Well, I'm not much of a baseball player.
I know Byron is.
But from my few moments where I have had the opportunity to play,
I know that if there's one thing that you don't want,
it's for the pitcher to throw a curveball when you're up to bat.
You want that ball to just come straight across the plate
so you can just get a clean hit.
But you don't want to see what some of us have seen at the last moment
as it begins to all of a sudden change direction
and go somewhere that you didn't expect it to.
Even if you haven't played baseball, maybe you've had that moment
or experienced that before.
A ball's coming towards you or a frisbee or something,
and you think you know where it's going to go,
and then all of a sudden at the last minute,
it just totally curves and goes way off
from where you thought it would go.
Well, curveballs are not just things that we see in the fields.
Oftentimes, those kind of moments happen to us in life,
whether in the big story picture of our lives
or in the details of a given day.
Things are going well,
or at least we're at peace with the troubles in our lives,
and then seemingly out of nowhere,
something happens.
Something perhaps unexpected or unplanned for.
Something that maybe leads us to the place
where we're asking the question,
God, why?
Why this?
Why now?
God has a way of bringing curveballs into our life,
whether we like it or not.
How do we handle those situations?
What do we do in those moments?
How do we hit a home run
when a curveball comes at us?
If you have your Bible with you,
please open it to Genesis chapter 22.
This morning, we're going to be looking at a time
when Abraham had the craziest curveball,
probably that anyone has experienced,
brought his way.
Genesis chapter 22,
verse 1.
Sometime later,
God tested Abraham.
He said to him,
Abraham,
Here I am,
he replied.
Then God said,
Take your son,
your only son,
whom you love,
Isaac,
and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there
as a burnt offering
on a mountain
I will show you.
So here Abraham is,
he's,
we've been working through his story
here together as a church.
Things have been going well for him.
God has blessed him.
God has protected him.
God has turned all these things
that have gone wrong
into blessings.
It's gone well.
The promised son,
Isaac,
has been born.
And then seemingly
out of nowhere,
God gives Abraham
this command.
I want you to go
to the region of Moriah,
take your son,
whom you love,
and sacrifice him to me
there
as a burnt offering.
Why would God
ask Abraham
to do such a thing?
Why would he do that?
Even the thought of it
is deeply upsetting
to us.
Can you imagine
how Abraham
would have felt?
God,
why?
you want me
to offer
my own son
as a sacrifice?
You want me
to kill
my own son?
Why?
God gives us
only one clue
as to why
in verse 1.
It says,
sometime later,
God tested Abraham.
This was a test.
He was testing
Abraham.
But Abraham
didn't know
that it was a test.
And again,
we might wonder,
well,
why would God
do something
like this?
Something so
horrible,
asking him
to kill
his own son?
And if that's
how we think
about it
and feel about it,
then think
and feel
how much more
Abraham would have
thought and felt
that
and wrestled
and struggled
with this command
in that moment.
God acknowledges
how difficult
this is going
to be.
Do you see
how he describes
Isaac in verse 2?
He says,
your only son.
Of course,
Ishmael has been
sent away
and Isaac
is all that's left.
Not only
your only son,
but your only son
whom you love.
how could God
ask this?
We can only
imagine how
perplexed
and confused
Abraham must have
felt at this moment.
I mean,
was it not
the Lord
that told me
that
Sarah would
bear a son
and that
he was to
inherit
the promises
of this covenant
as an everlasting
covenant?
Was it not
you,
Lord,
who told me
that it is
through Isaac
that my offspring
shall be reckoned
and now you're
asking me
to do this?
That doesn't
make sense.
Abraham has
a curveball
thrown at him
from God.
How does
Abraham respond?
Verse 3.
Early the next
morning,
Abraham got up
and loaded
his donkey.
He took with him
two of his servants
and his son Isaac.
When he had cut
enough wood
for the burnt
offering,
he set out
for the place
God had told him
about.
On the third day,
Abraham looked up
and saw the place
in the distance.
He said to his
servants,
stay here
with the donkey
while I
and the boy
go over there.
We will worship
and then we
will come back
to you.
The first thing
we notice
about Abraham's
response is
just how quickly
he gets to
obeying
the Lord's command.
Did you see that
in verse 3?
