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.
Think of this when pondering a father’s love:
I wonder what went through Abraham’s heart at that very moment – knowing that he would soon be providing his son as the sacrifice. What do you think was going through God’s mind when he thought into the future and new He would have to act in the same manner and give His Son for all of humanity?
Point 3 - God is the faithful Father who always provides
Let’s see how Abraham responds.
Read Verse 8
Abraham reassures his son to trust in the Lord, to allow God to provide and to direct our paths – for God is always faithful!
Read Verse 9-10
Abraham then proceeds to build an altar, and place his son on it. I wonder as he raised the knife if he covered his son’s eyes. Or asked him not too look. I wonder as the tears streamed down his face if he knew in his heart that this was God’s will, and his purpose was simply to obey.
In my view, this is the real test of a Father’s love.
Are you willing to sacrifice your child, so that God would be pleased? Isn’t that what we do on a daily basis? Don’t we offer our children up to God to allow them to be used for His glory? If not, you ought to be! Father’s have a unique role to train up their children, to be a protector, to be a faithful steady example.
Father’s have a responsibility to teach young boys how to be men.
Father’s have a responsibility to teach young girls how they should be respected and loved.
This is God’s will for our lives Dad’s, and in this story we have the perfect example of willingness to obey because God has said it should be.
Now watch what God does as he rewards Abraham’s faithfulness.
Read Verse 11-13
God stops Abraham in his tracks … orders him not to hurt his son … and provides a sacrifice for them to worship!! It is because of Abraham’s devotion to God, that I believe God honored him.
Are you honored today? Is God honoring your works and deeds? Is your master pleased with your efforts to serve? I believe that children are a gift from God, and at no time do we ever stop being a father, or a provider, or setting the example for obeying God’s will in our lives.
I believe that God saw the very heart of Abraham, and knew that surely this was his servant – a man who could be trusted, honored, and was to be counted on!
Point 4 / Conclusion – God’s Reward
There is one final thing I want to show you … note how God rewarded Abraham not only in saving his son, but in what God promised Abraham for his faithfulness.
Read Verse 16-18
God promised Abraham to be the father of many nations!! That his descendants will take possession of the cities of his enemies, and through his offspring all nations will be blessed.
Did you know that Jesus is of the bloodline of Abraham? (Matthew Chapter 1)
If God has promised this to Abraham, what more could he promise to you?
Invite Singers
What more could God provide that would be a blessing to you?
Where is your faithfulness to serve Him?
I believe as I said before that God is calling out to men today to be the example that He wants us to be.
We have God’s permission to stand up against things that are not right; we have His permission to speak out and declare that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus; we have His authority to bring to light the things of darkness!
What more could God give you if He gave Abraham this promise for his faithfulness?
What a shame it would be to see Jesus face to face, and learn that we failed to live up to God’s desire for our lives because we would not say YES when He called.
God is calling out men today to be men of honor, men of valor, men who can be counted on as faithful – and today we can accept this calling in our lives.
Pray
