Issac
Genesis 22
• The God who created the world specializes in new beginnings! Genesis means BEGINNING
• 2 Corinthains 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Review: God made with Abram, name changed to Abraham, covenant, descendants numbering the sands and stars, Had a son named ISAAC...
• Charles Stanely once said that he believed that most Christians in most churches have never worshiped God.
◦ We go to church, but we don’t worship.
◦ We sing songs, but we don’t worship.
◦ We listen to sermons, but we don’t worship.
◦ All of these things are elements of worship but they are not worship in and of themselves which means that you can do all of them and yet have failed to truly worship God.
◦ We Christians often mistake the means of worship for worship itself.
A man told a story about the time his son’s sixth birthday was approaching...usually was very specific about the kind of presents he liked so the dad asked him what he could get him. Bill expected a well planned reply, such as “I’d like a baseball glove; you can find it at Toys-R-Us, aisle 6, below the batting helmets” But He said, “Dad, I’d like a ball to play with for my birthday.” Bill said, “Great, what kind of ball?” “Oh, I don’t know, either a football or a soccer ball.” “Well, which would you want more?” He said, “If you have some time to play ball with me this year, I’d really like a football so we could throw it back and forth in the back yard. But if you’re gonna be real busy this year, maybe you just better get me a soccer ball, because I can play soccer with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood.” The dad thought about this and said, “Let me surprise you. How does that sound?” And the little boy smiled and said, “Oh that would be great Dad. I really love you.” ... Dad bought the football son was not so much interested in the gift. He was interested in the giver.
• True worship is not interested in the created but the Creator. Question’s like -- Did I like the sermon/service/music? -- are the wrong kind of questions.
• The right question -- Did my worship please God? God is interested in the giver, not the gift
Genesis chapter 22
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 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.” 3 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.
• God made the covenant with Abram – promising a child of his own DNA
◦ Isaac was the first and only child of Sarah and Abraham’s DNA
◦ He was the promise that God would keep his covenant...in the flesh
◦ And God was telling Abraham to sacrifice him
• Testing
◦ This is a test of Abraham
◦ Many argue that this is to help Abraham know the strength of faith, and that could be accurate
◦ But it is also to help God know... “for now I know that you fear God” verse 12
◦ Two words for KNOW...knowledge and experience
I know the grand canyon exists, but if I went to the grand canyon I will KNOW (experience it)
• God being all-knowing KNEW the faith Abraham was capable of demonstrating, but also wanted to experience it...
• Abraham had a inner faith and strength that few others had (after a few very big mistakes...giving away his wife to a foreign king, having a baby with a servant etc etc.)
• In this testing God was giving Abraham the opportunity to express that faith by asking an absolutely ridiculous thing – sacrifice Isaac
• Worship through ridiculous obedience
◦ God delights in those who reverence him and trust him and put their hope in his unfailing love (Psalm 147:11)
◦ Worship is expressing our faith in God...EXPRESSING outwardly
◦ Not just singing a song or listening to a sermon, it is more than that
◦ Sometimes God asks the ridiculous of us to grant an opportunity to truly worship
◦ When God asks the ridiculous...what do you do?
▪ Dismiss it? No that can’t be God
▪ Make a compromise? Well how about this instead then God?
▪ Or do you obey?
• Abraham’s unbelievable obedience
◦ We don’t hear Abraham’s inner mono log (though I can image)
◦ We are not told there were doubts...maybe there were
◦ But here is something that stood out to be as I was studying
◦ Yes...Abraham just goes, started the multi-day journey
◦ But...he also doesn’t take an alternative offering
◦ “Yep God I hear ya, but just in case you change your mind I”ll bring a goat”
◦ Nope...Abraham started this journey of following the ridiculous ask of God knowing that if anything were going to change...God would have to do that changing
• We have the benefit of knowing how this journey would end BUT ABRAHAM DID NOT
◦ And we do not know when God asks the ridiculous of us
◦ “sell your land and use proceeds to the poor” that’s how the first Christian took care of things
◦ “overcome evil with good” that’s what Jesus said
◦ “don’t just love your friends, love you enemies” that’s the famous sermon of Jesus
◦ What will happen when we actually live out these things? (where will we live, can good really conquer evil, what if enemies don’t love us back)
◦ When you do not have the value of hindsight to look on and God asks the absurd...how do you react?