The next morning,
Abraham got up
and began to make
preparations.
And not just
the next morning,
but early
the next morning.
there was no
delay
in Abraham's
obedience.
But can you
imagine how
he must have
felt
as there he
is cutting
the wood,
knowing what
the wood
is going to
be used for?
can you imagine
how he must
have been
feeling as
for two
days they
walked together,
he and his
son Isaac,
all the while
Abraham knowing
what was
coming.
Can you imagine
how what must
have been going
on in Abraham's
heart as he
finally looked up
on the third
day and saw
the place
where this was
all to happen?
But there's
this interesting
thing that
Abraham says
when it
comes to the
moment to
leave the
servants behind
and for
Abraham and
Isaac to
go up the
hill where
the sacrifice
is to be
offered,
he says
this,
he says
to the
servants,
stay here
with the
donkey while
I and the
boy go
over there.
We will
worship and
then we
will come
back to
you.
Well,
what do
you mean
Abraham?
What do
you mean
we will
come back
to you?
Why did
he say
that?
Was he
trying to
hide from
Isaac what
was about
to happen?
Was this
kind of a
lie?
Or did
Abraham
expect or
hope that
somehow this
wasn't going
to happen?
God wasn't
going to
have him
kill his
own son.
Abraham
and Isaac
continue
on.
Verse 6,
Abraham took
the wood for
the burnt
offering and
placed it on
his son
Isaac and
he himself
carried the
fire and
the knife.
As the two
of them went
on together,
Isaac spoke
up and
said to
his father
Abraham,
Father,
yes,
my son,
Abraham
replied,
the fire
and the
wood are
here,
Isaac said,
but where's
the lamb
for the
burnt
offering?
This must
have been a
heart-wrenching
moment for
Abraham.
Dad,
the fire
and the
wood are
here,
where's the
lamb for
the sacrifice?
Can you
imagine that
moment?
Think of
those of you
who have
kids,
think if
you were
in that
situation
and it
was your
own
child
who
looked at
you and
said,
Dad,
where's the
lamb?
What would
you say?
This is what
Abraham said.
Abraham
answered,
God
himself will
provide the
lamb for
the sacrifice,
my son.
Again,
we're
wondering,
just what
did he
mean by
that?
One
commentator
said,
you know,
what is
this?
Is this a
masterpiece of
pious evasion?
doesn't seem
to really be
answering the
question.
Or is this
a statement
of faith?
God's going
to look
after it.
He's going
to take
care of
it.
He's going
to provide
the lamb.
Thankfully,
we know
the answer.
In the
inspired
commentary
of the
author of
Hebrews,
thousands
of years
later,
the author
of Hebrews
tells us
that this
was a
moment in
which Abraham
displayed
great faith
in God.
This was
a statement
of faith.
God
himself
will provide
the lamb
for the
sacrifice,
my son.
That word
provide is
literally
see.
God will
see.
One
commentator
I think
captures it
really well.
God will
see to
it
the lamb
for the
sacrifice.
my son.
Does
Abraham
know how
this is
going to
work out?
I don't
think so.
And yet
he expresses
his trust
in the
Lord.
God's
going to
look after
it,
my son.
He's
going to
take care
of it.
He will
provide.
verse 9.
When they
reached the
place God
had told
him about
it,
Abraham
built an
altar
there,
and he
arranged
the wood
on it,
and he
bound his
son Isaac,
and he
laid him
on the
altar
on top
of the
wood.
Then he
reached out
his hand
and took
the knife
to slay
his son.
But the
angel of
the Lord
called out
to him
from heaven,
Abraham,
here I
am,
he replied.
Do not
lay a
hand on
the boy,
he said.
Do not
do anything
to him.
Now I
know that
you fear
God,
because you
have not
withheld
from me
your son,
your only
son.
What a
moment this
must have
been for
Abraham,
even the
way it's
written here
in the
original
language,
gives us
the sense
that he's
going through
the processes
of preparing
the sacrifice.
He builds
the altar,
he gets
the wood
onto it,
and all
along the
way we're
hoping and
we're expecting
with Abraham
that God's
going to
intervene and
say,
actually,
no,
you don't
have to
do this.
He gets
to that
moment where
he has to
tie up
his own
son.
