1. Three Military recruiters were each given 10 minutes at a high school assembly to pitch their particular branch of the armed forces. The Navy recruiter spoke 12 minutes; the Army recruiter spoke 18 minutes, leaving the Marine with no time. The principal felt bad, so he allowed the marine 30 seconds. The Sergeant snapped to attention, briskly walked to the podium and said, “I doubt there are but two or three of you that could cut it in the Marine Corps. I will meet those two or three in the Mess Hall (i.e., cafeteria) after this assembly. Guess which recruiter had more business than he could handle? “USMC “Looking for a few Good Men”
God has always put a premium on quality. He looks for it in our lives and he develops it in us where it is lacking. This is evident in the life of Abraham. He had potential to quality in his life and God brought it out in him.
2. Genesis 22.1-19
3. When I think of Avraham and accounts like this, I have many questions – more than I have answers.
• Why did God choose Abram (Genesis 12)?
o He was imperfect – as the 12 disciples – as I am
o God knew things about Abram that we could not know; that Abram did not know
• How could Abraham have been willing to do this?
4. Consider a few things from this great event:
I. A Call – From God
A. A Call to a Test
1. [Emergency Broadcast Test – “This is only a test” – Abraham, as Job, did not know this
2. Nisa (associated with Banner) speaks of situation forced to make choice between God’s will and wisdom and the way our will/understanding would take us; it is not a temptation but an elevation
3. Maimonides – Abraham was Tested 10 times – first and last are similar
1. G d tells him to leave his homeland to be a stranger in the land of Canaan. (12.1)
2. Immediately after his arrival in the Promised Land, he encounters a famine. (12.10)
3. The Egyptians capture his beloved wife, Sarah, and bring her to Pharaoh. (12.15)
4. Abraham faces incredible odds in the battle of the four and five kings. (14.14)
5. He marries Hagar after not being able to have children with Sarah. (16.13)
6. G d tells him to circumcise himself at an advanced age. (17.24)
7. The king of Gerar captures Sarah, intending to take her for himself. (20.2)
8. G d tells him to send Hagar away after having a child with her. (21.12)
9. His son, Ishmael, becomes estranged. (21.12 – reflected in the command)
10. G d tells him to sacrifice his dear son Isaac upon an altar. (22.2)
Trust God in regard to past in the initial call; trust God in regard to posterity in the last
10 is the number of completion – Abraham’s commitment to God as unconditional is tested – he would worship/serve God since made a multi-millionaire; supernatural child; lands; cattle; conqueror – is his faith in God unconditional? Will he give up his most precious thing? Is he worthy of his election? By grace God already elected him – calling into opportunity his worthiness;
4. Will he trust God? Will I when I am tested? 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James 1.2-3
One man once wrote: All sorts of things are tested to prove that they are genuine.
• When you go to a bank and give a $20 bill to the cashier, she runs a special pen over a bill or hold it to a special light. Why would she do that? Because she is testing it to make sure it is genuine. You are glad she does because you don’t want a forged $20 given to you in change.
• When you go the pharmacy, and purchase prescription drugs you do so believing that drug has been tested. You trust that the manufacturer has done clinical trials and has proven it is safe.
• When you buy a car, you believe it’s safe because car companies are required to test them.
• An army going through basic training is not ready for battle. It’s not until soldiers have faced the enemy fire that they consider themselves proven, hardened, worthy.
• A ship can’t prove that it’s well built as long as it stays in dry dock. Its hull has to get wet; it must face the waves and storms of the sea to prove it’s genuinely seaworthy.
We expect EVERYTHING that has value to be tested. And the MORE important something is -- the more we rely upon its being safe/valuable - the more rigorous that test is going to be.
And so, here we have Abraham – a man chosen by God and given very special promises by God.
