THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE
TEXT: Genesis 22 W. Max Alderman
INTRODUCTION: In this chapter, Abraham is going to be facing his greatest test. Upon the completion of this test, Abraham will have demonstrated his willingness to turn loose his most prized possession, his son, by offering him up as a human sacrifice. Abraham will illustrate, by his willingness to do this, that he would perform God’s will regardless of the cost to him.
I. ABRAHAM WAS SUMMONED TO THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE. (Vv. 1, 2)
This event was not on Abraham’s schedule. He did not say, “I plan to get up in a few hours and take my son to a mountain and offer him up for a burnt offering sacrifice”. It was during a time unexpected that the Lord said, “Take now thy son…” Through the many trials and tests that Abraham had encountered, God had prepared him for such a testing as this. Our good churches will have people who have been through their own tests and have seen the mighty hand of God working in their lives and are poised for going in the direction that the Lord sends them. From such a pool come our missionaries, pastors, and full-time Christian workers. There may be those of you here whom God is shaping so that you can submit to the summons when it comes.
A. God Had a Particular Purpose In Mind. (V. 1) “God did tempt Abraham”
The word “tempt” means that God was testing Abraham. This was God’s purpose. The way that the word tempt is used in our Text means to prove. This proof was not for letting God know if Abraham had gotten to the place that he would pass such a requiring test. It was, instead, for letting others know. God uses in verse 12 an expression which says: “now I know”. This is God’s way of saying, “I acknowledge in a practical sense your faithfulness”. Abraham proved his faithfulness and the Lord acknowledged it by providing a substitute. Likewise, the Lord acknowledges our faith in Him and He provides a substitute! Hallelujah…
B. God Had a Particular Place In Mind. (V. 2) “One of the mountains which I will tell thee of”
The place that the Lord had set apart was crucial. From the land of Beer-sheba to Moriah, a period of three days journey was necessary to satisfy His purposes of preparing Abraham for the intended place. This certainly seems like a long time to have been pent up in one’s bosom such a painful awareness of what this trip was all about. Even so, Abraham faithfully made his trek to the place intended by God.
God works in each our lives, as we are willing, to get us to the place that He would have us to serve. I have the grand privilege of serving here as the pastor of the Bible Baptist Church, and as I say this, I can recollect how God carefully worked in my heart to get me to the place that He intended. I did not have to come here to offer up a son, but I had to be willing to offer up a portion of my life, which is approaching already one half of my life time. Though, I did not know all that it meant when I moved to Statesboro to begin my Pastorate, and still do not know, I can certainly say that the place that God directs us to serve is certainly important and known initially only by Him.
II. ABRAHAM WAS SURRENDERED TO GO TO THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE. (Vv. 3 -7)
There is no neglect on the part of Abraham once God had told him to take his only son to the land of Moriah. He “rose up early in the morning” to begin his journey. This was because he had already surrendered his will to do the will of the Lord. Surrender is absolutely necessary to being fully in the will of God. Until one surrenders, he has not fully exercised the will of God, or put himself in position to do so. Obviously, God is not going to ask either of us to place our sons or daughters on a sacrificial altar, as he did Abraham, but are we willing to offer both ourselves and our children to the Lord. There is a desperate need in our churches to regain a sacrificial spirit in all that we do. We must be willing to lay our lives down on the altar. I sadly miss the days that it was common in our churches seeing a young couple selling their house and furniture and loading up their automobiles going wherever God would have them; it just didn’t matter, as long as they knew that God was sending them.
A. His Total Surrender Is Indicated By His Work. (Vv. 3, 4)
Abraham gathered together everything that was needed for the burnt offering. He testified to his intentions as he was getting everything together. In doing the Lord’s will, do we testify by our works that we are doing God’s will?
B. His Total Surrender Is Indicated By His Word. (V. 5a)
What Abraham said matched what he was doing. He was exercising faith by doing what God instructed him to do and then he was communicating this to be so even as he spoke. In his case his walk matched his talk.