And we
don't
really
know how
Isaac was
feeling in
this moment.
We can
only imagine.
We assume
that he
allowed himself
to be tied,
that he
submitted to
his father's
will,
and that he
trusted his
father with
this,
allowing himself
to be bound
and put up
on the altar.
We don't know.
Did he question
his father's love
in that moment?
We don't
know.
But it's
not until
the last
moment when
Abraham has
made the
decision to
obey God
that God
intervenes and
speaks to him
from heaven.
He tells him
twice,
don't do
anything to
him.
Don't lay a
hand on
him.
Despite the
command that
Abraham had
been given,
the Lord's
will all
along was
not that
he would
harm his
son Isaac
or do
anything to
him.
This was a
test.
And the
results were
in.
Abraham passed
the test with
flying colors,
and the results
were this.
The Lord says,
now I know
that you
fear God
because you
have not
withheld from
me.
your son,
your only
son.
Let's not
trip over
those words,
now I
know.
It's not as
though God
didn't know
what Abraham
would do.
We might
wonder,
well, why
did he test
him anyway?
If God
knows everything,
if he knew
what Abraham
would do,
why did he
test him in
the first
place?
God
values
real
experiential
relationship
kind of
knowledge.
Think of it
in terms of a
natural disaster.
It's one thing to
know that a
natural disaster
is coming.
It's another
thing to go
through it and
to know
personally the
devastation that
it causes.
I think
that's the
way that
we're meant
to read
this.
When the
Lord says,
now I
know,
it's not
that he
didn't know
before.
It's that
now it's
confirmed in
reality,
in experience,
in relationship,
that you
fear God.
That you
fear God.
The fear of
God is a
rich and
meaningful
phrase that
is found
throughout the
whole Bible.
but it's
more than
just an
afraidness of
God,
being afraid
of him.
It has to
do with a
deep reverence
for God,
a regard for
him that
controls the
way that we
live,
the way that
we relate
to him.
At its
core,
it means
taking God
seriously for
who he is
and for
what he has
said.
and it's
not
portrayed in
scripture as
a negative
thing to
fear God.
Rather,
it's portrayed
as a good
thing, a
positive thing,
a thing that's
right, that's
proper.
That's what
this test was
all about.
This word from
the Lord is
really a
commendation.
He's commending
Abraham.
The results of
the test are in
and you
have a
proper fear,
a good and
right fear of
me as you
should.
And the
evidence of
that is that
you have
obeyed my
command.
And not just
any command,
but a hard
command.
You have not
withheld from
me your son.
Do you notice
the link there
between fear
of God and
obedience?
genuine fear
of God.
If we have
that, the
evidence will
be that we
obey him,
that we take
his word
seriously.
As it
pertains to
faith, that's
really what we've
been looking at
in this series.
Fear of God
and faith in
God are really
two sides of
the same coin.
At the end
of the day,
they both
have at
their core
taking God
seriously for
who he is
and what he
has said.
And if we
look back
through this
story leading
up to this
moment where
he goes to
sacrifice Isaac,
it's not
afraidness,
afraidness that
we've seen,
it's faith.
It's trust.
We will
come back to
you.
God will
provide the
lamb required
for the
sacrifice.
And that's
exactly what
happened in a
very tangible
way.
Abraham looked
up and there
in a thicket,
he saw a
ram, a male
sheep caught
by its horns.
He went
over and
took the
ram and
sacrificed it
as a burnt
offering instead
of his son.
So Abraham
called that
place, the
Lord will
provide.
And to
this day,
it is said,
on the
mountain of
the Lord,
it will be
provided.
God then
confirms and
goes on to
express again
and expand
upon even the
promises that
he has made.
Because you
have done
this, you
have this
fear of me,
this faith in
me, and
have obeyed
me like
this, I
will surely
do everything
that I've
promised and
a little bit
more.
Abraham
then returns
to his
servants with
Isaac and
they set
off together
for
Beersheba.
Let's
take a
moment to
consider the
inspired
commentary on
this story
from Hebrews.
Hebrews
chapter 11
verse 17.
This is
what the
Lord had
to say
about that
moment long
ago.
By faith,
Abraham,
when God
tested him,
offered Isaac
as a
sacrifice.
