Genesis (Part 25)
Bible Study Time 12-7-08
(From James Roberts 2-9-97)
Bible Study Time 12-7-08
(From James Roberts 2-9-97)
In our Journey Through the Scripture, we have been looking at Abraham as the man of faith. In the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, we see three instances recorded that illustrate Abraham's life of faith.
The first was when the God of glory appeared to Abraham in UR of the Chaldeans and gave him great promises. God promised Abraham that a great nation would come from him and that in him all nations of the earth would be blessed. God said that He was going to make Abraham’s name great.
God told Abraham to leave UR of the Chaldeans and go to a land that He would show Abraham, and we find in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, that Abraham went out, not knowing where he was going. This illustrates the truth found in the book of II Corinthians which says that believers are to walk by faith, not by sight. Accordingly, Abraham went out as the Lord directed him, not knowing where he was going.
The second incident occurred when God appeared to Abraham and gave to him and Sarah the promise of a son. Abraham looked at his own body, and he said, I'm too old to have another son, oh, that Ishmael might live before You. Ishmael, of course, was Abraham’s son by Hagar, the bondwoman.
God said, no, it's not going to be through Ishmael, it's going to be through another son, a son by Sarah; you will call his name Isaac, and in Isaac your seed will be called.
The book of Romans, Chapter 4, tells us that Abraham believed God. He did not consider his own body to be dead, as far as begetting children, but he was strong in faith, not wavering at the promise of God. He believed that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
That reminds us also of Mary when the angel came to her and explained to her that she was going to give birth to the Messiah. She was told that she was going to have a son and that His name would be called Jesus because He would save his people from their sins.
Mary asked, how can this be since I do not even know a man? After all, she was unmarried, and she was a virgin, so how could she have a son?
The angel explained to her that with men there are a lot of things that are impossible, but with God, nothing is impossible. Then the angel explained to her how the Holy Spirit would come upon her and create within her body, the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. He told to her that he son would be the Son of God who would live among men and then go to the cross where He would die for the sins of all men. In this way, He would literally save His people from their sins.
Mary knew that this son that was promised to her was to be the Messiah; the long awaited Messiah was going to be born of her. She immediately began to break forth in a song of praise to God. She praised God for His great grace that He had bestowed upon her, an unworthy handmaiden whom God had chosen to bring forth the promised Messiah.
It was with this same kind of faith that Abraham believed God, and as a result, God counted it to him for righteousness.
The third incident in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, refers back to the book of Genesis, Chapter 22, and I want us to notice this test that God gave to Abraham after Isaac was born. Isaac had been born as a child and had grown to a young lad, but in this account, God puts Abraham to the test.
I have heard people even refer to this event as the first child abuse that is recorded. It’s a story, they say, that tells about child abuse. Oh my, they fail to see the wonderful truth of this account in Genesis, Chapter 22. What we see here is the extent of Abraham’s love for Isaac. It seems as though Abraham's life was just wrapped up in Isaac, and so God says, I’ll give you a test to see if you love me more than you love Isaac.
We find this account in Genesis, Chapter 22, and let’s begin reading in verse one:
Genesis 22:1-2 NKJV
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And (Abraham) said, "Here I am."
2 Then (God) said, "Take now 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."
Notice God’s estimation of Abraham's feeling for Isaac. He said, Abraham, take your son, Isaac, whom you my love. This is not a case of child abuse. This is the case of a man who loved his child, but he also loved God and believed God. Abraham believed that the One who gave him Isaac was also able to protect Isaac.
When God said, Abraham, you take Isaac and offer him up as a burnt offering unto me, that’s when Abraham reckoned on the character of God and the promise of God. Now verse 3:
Genesis 22:3 NKJV
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
Here we see another description of faith. Without hesitation, Abraham moved out quickly on the promise of God. God told Abraham to take Isaac and offer him up as a burnt offering, and so Abraham rose up early in the morning to do as he was told.
I tell you, if it had been me, I probably would have put it off just as long as I could have, but without hesitation Abraham rose up early in the morning and took Isaac and two young men with him to do what God told him to do.
This is a description of faith. Why? Why would I say that this is a description faith? Because you see, God had told Abraham that his seed would be called in Isaac. This meant that Isaac would have to have children. At this point, Isaac was not even married, so he had no children, and how could God’s promise be fulfilled if Isaac were to die?
Well, Abraham believed God. He must have thought:
God, you told me that I was going to have a son and that I was to call his name Isaac. You told me that my seed would be called in Isaac. You said that it would be through Isaac that I would have children and that a great nation would come through Isaac, and that many people would be blessed because of that promise which was given through Isaac. So I don't know how you’re going to perform it, but I believe that you're going to perform your promise. I believe that it is going to be through Isaac that my seed will be called, and that means that in some way, Isaac is going to have to live.
