Genesis 22 “The Final Test of Faith”
Intro: The story of Abraham…Genesis 21=the great relief, and promise ‘through Isaac your offspring blessed’
-But the climax is Genesis 22—the Test of Abraham’s Faith
-Abraham’s trust in God is tested to an extreme degree—will He trust God? Will God provide?
-If you are a Christian, your faith too will be tested.
-Small trials…big trials….
-Is your faith genuine and sincere? Will you trust God in life’s hardest and most difficult trials?
-What does this chapter teach us about God, trials, and His provision?
1 The TEST (1-10)
-CONTEXT After these things (1)
-All of Gen 12-21. Especially though Gen 21: birth of Isaac, and clarification of offspring promise (21:12)
-THE TEST (1b-2)
-God TESTS Abraham (1)
-Not find out information, but to strengthen and reveal the actual faith of the individual.
-God tested Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4)
-TEST Specifics (2)
-God calls Abraham to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice
–NOTE: The preciousness of Isaac: “your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love”
-This would have been unbelievably difficult because of the preciousness of Isaac
–NOTE: GREAT faith required due to God’s promise: “through Isaac your offspring named” (21:12)
–Calvin: Difficulty of trial is trusting God, even when command seems to go against promise!
-Editor of Calvin’s Commentary:
“God’s usual manner of trying the faith of his people is, by causing the dispensations of his providence apparently to contradict his word, and requiring them still to rely upon that word, notwithstanding the apparent inconsistency. But in Abraham’s trial, He proposed a test far more severe. For His own command, or word, was in direct contradiction to what he had before spoken; His injunction respecting the slaying of Isaac could, by no human method of reasoning, be reconciled to his promises respecting the future destinies of Abraham’s family, of the Church, and of the world.”
-The FAITH of Abraham 3-10
-Abraham responds with immediate obedience (3)
-Preparations are made and the group departs early in the morning—w/wood
-Abraham draws near to the mountain and leaves his servants behind (4-5)
–NOTE: Abraham’s message “I and the boy will over there and worship and come again to you.”
-Was Abraham lying? Some say yes… But better answer: he believed in God’s resurrecting power!
-Hebrews 11:17-19
-Abraham’s conversation with Isaac along the way (6-8)
-Getting closer to the moment and Isaac raising the question to his dad, ‘Where is the lamb for offering?”
-Abraham’s response: God will provide! (8)
-Abraham’s faith displayed (9-10)
-The altar is built, wood laid, and Isaac bound (9)
-Abraham reaches for the knife to slaughter his son (10)
SUMMARY: God tested Abraham, and Abraham showed his faith to be genuine and sincere.
APPLICATION: God tests the faith of his people—will we trust him?
–Calvin “[Abraham] was unwilling to measure, by his own understanding, the method of fulfilling the promise, which he knew depended on
the incomprehensible power of God. It remains for every one of us to apply this example to himself.”
Examples: Forced singleness, death of loved ones, illness, financial burdens, betrayal, joblessness
-God tests our faith now: James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7
OBJECTION: Is it right for God to ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? Isn’t child sacrifice forbidden by God?
ANSWER: 1 Concede: this is a tough passage; Wenham “It is better simply to accept that at all periods an Israelite reader would regard God’s demand as extraordinary, not simply morally but theologically, for Isaac was the son on whose survival the fulfillment of all the promises depended.” 2. God always does what is right, even if we can’t understand it—He is God! 3 It was a test—God did not intend Abraham to kill Isaac. 4 It prepares us for the gospel… We will consider this.
2 The PROVISION (11-14)
-God prevents Abraham from killing Isaac (11-12a)
-God stops Abraham from going through with sacrificing Isaac.
-Abraham’s FAITH is DISPLAYED AND VINDICATED (12b)
-“now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me”
-FEAR GOD=reverent, affectionate submission to God.
-Good thing! Treating God as God
***This is what we want said of us after we endure trials and at the end of our life: “know I know that you fear God.”
–APP: Pray this in a trial—help me to fear & trust you.
-May it be said of me ‘know I know you fear God.’
-God provides a substitute sacrifice (13-14)
-God provides the ram, which is sacrificed in the place of Isaac. (13)
–NOTE: The vital concept of substitution “instead of his son.”
-Recognition: God provides! (14)
-Place is named “The LORD will provide” (Jehovah Jireh)
-Common statement at time of Moses “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided”
-Amazingly, according to 2 Chronicles 3:1, this is where God appeared to David and temple was built!
GOSPEL: On this very place, years later, God provided an even great sacrifice: John 3:16
QUESTION: Greidanus: Who would Israel have identified with more in this story: Abraham or Isaac?
-Isaac! The promised nation came through Isaac, and was spared, not slaughtered.
-God provided a sacrifice in the place of His people.
-Israel lives because God provided a sacrifice!
APPLICATION: God provides for our salvation in the gospel.
–Matt 20:28àJesus died a death in the place of his people.
–PENAL SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT
–GOSPEL: God provides the sacrifice, not us. He saves us by His grace, not we ourselves
3 The BLESSING (15-19)
-God’s Promise of Blessing Restated and Reaffirmed (15-18)
-God’s response to the faith of Abraham (16)
-God’s promise restated (17a)
-Blessing… Multiplication of offspring as stars of heaven and sand of the seashore
-Victory over enemies (17b)
-Israel was about to inherit the land
-All the nations blessed through Israel (18)
-Abraham returns to Beersheba with Isaac (19)
APPLICATION: We are experiencing the fulfillment of this promise
-If you are a Christian, you are a child of Abraham
-You have been blessed through the gospel promise
-More people are being blessed.
-If you’re not a Christian, come to Christ and experience the blessing of Abraham
CONCLUSION: God provides the sacrifice we need to be right with Him, and it is good and right to trust him in all trials.
