Faith put to the test

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.

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 of 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.

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 not withheld your son, your only son,

I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of the heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.

And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemy.

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 Bathsheba.

And Abraham lived at Bathsheba.

Now after these things, it was told to Abraham,

Behold, Milcah has also born children to your brother Nahor.

Uz, his firstborn.

Buzz, his brother.

Camuel, the father of Aram.

Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaf and Bethuel.

Bethuel fathered Rebekah.

These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Rumah, bore Teba, Gaham, Tehash and Mecca.

Good morning, everyone.

Will you pray with me as you come to God's word?

Amen.

Father, we all come this morning desperate.

Our life, we need your word.

We need your promises.

We need to see who you are, your character.

We need to understand what you've done for us, the hope you've given us.

I pray that you'll give us, by your spirit, minds that understand your word and hearts that believe and trust.

I pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, we are coming to, I'm going to call it the mountaintop of Abraham's growth in faith.

This is the climax of the story of Abraham.

How can Yahweh command such a terrible thing?

Some atheists find this passage absolutely repugnant.

Like Richard Dawkins, he says it pretty powerfully.

This disgraceful story is an example simultaneously of child abuse, bullying in two asymmetrical power relationships,

and the first recorded use of the Nuremberg defence.

I was only obeying orders.

Pretty strong words.

Let's get a broader perspective before we pronounce a guilty verdict on God's character.

Child sacrifice was part of the worship to the god Molech in the land of Canaan, in Abraham's time.

And so we find in Leviticus 18.21, Yahweh prohibits Israel from practising the abominations of the people of the land.

You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech.

They offered their children to their god to get further prosperity, further fruitfulness from the gods.

That is not what's happening in this passage.

Abraham and his descendants were to be totally different from the nations around them.

Now it's not just the Canaanites.

In Roman times there was a letter recovered of a man writing to his wife,

and the letter talks about lots of common things you might expect,

and then at the end it's like,

when you give birth to our child, if it's a boy, keep him.

If it's a girl, leave it to die of exposure.

As if it was like, go do the shopping, and by the way, just throw our kid out to die.

Infanticide was very common in the ancient world.

Now whether it's part of religious ritual or not, however far back you go,

it's legal in New South Wales to end a child's life up to 22 weeks in the womb.

Now Dawkins himself defends abortion,

and he was controversial in 2014 when he tweeted,

it would be immoral to bring a disabled child into the world.

Now I'm hesitant to bring up abortion,

because I know it probably brings up some shame or regret,

but please know, if that's you, the blood of Jesus covers that.

I'm just trying to give perspective here on what we're looking at.

How can Yahweh ask this of Abraham?

I'm not trying to sidestep how troubling this command is.

It is troubling.

But it's the wholehearted trust in the biblical God of Abraham,

those who see the wonder in this passage, in this event,

that actually saves children,

both in ancient times and today.

That's why this passage is actually troubling,

because it's so at odds with the character of Yahweh.

What God asks of Abraham here, it's unique.

It is one of a kind.

And the fact that it is unique,

I think is what unlocks the wonder of its message to us today.

So as we come into this passage,

here's what we're going to see.

We're going to see what God asks of Abraham in verses 1 and 2,

offer up your all to me in worship of me.

In verses 3 to 8,

I think we see his obedience is empowered by faith.

We see the Lord will provide the lamb,

and that the Lord swears to bless the world

because of this one man's obedience.

So that's where we're headed.

Have your Bibles open.

Well, verse 1,

After these things,

we saw last week,

the covenant blessings are starting to come in.

The nations of the earth,

with Abimelech,

is coming to Abraham for blessing.

He's at Bathsheba,

the southern border of the promised land,

and he's worshipping.

The promised land is just a matter of time

before he possesses it.

And most of all,

all the promises

hinge on the giving of Isaac.

Isaac has arrived.

All God's plans to save the world

will come through Isaac's line.

And we would expect the story

to just go from strength to strength,

more blessings just pouring in,

but no,

that is the context

for this greatest test

of Abraham's faith and obedience.

Now, one of my deepest fears

is when Emma and the kids

go for a long drive

without me.

Not...

I've got every confidence

as in Emma's driving.

I just realised...

I've got every confidence.

I'm afraid

because it feels like

my whole world

is in that car.

And Emma reminds me,

Christ is my world.

Now, if tragedy was to happen,

that would be...

I do not want that test of faith, okay?

But I don't think

that even comes close

to what Abraham

has commanded here.

It's even more than that

that God is asking

of Abraham.

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.

It's his whole world

and it's all God's promises

are bound up

in his son.

We've seen in Abraham

the man of faith.

He's the model of faith.

He's a mixed picture.

The language here

reminds us

of his original call

in chapter 12.

Go to a land

and I'll tell you later

where you're going.

And he obeyed that call.

