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.
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
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
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.
Thank you.