GOD WILL GET YOU READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL
Genesis 22:1-17
EVERY CHRISTIAN WILL BE TESTED
V:1. " It happened after these things, that God tested
Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" He said, "Here I am."
A. God designs tests to strengthen your faith for the next
level of your walk
with Him.
1. The Bible does
not tell us the age of Abraham at time of this test.
2. Some Bible
Scholars suggest that he may have been above the
age of 120.
3. You would think
at this age, his faith in God was well established and
proven.
B. This says to me that you never get to old for God to use
you.
1. This also says
to me, you never get to old for God to test you.
2. This says to me
that you never get to old to respond to God's call.
SOME TESTS WILL SEEM UNJUST
V:2. " He said, "Now take your son, your only son,
whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land
of Moriah
A. This is one of those commands that my 5 year old grandson
would say, "are
you
serious".
1. Can you imagine
been told to sacrifice the love of your life?
2. Abraham was 99
years old when Isaac was born.
3. Isaac may have
been in his late teens or early twenties when Abraham
got this
command from God.
B. Sacrificing children in worship may have been a common
practice for
those who served
idol gods.
1. As far as I
know, this was the first request by God to sacrifice a child
or man in
worship.
2. This command
certainly was different from any of God's commands
to Abraham.
OBEDIENCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
V:3. " Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled
his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split
the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which
God had told him."
A. Abraham did not hesitate to do what God told him.
1. Certainly
Abraham had a special attachment to his son.
2. Isaac was God's
promise son to fulfill His promise to Abraham
of his descendants being as numerous as the
sands on the sea shore.
B. I cannot imagine what was going through Abrahams mine as
he walked with
Isaac toward the
mountain knowing that he had to kill his son.
1. What we do know
is Abraham acted out of obedience to the Lord.
2.. He knew what
he was going to do and I am sure it was a terrible
burden.
C. We do not know the mind of God.
1. We have act on
faith and leave the outcome to God.
2. Whatever we do
for God will work to our benefit. .
A WALK OF FAITH
V:4-5. " On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes,
and saw the place far off.
5 Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the
donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you."
A. It was a three day walk to the mountain that God sent him
to find.
1. Abraham had
plenty of time to meditate on God's Word on his
trip to the
mountain.
2. We have no
indication that Abraham doubted God's
command.
3. Three is a
significant number.
a. There are
three in the Holy Trinity
b. Jesus spent
3 days in the grave.
c. This may be
a prelude to the scrifice of Christ.
d. It was Abraham
only begotten son. Jesus was the only begotten
son of the Father.
B. Notice, Abraham did not discuss what he was going to do
with the men
that was with him
or with his wife.
1. Some things that
God tells you to do have to be kept private.
2. Other people may
not understand God's plan for you or
God mission for
your life.
3. Other people
might oppose God's plan and try to persuade you to
disobey God's
command.
C. Notice Abraham did not allow the men who traveled with
him to go
up on the
mountain to witness the sacrifice of his son.
1. God spoke to
Abraham in private, so he carried God's command
in private,
2. It is a
testimony to Abrahams faith to remain calm while
doing what was
uncomfortable for him to obey God's
command.
LEANING ON GOD IN TOUGH TIMES
V:6 -8. "Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering
and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They
both went together.
7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, "My
father?" He said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Here is
the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
8 Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for
a burnt offering, my son." So they both went together."
A. Abraham walked up the mountain with his son in obedience
to God's command.
1. Abraham knew
that he and Sarah was well past the child baring age when God
gave them a
son.
2. Abraham
probably considered that if God could raise up a son from a dead womb,
He could also
raise up Isaac from the dead.
B. With Abraham's confident in his God, he calmly assured
Isaac that God would provide
a lamb for the
offering.
1. Abraham loved God
so much that he did not tell Isaac that he was the sacrifice.
2. Abraham loved God
so much that he did not tell Sarah that her son was God's
sacrifice.
3. Abraham loved God
more than his family.
4. What love one
would you die for to satisfy God's command?
C. Like Jesus, Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice.
1. Like Jesus, Isaac
walked with his executioner.
2. Like Jesus,
Isaac was innocence of any crime requiring death.
3. Like Jesus, the
father planned the execution of his son.
TRUSTING GOD TO STRENGTHEN YOU
V:9. " They came to the place which God had told him
of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his
son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood."
A. Isaac stood and watched as his father build an altar
without seeing a lamb.
1. Since the Bible
does not tells, what do you think?
2. What do you
think Abraham said to his son as he was tying him up for the altar?
3. Do you think
Isaac resisted being tied up and placed on the altar?
4. Do you think
God was in control of Isaac to make sure he didn't resist?
B. Do you think Abraham had an regrets for putting his son
on the altar?
1. What emotions
do you think Isaac had toward his father as he was laying on
the altar?
2. Do you think
Isaac thought that his father loved God more than him?
THE MOMENT YOUR FAITH IS TESTED TO THE MAX
V:10-12. " Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took
the knife to kill his son.
11 The angel of Yahweh called to him out of the sky, and
said, "Abraham, Abraham!" He said, "Here I am." 12 He said,
"Don't lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I
know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son,
from me."
A. Abraham showed that God was first in his life by
preparing to kill his son.
1. Abraham showed
that any possession he had was noting compared to
his love for
God.
2. Abraham trusted
God with the outcome of his situation.
B. God will show up
in the mist of your circumstances.
1. He will always
be on time.
2. Your
circumstances are tests to see if you trust God.
3. Just as
Abraham, was bout to kill his son, God showed up
and stopped
Him.
4. The purpose of
Abraham's test was to show God that
he trusted Him
with the life of the one he loved the most.
5. The Lord God we
serve is a jealous God and will not be second
to anyone or
anything.
6. Sometimes God
has to remind us to put Him first.
WE SERVE AN ON TIME GOD
V:13. " Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw
that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and
took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son."
A. You will know when God is at work in your life.
1. Out of nowhere
will come the solution to you problem.
2. The solution to
your problem will come from God with no help
from you.
3. Sometimes the
solution is in front of you, but God has to open your eyes
to see it.
B. The Ram was caught by it horns in the thicket.
1. By it's horns
so it could not break free.
2. By it's horns
so it would be easy for Abraham to capture it.
COMMERATING YOUR GROWTH IN THE LORD
V:14. " Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh
Will Provide . As it is said to this day, "On Yahweh's mountain, it will
be provided."
A. To commemorate God's intervention into your life, you
should give the
event a name.
1. Abraham name the
place Yahweh Will Provide.
2. How many time can
we count that God provided what we needed?
B. If God heal you, name the place in His honor.
1. If God fought
your battle, call it Yahweh Nissi
2. If God brought
peace into your life, you call it Yahweh Shalom.
3. If God has guided
you, call it Yahweh Ro'i
IN EVERYTHING, GOOD OR BAD
GIVE GOD THE PRAISE
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
For More Lessons follow me on facebook and visit my blogs
revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com
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