He is a man of faith.

But then we've also seen him

full of cowardly fear

where he puts Sarah

and the promises of God

in harm's way.

I think sometimes today

we talk about faith,

some people talk about faith

as if they've,

I've always believed in Jesus.

There's nothing further

to develop.

It's this static thing.

I've always had faith.

What are you talking about?

Others speak of their lack of faith

as if it's too weak,

it's too fixed.

I'm never going to change.

But we see in the life of Abraham

growth in faith.

One commentator says,

the test,

instead of breaking him,

brings him to the summit

of his lifelong walk with God.

here we see

Abraham's growth in faith.

And each phrase of the command

must have made the command harder.

Take your son,

your only son,

whom you love.

It must have gone against

all his human affection.

the son whom you love.

Now,

some parents

who struggle to have children

and then

God gives them a child

late in life.

Have you ever noticed

they can be super,

super

protective

of that child.

Abraham had to wait

25 years.

The son whom you love,

you've just given him.

Now,

give him back.

It seemed to go against

the character of God.

How could he make sense

of this command?

It went against

the revealed plans of God

to save the world.

Remember Abraham's name.

He's the father

of many nations.

All the covenant promises

of God

are bound up

in Isaac.

Isaac.

Isaac.

In that time,

all your identity

and purpose

and future

is bound up

as a family unit.

We think individualistically

today.

But for Abraham,

the firstborn

was the head

of the family,

representing the family.

What's God

asking him to do?

Abraham,

your entire life,

your identity,

your meaning,

your safety,

your security,

your hope,

your significance

in the world.

Give it all up.

Give it all your life

up to me.

Now,

Abraham's test

is very unique.

The specifics

of what God

is asking.

But the fact

that God

tests faith

to the point

where his people

find it

troubling,

perplexing,

even feeling

like God

is an enemy.

How can God

be asking

this of me?

that's par

for the course.

Elizabeth Elliot,

whose husband

died trying

to share

the gospel

as a missionary,

she was once

visiting friends

on a sheep farm

in northern Wales

and sheep

are vulnerable

to disease,

even death

by insects

and parasites.

So once a year

the sheep

were submerged

in a big

vat

of antiseptic

and Elizabeth

said this,

one by one

John sees

the animals

as their

Lord and

Master

was pushing

their head

under,

drowning them

at least as far

as they could

tell.

And she reflected

later,

there are times

I couldn't figure

out any

reason for the

treatment I was

getting from my

great shepherd

whom I trusted.

And like

these sheep,

I didn't have

a hint

of explanation.

All God's

sheep have

our faith

tested.

It can feel

like God

is trying

to kill

you,

not bless

you.

He's asking

you to lose

your meaning

while you get

up in the

morning.

He's asking

you to lose

your future,

your sense

of safety,

your purpose.

To trust

that God

himself and

not what he

gives us

is to be

all our

life.

God does

that to all

his children.

He tests

our faith.

He is to

be our

whole world.

God is

more interested

in our

happiness.

We have

to come

to terms

with the

fact that

God is

more interested

in our

holiness than

in our

happiness right

now.

He's more

interested in

our faithfulness

than in our

financial resources.

He's more

interested in

our purity

than in our

power.

He's more

interested in

our eternal

life than

in our

external wealth.

He's more

interested in

our endurance

than in our

reputation.

God is

asking Abraham

to offer up

all to

him.

Now,

what's more

amazing than

what God

asks of

Abraham is

Abraham's

response in

verses 3

to 10.

We're not

told Abraham's

thoughts.

Our attention

is drawn to

his incredible

obedience.

Verse 3,

he rose up

early.

He didn't

hesitate.

He cut

the wood.

I just

wonder,

what is

going through

his head

knowing what

this wood

is going to

be used

for?

It's a

three-day

journey,

70

kilometres,

people think.

This wasn't

just a quick,

okay, I'm just

going to get

this obedience

over and

done with.

This requires

sustained

obedience.

And the

closer he got,

the harder

the obedience.

obedience.

How hard would

it have been

when his son

says,

Daddy,

where's the

lamb?

That must have

been hard to

keep going.

What was

motivating

Abraham to

obey?

Was it

unquestioning

obedience

despite how

crazy it

seemed?

I think

that would

be a

dangerous

lesson for

us to

take away.

If you

feel like

God is

telling you

to do

something,

regardless

of what

he has

revealed,

that can't

be the

lesson for

us to

take away.

I think

there's more

hints to

what's

motivating

him here.

By the

time we

get to

the

Passover

at

Exodus,

God's

judgment

of the

firstborn,

remember?

The

identity

and the

future of

every family

was in

the

firstborn.

It

would

have

hit

Israel's

families

too.

God

would

have

been

just

to

call

in a

debt

of

sin

except

for the

provision

of the

blood

of the

lamb.