He who
had embraced
the promises
was about to
sacrifice his
one and
only son,
even though
God had
said to
him,
it is through
Isaac that
your offspring
will be
reckoned.
Now watch
this.
Abraham
reasoned that
God could
even raise
the dead.
And so in
a manner of
speaking,
he did
receive Isaac
back from
death.
Do you hear
what the
Lord is
saying there?
Abraham
had amazing
faith in
this moment.
He knew
that he
must obey
and offer
the sacrifice
and he
also
believed with
all his
heart that
God would
keep the
promises made
concerning
Isaac.
He believed
both and so
that leaves only
two possibilities,
doesn't it?
The one
possibility is
that God
will stop
me before
I kill
Isaac on
the altar.
and the
other possibility
is that if
God actually
expects me to
kill my
son,
he's going
to raise
him back to
life from
the dead
because he
will keep
his promise
and the
promise was
made to
Isaac and
his descendants.
Isn't
that amazing?
Abraham
believed God
for a
miracle.
Do you
realize the
position that
he was put
in?
He was
asked to
do something
and if he
succeeded in
doing it,
it would
cause the
promise to
fail.
The promise
was made
that Isaac
would inherit
the land and
his descendants
would be this
great numerous
offspring.
If Abraham
kills Isaac,
the promise
fails,
doesn't it?
God put him
in that
position on
purpose where
he had this
conundrum and
Abraham passed
the test with
flying colors.
He believed
both that God
would keep his
promise 100%
about Isaac
and that God
would provide
the lamb that
was needed for
the sacrifice
that was required
for his sins.
What an
amazing moment.
What an
amazing example.
I love this
story.
I love this
story most
of all because
of all the
parallels, the
rich parallels
that it has to
the gospel, to
the story of
Jesus.
Some people
here see a
whole bunch of
coincidences and
I used to be
one of those
people.
people
know what
I'm not
anymore.
I do believe
that Moses
did not know
what all of
these parallels
would be as
he wrote this
story down under
the inspiration
of the Spirit.
But I believe
that God knew
that these
parallels were
here and not
just knew but
that it was
intentional.
Think about
the story of
Jesus for a
moment as I
recount just a
few of the
details of
this story.
A promised
son must be
sacrificed and
not just any
son but an
only son, a
son deeply
loved by his
father.
And this
sacrifice will
be the ultimate
test of his
father's character.
This son was
made to carry
the wood up
the hill.
to his death.
The son
doesn't resist
or protest
but submits
to his
father in
trusting silence.
The father
is willing
to do
what is
required,
even if it
means he
must offer
his own
son as a
sacrifice.
from the
perspective of
Isaac,
whether we
understand it
or not,
God has
required our
death because
of sin.
Yet at just
the right
moment, God
intervenes to
provide an
acceptable
substitute so
that we can
go free and
unharmed.
the lesson
that we see
here is that
God will
provide the
lamb needed
for the
sacrifice that
God has
required for
sins.
And we
are even
pointed to
the reality
that was
going on in
Abraham's
heart,
that if the
son should
die,
we should
trust that
God can
raise him
from the
dead.
God,
are all
these
parallels
coincidence?
I don't
think so.
This is not
the only
place where
God does
this thing.
He does it
all throughout
the Old
Testament.
He tells
what is yet
to come
long before
it happens.
Not
necessarily
always with
words,
but sometimes
with the
events of
history
themselves.
I see
it as
God's
signature
authenticating
that this
story is
his.
And this
is where
we see
for the
first time
the beginning
to the
answer of
this great
question.
We came
up to this
question earlier.
Abraham is a
sinner.
He's blown
it.
We've watched
it.
And yet
God is
counting him
righteous,
treating him
as though he
is not a
sinner.
How can he
do that
and be
just?
It's here
that Abraham
is being
led to that
place where
he embraces
that God
will provide
the lamb
required,
the sacrifice
required for
his sins.
if we
miss these
parallels,
we miss
the good
news.
We miss
the gospel
that's here
for us.
Finally,
what do we
learn about
faith from
this story?
That's kind
of what we've
been focusing
on in this
series,
faith.