B. A Call to Trust
Midrash – God’s conversation with Abraham:
Take your son – which son, I have two
Your only son – which only son, they are both only sons of their mothers
Whom you love – I love both
Take Isaac
1. Abraham had trusted in regard to the birth of Isaac
18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” Romans 4.18-22
2. He trusted God all the way to Isaac’s altar – 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. Hebrews 11.17-19
II. A Concession by Abraham
A. There is an Absence of Bargaining – Only Obedience
1. He Bargained for Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 – 50/45/40/30/20/10
2. “Hi-Ne-Ni” – Here I am
[Marine on Ship comes to attention for his Captain (by the book) but then turns as the Captain passes by IF he has great respect for the Captain (also true of Presidents) – The Marine is saying, “Here I am, ready to obey.”
B. There is an Active Beginning – Faith Acts
1. Rose Early (to avoid Sarah)
2. Cut wood/got donkey
3. Took Isaac and Servants for 3 day journey (again to a place God would show – Moriah)
a. Age of Isaac
Speculation of Isaac’s age – 37 – born to Sarah at 90/Abraham at 100 – now 127/137 – when she hears of this she dies – next mention of Sarah is her death
b. Death of Sarah – next mention is her passing (Genesis 23.1 – Abraham went to mourn for her – where did he come from? – Moriah)
C. There is an Acute Binding
1. Isaac carried the wood
2. Abraham carried the knife and the fire
3. Bound Isaac’s hands and feet – submission of Isaac to the mission
D. There is an Abrupt Break – Angel’s intercession
1. “Abraham, Abraham” – Hi-Ne-Ni
2. Substitution of the Ram caught by his horns in the thorns
[Rabbis – this ram was created from the foundation of the world for this purpose
III. A Comparison for Characters
A. Isaac
1. Seed of Abraham
2. Ram was his substitute
3. Bound at Moriah (from Ra’ah – show you) – Jerusalem and Temple
4. He was also tested – could have run or fought Abraham – chose to walk together in agreement with Abraham
B. Yeshua
1. Seed of Abraham – mentioned by Rab Shaul in Galatians 3.16
2. HE became the substitutionary sacrifice – Crown of Thorns; blowing of shofar (3rd and 9th hours)
3. Bound in the same place as Isaac
4. Displayed Deity in his sacrifice
a. Riding the donkey fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9; it also depicted Abraham who was to make the sacrifice – God sacrificed Yeshua (Jesus)
b. Lamb selection day at Passover – he became the “lamb of God” to take away the sins of the world – no sacrifice for him
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Galatians 3.13-14
C. Us
1. Jews and Gentiles – seed of Abraham – Romans 4.1 – OUR father, Abraham;
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3.29
2. We have a sacrifice to make – Romans 12.1-2
3. Because we are bound in the Spirit to serve the living God -- And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained [bound] by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. Acts 20.22-23
1. Abraham was Rewarded by God
a. He received his son; became the father of nations
b. Saw his personal progress on his journey
2. Our Tests come
a. We see who we are
b. Do we trust: self; own wisdom; God?
c. We receive rewards now and in the world to come
d. Our tests impact others – Abraham’s choices then impacted us today
A certain courthouse in Ohio stands in a unique location. Raindrops that fall on the north side of the building go into Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while those falling on the south side go into the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. At precisely the point of the peak of the roof, just a gentle puff of wind can determine the destiny of many raindrops. It will make a difference of more than 2,000 miles as to their final destination.
The spiritual application is clear. By the smallest deed or choice of words we might set in motion influences that could change the course of others’ lives here and now, and could also affect their eternal destiny.
3. Throw Deep!
One of the great football quarterbacks of the 1980’s was Ken Stabler of the Oakland Raiders. A Sports Illustrated journalist was interviewing him and – in the process of the interview recited a quote from Jack London that went: "I’d rather be ashes than dust. I would rather have my spark burn out in a brilliant blaze than be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and perseverant planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist."
Then the interviewer asked Stabler what that quote meant to him personally. Now Stabler was not a philosopher or theologian… he was a quarterback. So he puzzled over that quote for a couple of minutes, then looked up and said: "Throw deep?"