In

Micah 6

Micah 6:7

verse 7

the prophet

asks,

shall I

give my

firstborn

for my

transgression,

the fruit

of my

body for

the sin

of my

soul?

It

could be,

I'm not

sure if,

I might be

inappropriately

reading back

into Genesis,

okay,

but it

could be

that Abraham

knows God

has every

right to

call in

his debt

of sin.

But I

think we're

given more

hints,

more clear

hints here

of what's

going through

Abraham's

mind.

I don't

think we're

shown the

willpower to

obey,

I'm just

going to

obey no

matter,

it seems

to go

against

God's

revealed

will.

We're

not

shown that

it seems

a sense

of guilt.

His

obedience

is empowered

by faith

in his

promise.

I think

we get

that hint

in verse

5.

Then Abraham

said to

his young

man,

stay here

with the

donkey,

I and

the boy

will go

over there

and worship

and come

again to

you.

Now that's

in the

plural,

we will

come again

to you.

I don't

think he

was lying,

lying.

I think

that would

detract from

the picture

of obedience

if he's

lying here.

As the

command of

God and

the promise

of God

seem to

be in

conflict,

I think

he's

drawing

deeply

on God's

promise.

Through

Isaac

shall

your

offspring

be

named.

And

Hebrews

11

confirms

this for

us.

Hebrews

11

says,

he

considered

that God

was able

even to

raise him

from the

dead.

He's

already

seen God

raised from

the dead,

a kind

of raised

from the

dead.

Remember

that he

and Sarah

were as

good as

dead.

Now

that's not

my wording,

that's

scripture's

wording.

He was

as good

as dead

when Isaac

was born.

His

faith grew

strong in

the promise.

He knows

nothing is

too

impossible

for God.

The logic

is sound.

He's

telling me

to offer

up my

only son

my whole

life,

but he's

promised my

only son

will inherit

all God's

everlasting

promise.

He must

be able to

raise him

from the

dead.

He's

drawing

deeply

on God's

promise.

That's

what's

empowering

his faith.

That's

what's

sending

him up

the

mountain,

the

promise.

Isaac

asks,

where is

the

lamb?

Again,

I don't

think he's

lying when

he says,

the Lord

will provide.

I can't

see the

lamb.

The word

provide is

see.

God will

see to it.

I can't

see the

lamb,

my son.

I can't

see it.

I have

no idea

how God's

going to

provide here.

I know

God has

every right

to call

in my

debt of

sin,

but he's

promised

you will

inherit

all.

I don't

know,

I don't

know how,

I don't

know when,

but I

know God

will provide

for himself

so that

you will

live.

He's

drawing on

the promise.

In

verses 9

and 10,

the narrative

slows right

down.

He builds

the altar.

He binds

Isaac.

We're not

told,

we're not

told,

did Isaac

resist or

did he obey

as well in

trust?

We're not

told.

He takes

the knife

in his

hand.

And the

Lord intervenes.

Abraham,

Abraham.

And he

said,

here I

am.

And he

said,

do not

lay your

hand on

the boy

or do

anything

to him.

For now

I know,

I know

that you

fear God,

seeing you

have not

withheld

your son,

your only

son from

me.

He

showed he

loved God,

God for

God's

sake.

He

trusted God's

promise despite

not knowing

how God

would provide.

But he

provided in a

better way than

he anticipated.

He thought,

oh well,

he can raise

Isaac from

the dead.

He provided

in an even

more wonderful

way.

A

substitute to

die in

Isaac's

place.

This is the

mountain which

became the

site for the

temple.

That would

be a

constant

reminder.

The Lord

provides for

himself the

sacrifice.

The Lord

provides.

It was

Abraham's

faith that

the Lord

would graciously

provide,

even doing

the impossible,

that empowered

him to

sacrifice without

reservation.

whatever

trials the

Lord brings

your way,

it may

feel like

your shepherd

is trying

to drown

you.

But nothing

demonstrates that

God himself is

worthy of your

trust,

God himself is

to be valued

and is more

precious than

the gifts he

gives.

Nothing

demonstrates that

God's word is

absolutely

trustworthy,

despite you have

no idea what

he is doing.

You can't see how

he will provide.

How is this doing

any good?

God,

and yet you

rejoice in

hope.

You love him

still.

You draw on

his promises.

The obedience

that comes from

faith, it

glorifies God.

It shows that

God is

trustworthy and

precious to

you.

Well, all

believers can

relate to some

degree we can

relate to the

testing of our

faith, but I

think the primary

purpose of this

passage isn't

about our

faith at all.

We see the

primary purpose

in verses 15

to 18, when

the angel

speaks, this

angel of the

Lord speaks for

a second time.

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 is on

a 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.

The only

addition to

the promises

that we see

here from

previous passages

is that your

offspring shall

possess the

gate of his

enemies.