There is so
much that we
could pull
out of this
passage,
but I want
to just take
one specific
angle,
and I'm
indebted to
Dale Ralph
Davis and
his sermon,
or I don't
know if it's
a sermon,
it was put
into a book,
but he had
a chapter
on this in
his book
and kind of
helped me to
see this
angle.
So some of
what I'm
going to say
is borrowed
from him.
What do we
learn about
faith from
Abraham?
Well,
first of all,
our situation
is not the
same as his.
God spoke
with an audible
voice to him
and required
this of him.
That's not
the situation
that we find
ourselves in
today.
But perhaps
we do find
ourselves in
an Abraham-like
situation,
a situation
where God
has brought
something into
our life
or allowed
something to
happen
that we don't
understand,
a situation
where perhaps
we're asking
the question
like Abraham
did.
Why God?
Why this?
Why now?
Perhaps a
situation in
which we look
at the promises
that we've been
given in the
word of God
and we look
at our
situation,
we wonder
how can
these be
true?
You said,
Lord,
that you are
our refuge
and strength,
a very present
help in
times of
trouble and
yet look
at the
mess of
my life.
Where are
you?
Times when
we are
wondering
about God
himself.
what we
thought we
knew about
him
doesn't
seem to
be holding
true.
We can't
make heads
or tails
of what
God is
doing in
this
situation.
Deep down
in our
hearts,
maybe we
even feel
like we
have a
problem
with his
ways.
how do
we handle
those kinds
of
situations?
I believe
that God's
given us
Abraham's
story as
an example
and very
simply that
as Abraham
did,
we should
trust him
completely
and obey
and do
what he's
asked us
to do.
he's
given us
something
very
specific,
two things
really in
this passage
to trust
in.
First of
all,
trust his
promises.
Even if
they don't
seem to
be holding
true in
that moment,
God will
keep his
promises no
matter what.
Abraham
believed that
God could
do a
miracle and
raise his
son from
the dead
if he had
to,
but that
he would
do whatever
it took
to keep
his
promises.
Trust that
God will
keep his
promises.
He always
does.
He always
will.
And second,
trust that
God will
provide.
Isn't that
the main
lesson of
this story?
That's what
Abraham came
to express
before the
sacrifice.
God will
provide the
lamb for
the sacrifice,
my son.
And that's
what Abraham
expressed
after as
he named
that mountain,
that region,
the Lord
will provide.
Perhaps
you're going
through one
of those
kinds of
situations
right now
in your
life.
If so,
I want
to say
to you
with Abraham,
lift your
head and
look to
the Lord.
He will
look after
it.
He will
provide.
He will
see to
it what
is required
in this
situation.
You can
count on
him for
that.
And if
there's any
doubt about
whether this
is just for
Abraham or
if this is for
us too,
the Lord has
said these
similar words
again
through the
apostle Paul
in his
letter to
the church
at Rome,
what did
he say?
He said,
and we
know
that God
causes all
things to
work together
for the good
of those who
love him,
who have been
called according
to his
purpose.
how can
we be
sure that
that's for
us,
that God
will really
treat us
like that?
Listen,
he who
did not
spare his
own son,
but gave
him up for
us all,
how will
he not
also along
with him
graciously
give us
all things,
all things
that we
need,
all things
that are
good for
us.
He's
already
given us
the ultimate
and that's
the evidence,
that's the
proof that
he will
look after
us and
take care
of us,
even in
those situations
where we
have no
idea how
it's going
to happen.
Nothing
can separate
us from
his love.
And as
Abraham learned
that day,
not even
my own
sin,
the sacrifice
that was
required was
far costlier
than he
expected.
But he
learned that
day that
God will
provide the
lamb that's
required.
God will
look after
it.
God will
look after
you and
me.
Let's
pray.
Okay.
God will
pray.
God will
pray.
God will
pray.
God will
pray.
Father in
heaven,
thank you
so much
for these
words.
They come
at a
needed time
for many
of us.
It's
hard to
trust you
when what
we see
happening
in our
lives,
in the
lives of
friends and
family,
is so
opposite to
what we
expected.
strengthen our
faith in
you,
Lord.
Teach us
to live
as Abraham
did, to
walk by
faith and
not by
sight, so
that you
might receive
all the
glory.
In
Christ's
name,
amen.