A Father's Love

A Father’s Love

Genesis 22:1-18

Introduction

Today is Father’s Day.

It is the day that we reserve once a year, to remember our Dad’s and what they have done for us.

This morning, I want to take a look at a Biblical father who has really spoken to my heart this past year. He is a man with impeccable faithfulness to serve God in all things, even to the point of sacrificing his own child.

God is looking for men like this today.

He is seeking men that he can count on who will know that God provides for them, even in the midst of the bad stuff. It is because of this provision – because God’s love is so unending – that we can have faith to believe in everything the Father says as truth, and because it is truth we can be strengthened.

Pray

Point 1 - God is seeking obedience in fathers today

In the first part of this story we see that once again God has called out to Abraham.

Read Verse 1-2

He calls out to him because He knows him, he knows his very soul, his very being – and God knows that Abraham will hear His voice because together they have fellowship. It is because Abraham spends time with God, that God knows He will hear his voice.

John 10:27 Jesus says “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” – this is the same principle!

God instructs Abraham to take his son, the one that he loves – his only son, and sacrifice him to the Lord’s glory. I am sure that Abraham had some doubt in his mind – somewhere the human flesh had to cry out that this was not right!

Remember there was a promise for God to grant Abraham and Sarah a son, and that Sarah laughed at that thought and so God made them wait 10 more years. Abraham has already disobeyed God and had an affair with Hagar and had a son named Ishmael, but here is the son that God promised to them and he is being asked to kill him.

I wonder what Abraham thought. Did he think to himself …

Surely God must be kidding – could he really ask me to do that?

Perhaps God is just testing me – but I am not really expected to act, right?

If God is serious about this, then he must be talking to some else, right?

How about you? When have you thought these things? Have you ever heard from the Lord and questioned His motives that perhaps they were not really meant for you? The Word does not talk about Abraham’s thoughts here, but I wonder as a man, if he had them?

Point 2 - God is testing faithfulness today

Read Verse 3-6

Rather than spending time questioning God, Abraham obeys and begins to make preparations for the trip. Without hesitation, without a committee vote, without even praying about what he needs to do after hearing God’s voice – he simply obeys.

Today, more than ever, God is seeking men to hear and obey!

Notice here that Abraham shows no delay – he simply responds to God’s calling. However, as a father, I wonder if he was having second thoughts? I wonder how God worked on his heart to simply obey – or what their relationship was at the time that God knew Abraham would simply react to the instructions?

Abraham packs up his son, gathers the servants, and together they set out on a three day journey to the specified location. I believe that God made it a three day journey to give Abraham even more of a chance to not obey – to test him even further!

We see a perfect example of God testing the will of His servant – but not more of a test than Abraham could handle!

Think about it – let’s say this was you and you were going to obey. Would a three day trip not give you time to pause and re-think your actions? Have you ever wanted to react to something immediately and after thinking about it you change your mind?

Could God be showing us here that even though time passes, the commitment ought to be the same to do God’s will? After the three day trip, Abraham asks his servants to wait, gathers up firewood, and proceeds with Isaac alone.

While traveling, it shows they talked to one another –

Read Verse 7

Now, imagine this for a minute! You are taking your son to his death – isn’t it odd that children always seem to have a sixth sense to ask the right question at just the right time?

Isaac is asking his father … where’s the ram? Surely, this is because they have gone and worshipped before, and Isaac knows that a sacrifice should be made and without it – there can be no sacrifice.