Now, I want to just throw something out to you. In the book of Romans, Chapter 4, we get an indication that Isaac’s birth required a resurrection, as it were, in a typical form. In a sense, Abraham and Sarah had to be resurrected in order for them to have a son. They were dead as far as begetting children was concerned. So they had to be given new life from God in order for them to have Isaac.
Now, undoubtedly, Abraham realized that this same God who gave him new life and in a sense raised him from the dead was also able to give new life to Isaac if Isaac were to die.
Now notice, as we go on further in the book of Genesis, Chapter 22:
Genesis 22:4-5 NKJV
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."
Here again is the language of faith because Abraham was fully expecting to come back down from that mountain with Isaac. He did not anticipate leaving Isaac up there on that altar as a burnt offering. Abraham believed that God was going to do something that would enable Him to carry out His promises. So Abraham said, we are going to go yonder and worship, and then we will come again to you.
Now notice in verse six:
Genesis 22:6-8 NKJV
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.
7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
8 And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.
Here again we see Abraham's faith. He was anticipating that God would provide a lamb. The fact that they went on together is a picture of fellowship. They were one in faith as they went up that mountain to worship.
Genesis 22:9-14 NKJV
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."
12 And He said,"Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided."
Now I want you to notice that Abraham believed that God would provide a lamb for the offering, and God did exactly that. Next week we’re going to look in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, where we will see Abraham’s faith in this situation from God's viewpoint.
But the thing I want you to see this morning is that Abraham believed God. He believed that what God had said, God was able also to perform. It went against all of Abraham’s natural reasoning. How Abraham loved Isaac! His life was wrapped up in Isaac. But Abraham knew that God had a higher purpose, and he was willing to put his trust in the character of God and in the word of God.
I wonder today, as we close the broadcast, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Have you thrown your life, as it were, upon the word of God and believed that Christ died for your sins? Have you believed that Christ was buried and that He rose again, completely trusting your life, as Abraham did, to the word of God? Have you been willing to believe that what God has promised He is able also to perform?
God will give you new life, eternal life, if you will trust His Son as your Savior. And then He will protect you, he'll watch over you, and He will direct you even through the hard places of life.
Well, I see our time is gone. The Lord willing we will take up again next week on our Journey Through the Scripture as we will consider Abraham's faith once again. Until that time, we bid you goodbye.
Church links:
The first was when the God of glory appeared to Abraham in UR of the Chaldeans and gave him great promises. God promised Abraham that a great nation would come from him and that in him all nations of the earth would be blessed. God said that He was going to make Abraham’s name great.
God told Abraham to leave UR of the Chaldeans and go to a land that He would show Abraham, and we find in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, that Abraham went out, not knowing where he was going. This illustrates the truth found in the book of II Corinthians which says that believers are to walk by faith, not by sight. Accordingly, Abraham went out as the Lord directed him, not knowing where he was going.
The second incident occurred when God appeared to Abraham and gave to him and Sarah the promise of a son. Abraham looked at his own body, and he said, I'm too old to have another son, oh, that Ishmael might live before You. Ishmael, of course, was Abraham’s son by Hagar, the bondwoman.
God said, no, it's not going to be through Ishmael, it's going to be through another son, a son by Sarah; you will call his name Isaac, and in Isaac your seed will be called.
The book of Romans, Chapter 4, tells us that Abraham believed God. He did not consider his own body to be dead, as far as begetting children, but he was strong in faith, not wavering at the promise of God. He believed that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
That reminds us also of Mary when the angel came to her and explained to her that she was going to give birth to the Messiah. She was told that she was going to have a son and that His name would be called Jesus because He would save his people from their sins.
Mary asked, how can this be since I do not even know a man? After all, she was unmarried, and she was a virgin, so how could she have a son?
The angel explained to her that with men there are a lot of things that are impossible, but with God, nothing is impossible. Then the angel explained to her how the Holy Spirit would come upon her and create within her body, the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. He told to her that he son would be the Son of God who would live among men and then go to the cross where He would die for the sins of all men. In this way, He would literally save His people from their sins.
Mary knew that this son that was promised to her was to be the Messiah; the long awaited Messiah was going to be born of her. She immediately began to break forth in a song of praise to God. She praised God for His great grace that He had bestowed upon her, an unworthy handmaiden whom God had chosen to bring forth the promised Messiah.
It was with this same kind of faith that Abraham believed God, and as a result, God counted it to him for righteousness.
