant the loss of his son. Every opportunity he held his boy. Isaac is probably sick of getting kissed. DAAAAAD! Cut it out. Quit hugging me. Why are you crying th dad? Whats wrong? I know you love me, thats the 5000 time youve said it. Time is the tester of obedience. On the third day. What was Abraham thinking as he traveled? What anguish? What desperation? What doubts? How many times do you think he wanted to turn the camel around and forget the whole thing. Head back to his tents and forget the name Jehovah. Jehovah Jirah, yeah right, Jehovah Indian giver. Jehovah jokester. No more for me. Ill take my boy and take care of him myself. Forget Jehovah. Forget this place. I should have stayed in Haran. Did he rage at God in his heart. God you cannot do this. It isnt fair. You arent fair. Maybe. We will never know. All we know is what he did on the outside. He stayed the course. Somewhere on the three-day journey Abraham became so convinced in the power of God that he started to see outside the lines. He didnt limit god to what he always knew. He trusted him beyond pale. Beyond belief. Beyond reason. He trusted God even to the point of resurrection. One of the problems in the church is that we tend to make everything an instant decision. And salvation is instant. Accepting the Lord is a

III.

Determined Obedience.

On the third day. Abrahams destination is Moriah. Moriah is one of the hills around Jerusalem. Eventually became the place where they built the temple.

one-time choice. But you will then spend the rest of your life making daily choices of obedience. Like a diet. Decide to loose weight. Set the plan up. Figure the calories you will need. How many pounds to lose per week to get to the goal weight. Buy the AB buster and the Nordic-track to get the exercise and tone up. Then start the regimen. First day fine. Second day, bad. Third day, impossible. The dream isnt as important as a steak. So most quit and then sell their Nordic-track at a garage sale for $5.00. If it were easy dont you think wed all be skinny. Obedience is tested with time. Losing weight and walking with Jesus are not one-time decisions. They are daily decisions. Sometimes momentby-moment decisions. Releasing your will and surrendering you desires. And letting God give you strength where you didnt think you had it.

in reference to Manna. It was only used here, Genesis 22:14 and the implication is to show us a way, not necessarily provide some miracle. So many, particularly in the charismatic faith want miracles. God will often guide them to security. They dont want to follow, they just want to experience. But the leading is the more secure path. Its the difference between wanting to win the lottery as a means of planning for retirement, or getting an education and letting God lead you into a lifelong secure Job. God provides is God will show. In fact, KJV translates it, in the mount of the Lord it will be seen. NASV in the mount of the lord it will be provided. Both are right if you understand provision. Abraham believed that God would show him the way! That faith allowed ultimate obedience. Abraham fully intended to kill the boy. The knife was on the down stroke when God stayed his hand.

Determined obedience. Even when it takes longer or turns out harder than you expected.

IV.

Ultimate Obedience.

Verses 7-10 How did Abraham feel when his boy looked up through innocent eyes and asked, Dad, wheres the sacrifice? God will provide. Verse 8. God will provide. Elohim will see. Generic for God. I always thought this was Jehovah Jirah. Verse 14 is Jehovahjirah (KJV) Translated, God will see to it. But jirah is the same as the form here. Raah, meaning to see. 07200 har ra'ah raw-aw' a primitive root; TWOT-2095; v AV-see 879, look 104, behold 83, shew 68, appear 66, consider 22, seer 12, spy 6, respect 5, perceive 5, provide 4, regard 4, enjoy 4, lo 3, foreseeth 2, heed 2, misc 74; 1313 I wonder if he isnt saying, God will cause us to see. God will show. In other words God will show us the way. In Abrahams case the ram was shown. The supernatural aspect was that God put the ram where he could see it. I dont want to miss interpret here, but Jehovahjirah is often used to refer to some supernatural provisioning. Like Manna. But it was never used

When Abraham said God would provide what he meant was God would provide new life to his son. Hebrews 11:17. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18. even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. That is ultimate obedience. When the test came Abraham passed with exemplary marks. God provided a ram. Jehovahjira. That ram was in the thicket before he started up the mountain. God needed to show him. God has made a way for you. You might not be able to see it. In the trial, he keeps his plan close so you will live by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. God is looking for that sort of faith in us.