◦ Obedience, no alternatives hiding in the wings...knowing if something is going to change...it must be God?
◦ This is the faith we are called to not just hold inside but live out...this is worship
Genesis 22
4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy[a] will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 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. 7 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?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 9 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. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 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.” 13 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. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”;[b] as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”[c]
• Worhip through absurd sacrifice
◦ Long journey to the place God had indicated
◦ Took days before they could see the place
◦ Once they could, Abraham completes the journey with just his son (only son who he loves) Isaac
◦ Picture it...Man in his hundreds and boy in his teens walking together to make a sacrifice
◦ Isaac knows about sacrifices, he has been taught to worship God through sacrifice
◦ But Isaac also notices the main element of the sacrifice is missing...there is wood, fire, rope, knife...but no offering, so he asks the question “where is it”
◦ And what does Abraham answer... “the Lord will Provide” Jehovah Jiera
▪ The Lord had provided for Abraham
▪ Even when Abraham fell from God’s plan
▪ God had provided safety, God had spared Lot’s life when Abraham pleaded
▪ God had prospered Abraham in this new land, God provided Isaac
▪ The life lesson of Abraham from God was this... I’ve got it, I will provide for you
▪ And now...Abraham believed it
◦ Abraham (in his hundreds) builds an altar and ties up his young teenager and places him on the wood and takes hold of the knife...
• Worship through obedience
◦ In every step of this journey God could have stepped in
◦ On the walk up
◦ While building the altar
◦ While tying up his son
◦ While placing him on the altar
◦ But God waits until the knife is in Abraham’s hands
◦ Obedience is worship...amen?
◦ When we hear the ridiculous direction of God...sell the land, do the good, love the enemy
◦ How far are we willing to go in obedience?
▪ Half way obedience is common
▪ We will obey … until we get uncomfortable
▪ We will obey … until it feels were taking it too far
▪ We will obey … but hold back the alternative option
Quitting Menards in 2013 – not going to afford rent on apartment, longest month ever,
◦ True worship...is obedience with complete follow-through
• God Provided the lamb...
◦ Before we jump in to seeing this as clearly pointing to the savior (which it does) let’s stay with Abraham and Isaac in this moment
◦ They are worshiping God...through sacrifice and through obedience
◦ They do not understand why or what or how but they trust God to provide...
◦ And then with the knife in his hands, the Angel of the Lord speaks
◦ ABRAHAM ABRAHAM STOP
◦ And they look and see a Lamb caught in the thorns...
◦ God did not just spare Isaac and send them back down the mountain
◦ No...God provide them a way to connect to God, to worship him
◦ Jehovah Jiera...the Lord provides
◦ Can you imagine the relief Abraham felt...his son (his only son who he loved) would get to live
• God provides
◦ When we obey the ridiculous...God does provide
◦ Note: sometimes God doesn’t pull you away from what They asked you to sacrifice, we do have to go all the way
Turned in my two weeks notice, and no sign, left after two weeks, still nothing...another two weeks...nothing. I didn’t ever get to go back to Menards...God did not change Their mind...But God provided, job with parsonage
◦ When we obey the ridiculous...God does provide
◦ When the early church sold the land and gave to the poor...you know what happened? No one had any need! (44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2)
◦ When good is done 100% evil is overcome (the enemy of God wants you to play at his level, rather than understanding how your simple, loving acts of kindness and compassion throw a wrench into his most devious plans. 1 Peter 2:15 explains, “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”)
◦ Loving our enemies frees us from hate (God says to let Him deal with our enemies. Only He can judge, and he doesn’t need our input on how it should look. We are to leave our enemy in his hands. “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9 (NLT)
Conclusion
Charles Stanely once said that he believed that most Christians in most churches have never worshiped God.
• We go to church, but we don’t worship. We sing songs, but we don’t worship. We listen to sermons, but we don’t worship.
• All of these things are elements of worship but they are not worship in and of themselves which means that you can do all of them and yet have failed to truly worship God.
Will you worship...through sacrifice even when it seems ridiculous...obedience when it seems absurd
Will this be a place known for doing the absurd and ridiculous things we feel God asking us to?