The third incident in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, refers back to the book of Genesis, Chapter 22, and I want us to notice this test that God gave to Abraham after Isaac was born. Isaac had been born as a child and had grown to a young lad, but in this account, God puts Abraham to the test.
I have heard people even refer to this event as the first child abuse that is recorded. It’s a story, they say, that tells about child abuse. Oh my, they fail to see the wonderful truth of this account in Genesis, Chapter 22. What we see here is the extent of Abraham’s love for Isaac. It seems as though Abraham's life was just wrapped up in Isaac, and so God says, I’ll give you a test to see if you love me more than you love Isaac.
We find this account in Genesis, Chapter 22, and let’s begin reading in verse one:
Genesis 22:1-2 NKJV
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And (Abraham) said, "Here I am."
2 Then (God) said, "Take now 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."
Notice God’s estimation of Abraham's feeling for Isaac. He said, Abraham, take your son, Isaac, whom you my love. This is not a case of child abuse. This is the case of a man who loved his child, but he also loved God and believed God. Abraham believed that the One who gave him Isaac was also able to protect Isaac.
When God said, Abraham, you take Isaac and offer him up as a burnt offering unto me, that’s when Abraham reckoned on the character of God and the promise of God. Now verse 3:
Genesis 22:3 NKJV
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
Here we see another description of faith. Without hesitation, Abraham moved out quickly on the promise of God. God told Abraham to take Isaac and offer him up as a burnt offering, and so Abraham rose up early in the morning to do as he was told.
I tell you, if it had been me, I probably would have put it off just as long as I could have, but without hesitation Abraham rose up early in the morning and took Isaac and two young men with him to do what God told him to do.
This is a description of faith. Why? Why would I say that this is a description faith? Because you see, God had told Abraham that his seed would be called in Isaac. This meant that Isaac would have to have children. At this point, Isaac was not even married, so he had no children, and how could God’s promise be fulfilled if Isaac were to die?
Well, Abraham believed God. He must have thought:
God, you told me that I was going to have a son and that I was to call his name Isaac. You told me that my seed would be called in Isaac. You said that it would be through Isaac that I would have children and that a great nation would come through Isaac, and that many people would be blessed because of that promise which was given through Isaac. So I don't know how you’re going to perform it, but I believe that you're going to perform your promise. I believe that it is going to be through Isaac that my seed will be called, and that means that in some way, Isaac is going to have to live.
Now, I want to just throw something out to you. In the book of Romans, Chapter 4, we get an indication that Isaac’s birth required a resurrection, as it were, in a typical form. In a sense, Abraham and Sarah had to be resurrected in order for them to have a son. They were dead as far as begetting children was concerned. So they had to be given new life from God in order for them to have Isaac.
Now, undoubtedly, Abraham realized that this same God who gave him new life and in a sense raised him from the dead was also able to give new life to Isaac if Isaac were to die.
Now notice, as we go on further in the book of Genesis, Chapter 22:
Genesis 22:4-5 NKJV
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."
Here again is the language of faith because Abraham was fully expecting to come back down from that mountain with Isaac. He did not anticipate leaving Isaac up there on that altar as a burnt offering. Abraham believed that God was going to do something that would enable Him to carry out His promises. So Abraham said, we are going to go yonder and worship, and then we will come again to you.
Now notice in verse six:
Genesis 22:6-8 NKJV
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.
7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
8 And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.
Here again we see Abraham's faith. He was anticipating that God would provide a lamb. The fact that they went on together is a picture of fellowship. They were one in faith as they went up that mountain to worship.
Genesis 22:9-14 NKJV
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."
12 And He said,"Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided."
Now I want you to notice that Abraham believed that God would provide a lamb for the offering, and God did exactly that. Next week we’re going to look in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, where we will see Abraham’s faith in this situation from God's viewpoint.
But the thing I want you to see this morning is that Abraham believed God. He believed that what God had said, God was able also to perform. It went against all of Abraham’s natural reasoning. How Abraham loved Isaac! His life was wrapped up in Isaac. But Abraham knew that God had a higher purpose, and he was willing to put his trust in the character of God and in the word of God.
I wonder today, as we close the broadcast, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Have you thrown your life, as it were, upon the word of God and believed that Christ died for your sins? Have you believed that Christ was buried and that He rose again, completely trusting your life, as Abraham did, to the word of God? Have you been willing to believe that what God has promised He is able also to perform?
God will give you new life, eternal life, if you will trust His Son as your Savior. And then He will protect you, he'll watch over you, and He will direct you even through the hard places of life.
Well, I see our time is gone. The Lord willing we will take up again next week on our Journey Through the Scripture as we will consider Abraham's faith once again. Until that time, we bid you goodbye.
Church links:
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