Faithful Fathers

Abraham, a picture of a Father, Genesis 22

Eric A. Snyder, Farwell Church of Christ,

June 16, 2002

Three boys were bragging about their fathers.

The first one said, "My father runs so fast he can fire an arrow, start running, and get there before the arrow!"

The second one said, "That’s nothing! My father can shoot a gun, start running, and get there before the bullet!"

The third boy just smiled. "That’s nothing. My father gets off work at 5 and is home before 4!"

When God created the family unit He did it perfectly. The bible says that when a husband and wife come together in marriage they fill in the gaps of the other partner. My small group just finished a personality assessment and spiritual gift analysis.

I have taken a lot of these but this is the first time I have been in a group with my wife. We found it very interesting that our personalities are very much the opposite of each other and our gifts are almost the exact opposite of each other.

But it does not stop there we have also noticed that we have different roles in our marriage. For example she nurtures our child and I watch TV. She does the housework and I make it all messy. She picks up the clothes and I throw them on the floor.

Now those last 3 lines were a joke but I don’t want anyone verifying facts with my wife.

That’s how those men bashing jokes get started.

Now maybe you had a hard time coming today because you knew the content of the message. For many here today the loss of a father is a hard reality to face. For some here today your father has passed on and for some your father chose to leave. Perhaps the memories on a day like today are hard to deal with. Still some others have father’s at home today who are good providers but offer nothing to the household spiritually.

Today we are looking at the life of a very famous father in Genesis 22. I don’t know what you know about Abraham but I think he was a pretty typical father. I remember when I was growing up how weird I thought my dad was. Today I still think my dad is weird but I don’t notice it as much because I am getting a little weird too.

He could mix anything together and make a meal out of it. He was always singing his made up songs around the house and believe me. You never wanted to meet him at the kitchen in the middle of the night

But I am not the only one who has these stories to tell. Everyone has a few things about their dad that they find a little odd.

In Genesis 22 we find Abraham being a father and although his oddness shines through these passages we also see a man who trusts in God and is committed to obey Him.

I wish that this story was new to all of you. Because sometimes we hear a story and don’t get the whole meaning even after we read it a hundred times . If it were possible I would like you to listen with fresh ears like you were hearing it for the first time.

Let’s read

22:1 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, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled 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. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 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." 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, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. 9 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. 12 "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."