Genesis 22:1-14 "THE PERFECTION OF ABRAHAM'S FAITH"
I. THE CALIBRE OF TRUE FAITH 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. Notice How :-
1. God Defines His Commands - "thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest."
Ishmael had already been sent away. Now, the command comes that would take Isaac
God was asking for everything Abraham had! All his hopes, his dreams and his plans
God says "give it all to me!" (Note: God wants nothing less than everything)
2. God Details His Commands - God was very precise about what Abraham was to do.
1. Whom to Sacrifice (22:2) Take now thy son,
• The lauded son. How Abraham had waited, watched, & rejoiced In Isaac
• The lone son. "Thine only son" God did not count Ishmael here.(Born of flesh)
• The loved son. "Whom thou lovest"
Abraham had proven that he loved God more than Ishmael when he sent Ishmael away,
Now God is testing Abraham to see if he loves God more than his beloved Isaac.
2. When to Sacrifice (22:2) Take now "Now" Abraham was ready.
3. Where to Sacrifice (22:2) and get thee into the land of Moriah
This land of Moriah was in the area later known as Jerusalem.
3. God Darkens His Commands - God does not explain the "why?" to men!
II. THE CHARACTER OF TRUE FAITH
A. It Is Always Punctual (3) And Abraham rose up early in the morning,
B. It Is Always Persistent (4) "Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off."
C. It Is Always Personal (5) "And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship,.."
D. It Is Always Positive (5b) "...and come again to you."
E. It Is Always Prophetic (6-8)
1. He Pictures The Pain Of The Saviour (6-7)
a. His Great Burden On Golgotha (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."
b. His Grevous Battle In Gethsemane (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?"
2. He Proclaims The Provision Of The Sacrifice (8)
a. Abraham Answers Isaac (8a) "And Abraham said, My son,"
b. Abraham Assures Isaac (8b) "...God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering."
c. Abraham Accompanies Isaac (8c) "...so they went both of them together."
3. He Portrays The Plan Of Salvation God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering
God Provides
1. A Sacrifice Heb 9:26 "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
A. The Sinless Son of God (2 Cor 5:21) "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
B. The Sinners Substitute (2 Cor 5:21) "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
C. The Suffering Saviour (Isaiah 53)
2. A Salvation (Acts 4:12) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
A. Preaching of the Scripture (Romans 10:14) "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"
B. Power of the Spirit John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
C. Pardon of the sinner. (Psalms 103:12) "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."
3. A Scripture (1 Peter 1:23) "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
4. A Separation Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
III. THE COURAGE OF TRUE FAITH (9-10)
A. Abraham Found The Appointed Place (9a) "And they came to the place which God had told him of;..."
B. Abraham Followed The Approved Procedure (9b) "...and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order,..."
C. Abraham Fettered The Anointed Person (9c) "...and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood."
D. Abraham Fulfilled The Almighty's Purpose (10)
1. By His Attention (9c) "and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood."
2. By His Action (10a) "And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife "
3. By His Attitude (10b) "...to slay his son."
IV. THE CONFIRMATION OF TRUE FAITH (11-12)
A. It Is Always Attentive To The Call Of God (11) "And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I."
B. It Is Always Assured By The Commands Of God (12a) "And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him:"
C. It Is Always Attested By The Comfort Of God (12b) "...for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."
D. It Is Always Applying The Choice Of God (13-14)
1. A Revelation Of The Sacrifice (13)
a. The Ram Was God's Appointed Sacrifice (13a) "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns:"
b. The Ram Was Isaac's Appreciated Substitute (13b) "...and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."
2. A Recognition Of The Sovereign (14)
a. The Memorial Name (14a) "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh:"
b. The Meaning Of The Name (14b) "...as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it
shall be seen."