C. His Total Surrender Is Indicated By His Worship. (Vv. 5b.-7)
Abraham was totally involved as he went to the place of worship. God did not permit Abraham to offer up his own son, but Abraham thought that it was going to take place and as he proceeded in doing the will of God, he was communicating to others his devotion to the Lord and confirming in his own heart that he could say as the song says: “I surrender all”.
III. ABRAHAM WAS SURE OF THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE. (Vv. 8, 9)
God has a place for each of us even as he had a place for Abraham. One of the greatest aspects of Christian service is in just knowing that you are in the center of God’s will. Abraham heard God calling his name. For one to hear God calling, you must be listening. Abraham was listening (v.1).
A. Because of the Way That God Called Him to the Place. (Vv. 8, 9; cf. v. 2)
I love talking to missionaries and one of the first things that I ask them is for them to tell me about their call. I am always thrilled at the way they demonstrate the providence of God at work when they describe their call. When one is certain about the call, I believe that they are more likely to stay and make the sacrifices as they serve.
B. Because of the Way That God Confirmed Him of the Place.
“And they came to the place which God had told him of…” Again, we find that the place was important, because it was the place that God had told him to go, and it was there that he began to make his altar of worship.
IV. ABRAHAM WAS SATISFIED AT THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE. (Vv. 10 – 14)
Abraham was going to pay the ultimate sacrifice as it involved his son Isaac, but God would not let it happened. Instead God provided a substitute with a ram being caught in the thicket.
A. He Must Have Been Satisfied With God’s Protection. (Vv. 10-12)
Abraham did what God told him to do and before he took Isaac’s life, God called from heaven and protected him from doing what he was willing to do. Though we may not understand the depth of such a request to begin with, it does begin to take on greater focus when we compare it to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ upon the cross. The sacrifice that Christ made was initiated by the heavenly Father and Christ Himself became obedient unto death. This is also the spirit of Isaac when he was allowing himself to be offered. Such will always be the protection when we choose to operate within the will of God.
B. He Must Have Been Satisfied With God’s Provisions. (Vv. 13-14)
The place was called Jehovah-jireh signifying that it was at this place that the Lord provided a ram or a substitute for his son Isaac. Of course, this pictures the greater provided Sacrifice when the Lord took our place as our substitute on the cross. It was on the cross that Jesus bled and died. The heavenly Father judged our sins in the person of Jesus Christ. The Father poured out His wrath and anger towards His Son as the sin-bearer not as the sinner. He became sin for us who knew no sin.
V. MORE THAN THAT, GOD WAS SATISFIED AT THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE. (Vv. 15-24)
A. God Was Pleased with Abraham (V. 15)
The Lord spoke to him from heaven and commended Abraham for his faithful obedience. Just as it pleased God when Abraham was faithful and obedient, it also pleases God when we are.
B. God Gave Praise to Abraham (Vv. 16-17)
For the public record, Abraham’s faithful obedience was declared to Abraham by God and is still being reported. When a person does wrong, that person may have to “live it down” as the old expression goes (or try to). It is also true, when someone does well, the testimony lives beyond them. As it regards my parents, I find myself often relating to something that they did that was good and positive. Their deeds live after them and I am sure as I say that, that there are you who are in this congregation who think back to both the good and the bad that you remember in a person who is now deceased.
C. God Brought Prosperity to Abraham (Vv. 18-24)
There is nothing like having the blessings of the Lord rest upon you. To be in the will of the Lord guarantees this. I want nothing more for that to be so in my personal life and also for you who make up this church. May we learn from Abraham to have the courage to faithfully obey the Lord even when it looks overwhelmingly difficult?
INTRODUCTION: Such a wonderful portion of Scripture is this that shows through Abraham and Isaac the way the Lord works in our lives as we follow and seek after God’s will.
