God Always Provides Series

We are continuing with our Genesis “From Dust to Life” series. Throughout this book so far, we have seen God bring life to people who were in impossible situations, some brought on by their own bad decisions or because of the bad decisions of others. Time and time again because of God’s unfathomable love and mercy, He brings something from nothing, life from death, beauty from ashes. That is who our God is.

Last time, we saw how God visited Sarah and Abraham and after 25 years, finally gave them the promised child. Today we will see how God comes to Abraham again and asks the unimaginable.

Genesis 22:1-14

1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 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.” 3 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. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 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.” 6 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. 7 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 for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 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. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 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.” 13 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. 14 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.”

We can perhaps see three things in this passage:

1. The Test

2. The Moment of Truth

3. The Truth about God

1. The Test

The author lets us know that this was a test from God, specifically for Abraham though Abraham had no idea at the time. When God called Abraham, he responded, “Here I am” which is translated from the Hebrew: “behold me.” Abraham was saying, “I am all yours.” He was so ready to hear from and receive from God. And what does God tell him? Take your only son - the word “Take” is na and it’s only used 5 times in the OT when God was asking the individual to do something staggering, something that defies rational explanation or understanding (Isa 7:3; Gen 13:14, 15:5, 22:2; Ex 11:2). God is fully aware of the magnitude of this test for Abraham and is asking him to trust Him even when he has no idea of the outcome. God knows what His test will accomplish or reveal about Abraham’s character and, more importantly, what this test will reveal about the character and nature of God.

God knows the tests that will cause our faith to mature, and often they are quite personal. Warren Wiersbe said: “Trials are meant to develop us not destroy us.” So God tells Abraham in v. 2, “Take your only son” - the one who has given you years of joy and laughter. His son Isaac was the hope of the family because he would receive the inheritance and carry on the family name and faith to the next generations.