His here is

singular.

It may be what

the Apostle Paul

saw as evidence

that the blessing

of Abraham was

promised not to

many seeds but

to one, one

seed he says

in Galatians.

He promises

victory for

God's chosen

seed.

Now certainly

that is providing

the land, the

conquest of the

land.

He will provide

victory there but

maybe that promise

gets expanded.

Psalm 2, God's

chosen one is

going to possess

the whole earth

and by the

time we get

to the New

Testament that

victory is over

spiritual enemies.

It's over every

single enemy that

goes against the

promises of God

to bless.

What we have in

these verses is

Yahweh swearing

the oath of

the covenant.

covenant.

The covenant in

chapter 15, God

promises descendants

and land but

what of the

promises to

bless the whole

earth?

It is at this

pivotal moment in

human history, of

salvation history,

that God's blessing

to the nations is

locked in.

Yahweh has

sworn.

He is sworn by

the highest

authority which

nothing can alter

himself.

Hebrews 6 says

this, so when God

desired to show more

convincingly to the

heirs of the

promise the

unchangeable character

of his purpose, he

guaranteed it with an

oath.

He's locking in on

blessing the whole

world.

Because you have

done this.

Because you have

not withheld your

son, your only son,

because you obeyed

my voice.

Now, we get

uncomfortable.

Oh, does that

mean the blessing

is dependent on our

obedience?

It's not about us.

I don't think this

passage is about us.

Remember who

Abraham is.

He's a

representative man.

He's the head of

all the people he

represents.

It's because of this

one man's obedience

that the blessing of

Yahweh will extend

far, far, far

beyond this one

man.

I think he's

like Adam,

the head of

humanity.

He was tested.

Obey me

and you will

live.

And he

disobeyed and he

plunged us all into

sin and curse.

Abraham's test was

greater.

Obey me

and you will die.

All your life

bound up with

Isaac, you will

die.

This one man's

great obedience

and the Lord

swears to bless

all the earth.

death.

So I want to come

back to that

original question.

Why does

Yahweh ask such a

troubling test of

Abraham's obedience?

The only way I

can make sense of

why Yahweh would

make this disturbing

command is if

Abraham's testing is

like the first

pencil sketch of

a great artist.

Abraham's faith is

incredible in his

own right but it

was never meant to

be just a sketch.

You can't fully

understand it as a

sketch.

The finished

painting far

surpasses it.

It's here at this

pivotal moment in

God's salvation plan

for the world where

God is binding

himself with an

oath and what are

we finding?

We're finding a

father doing the

unthinkable, not

withholding his

son.

We find a lamb

provided by heaven

as a substitute.

We find one man who

was tested, obey

me and you will

die and by his

one obedience he's

bringing blessing to

the entire world.

It's Jesus at the

cross who is the

finished painting.

He's the true and

greater Abraham, he's

the true and greater

lamb, he's the true

and greater son.

God only asked this of

Abraham because he

knew only Yahweh

himself would ever be

asked to follow

through with this.

It's not child abuse.

It's not bullying.

Abraham taking the

wood and placing it

on Isaac to carry it

up that mountain.

It's a sketch so

that when we see God's

only son carrying the

cross, we marvel.

As Abraham and Isaac

walked up together, the

Godhead is absolutely

united.

The Father did not

compel Jesus.

He wasn't an unwilling

victim.

Nor was Jesus offering

up himself, trying to

get from God, the

Father, some blessing

because God is unwilling

to forgive.

They are totally united

in this.

From the very beginning

of human history, this

was always God's plan to

restore blessing to the

entire world.

God's plan to

be able to

be able to

be able to

be able to

We all sometimes

feel like our

shepherd is trying to

drown us.

How can God be

asking this of me?

But the true child of

God also knows a

different experience.

And it's the same

faith of Abraham.

We find God worthy

of our trust.

We stop objecting.

How can you ask this

of me?

Because when we see

the God of Abraham

offering up his only

son, with no one in

heaven or on earth

ready to intervene,

to stop it, we can

look at the cross

and we go, now I

know.

Now I know you

love me.

Now I know you

love us because you

did not give, withhold

your son, your only

son, whom you love.

Will you pray with me?

Let's pray.

Father, I pray that

you would press into

each of our hearts

and minds just the

wonder of your love

for us in sending

your son.

We can't imagine how

hard it was for

Abraham to not

withhold his only

son.

Please help us to

grasp how great your

love is for us.

Nothing else, nothing

else is strong enough

to help us trust you

and obey you and

love you still when

times are tough.

Help us feel that

love.

It's not enough for

us just to think it.

Please help us feel

it so that we would

show this world and

hope that we have

that your love is

better than life.

Lord, I pray this

because I know it

glorifies you.

So in Jesus' name I

ask.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.