Overcome By Obedience Series

Overcome By Obedience

Genesis 21:1-3; Genesis 22:1-14

Introduction

A truly amazing story in the OT is the promise that God made to Abram and Sarai that involved them having a son. Sarai unable to have children. The Promise was unexpected! As time went by, both of them passed the age of childbearing and there was a lot of mystery around God’s promise.

Read Genesis 21:1-7

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

If that is an amazing story, the developments of chapter 22 are stunning.

Genesis 22:1-2 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 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.”

This is, to me, one of the most difficult stories of the Bible to read … and surely it was difficult on Abraham and Sarah. They had waited on God’s promise for so many years. Isaac was clearly the answer to God’s promise for an heir. God does not accept human sacrifice. They loved Isaac and this was an impossible request. Almost.

What happened after God’s request in verse 2? Intense doubt? Argument with Sara? Find another way? Acceptance and decision of faith. Abraham expresses his faith that he and Isaac will go to worship and sacrifice and both will come home. (5) On the way Isaac asks … “Where is the lamb for a burnt offering” - this must have cut Abraham to the heart. Abraham’s answer: God will provide.

Genesis 22:9-14

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! 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.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 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.”

Faith allowed Abraham to Overcome by obedience.

1. Obedience Tests Our Faith

It is one thing to say we are disciples of Jesus and another thing for our life to demonstrate such. Wiersbe: “At the age of 75, Abraham enrolled in the ‘School of Faith.’ Now he was over 100, and he was still having soul-stretching experiences. We are never too old to face new challenges, fight new battles, and learn new truths.”

We all face tests of faith - though not as challenging as Abraham’s! Looking back we can see the difficult paths we have had to walk. Perhaps some of those were tests to make us stronger.

James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

2. Obedience Springs From Faith in His Promises

From the time Abram answered the call from God, he lived by faith in the promises God made to him. Both at the calling in Genesis 12 and in this episode in Genesis 22, God called Abraham to go to a place he would show him.