Finding the Faith of Our Heroes
Part 5: Abraham and Isaac Teach Us to Trust God
Hebrews 11:17-19; Genesis 22:1-14
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared September 22, 2023)
BACKGROUND:
*Today in Hebrews 11, we get back to our study of the Old Testament heroes of our faith. And faith in God is crucial for everyone, because Hebrews 11:6 tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please" God.
*This morning, our focus is on Abraham and his son, Isaac. This boy was the son that God had promised to his parents Abraham and Sarah. And in Hebrews 11:17, God's Word says that Isaac was Abraham's "only begotten son." That's because Isaac was the only son that the LORD ever promised to this couple, and because Isaac's birth was a miracle God gave to these parents who were decades too old to have children.
*Hebrews 11:17-19 says:
17. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18. of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,''
19. accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
*This incident set in place the whole future course of human history. It determined both the family and the nation of our Lord Jesus Christ. We find the story back in Genesis 22, so please turn back there to see the details, as we read Genesis 22:1-14.
MESSAGE:
*Who do you trust? Hopefully, we can trust our family and friends. Hopefully we can trust the people in our church family. Hopefully we can trust the pilot who flies our plane. But we can surely trust God! We can safely put our trust in our infinitely good God. And the story of Abraham and Isaac teaches us some very important things about trusting God.
1. FIRST: WE MUST KEEP TRUSTING GOD WHEN HE STRETCHES US.
*Church: The Lord is going to stretch us. He will test our faith. We see God's big test for Abraham in Genesis 22:1-2:
1. Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!'' And he said, "Here I am.''
2. And He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.''
*"God tested Abraham," and what a hard test it was. King Duncan explained that "at age 75, this wealthy man, had already left his thriving city, his extended family, and all of his earthly security, in order to follow God to an unknown, distant land. He was set apart from his people in order to form a new nation, a nation that would be specially chosen by God. The Lord promised to bless Abraham for his obedience, and Abraham was obedient in many things.
*But one promise God made seemed too good to be true: That Abraham and Sarah would have a child of their own. At their age it was such an incredible promise that when both of them heard it, they laughed. And in Genesis 17:17 Abraham wondered, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?' That is why God told this elderly couple to name their new-born baby 'Isaac'. It means 'laughter,' or 'He laughs,' or 'God made me laugh.'
*Imagine Abraham and Sarah's joy at the birth of their young son. They had waited so many years and endured so much disappointment. Abraham had already given his own life to the Lord, so this godly man circumcised his newborn son and dedicated him to the Lord. Now Abraham was ready to kick back, relax, and begin reaping all those blessings God had promised him. But then some years later in Genesis 22:1, 'God tested Abraham.'" (1)
*God tested Abraham with a command so shocking that we are repulsed when the reality sinks in. Listen to the Lord's command again in vs. 2: "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.''
*If any man ordered us to do that, we would call 911, grab a gun, or fight like a tiger! We would do anything we possibly could to keep that from happening. But it wasn't a man who commanded Abraham to kill his son. It was Almighty God. God tested Abraham, and sometimes God is going to test us too. Why does the Lord do that? Why does He stretch us to the limit sometimes?
[1] ONE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE WE NEED STRETCHING.
*Most of us do, anyway. Just as our muscles need to be stretched, our faith needs to be stretched. As Bill Bouknight once said, "Without testing, your faith gets flabby." (2)
*Think about it. If we are young and strong, if everything is going our way, if we are used to getting our way, -- we tend to get selfish and self-reliant. We might think, "Who needs God, when I'm already on top of the world?" We tend to get spoiled, and we want to be comfortable. But as Paul Powell said, "God is more concerned about our character than our comfort. His goal is not to pamper us physically but to perfect us spiritually." He is in the process of transforming our lives, building our character, and strengthening our faith, so He stretches us. (3)
*God allows us to be put in uncomfortable situations, and it may be tough, but it's for our own good. That's why in Romans 5:1-4 Paul said this to all Christians: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope."
*That is also why James 1:2 says this to us, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." What? You're kidding, right? -- No. He's not kidding. And in vs. 2-3, James tells us why: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."
[2] GOD TESTS OUR FAITH BECAUSE WE NEED STRETCHING. BUT ALSO BECAUSE OUR FAITH IS THE MOST PRECIOUS THING WE HAVE.
*In 1 Peter 1:5-9, the Apostle tells Christians that we...
5. . . are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7. that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
8. whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9. receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your souls.
*Our faith is a most precious thing, because it is the trust relationship we have with God the Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our faith is also the trust relationship we have with God through His Word. That's why 1 Peter 1:23-25 tells Christians that we have "been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because 'All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.' Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you."
*Again, this faith in God is the most precious thing we can ever have, so God is going to test it, purify it, stretch it, and strengthen it. God is going to stretch our faith for our own good. And the best thing we can do is get ready.
*Abraham was ready. John Phillips noted that Abraham had spent 50 years on the hills with God, getting ready to climb this mountain. Over the years, Abraham had learned to trust God. He knew that God was always dependable. And in Genesis 22:3-5, we can see Abraham's faith in action:
3. So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
4. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
5. And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.'' (4)
*Abraham followed God's command, even when it was extremely difficult to do, even when it was the hardest thing he ever had to do in his life. He got up early in the morning and did exactly what the Lord asked him to do. Abraham followed God's command just as much he possibly could, just as soon as he possibly could.
*How did this elderly father do that? He did it by faith. Abraham was ready to pass God's hardest test with strong faith. And we see his faith in Genesis 22:3 when Abraham rose up early to obey God. Of course he dreaded the task before him, but Abraham didn't procrastinate or put it off.
*We also see Abraham's faith in Genesis 22:5 when he told his two young servants, "The lad and I will go yonder and worship, and WE will come back to you." In other words: "I may be going up that mountain to offer my only son Isaac as a burnt offering to the LORD. But he is coming back alive, because God has promised that the Messiah will come from Isaac's descendants!"
*All of Abraham's hopes and dreams for the future were wrapped up in his only begotten son, Isaac. All of the hopes of the world were wrapped up in God's promise that the Messiah would come as a descendant of Isaac. Now those hopes seemed dashed as Abraham was about to kill his only son. But Abraham put it all in the Hand of God. He trusted God! And he knew that somehow God would make a way for Isaac to make it back home.
*We can also see Abraham's faith in Genesis 22:6-8, where:
6. . . Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.
7. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!'' And he said, "Here I am, my son.'' And he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?''
8. And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering"
*How did Abraham pass the test? -- By faith. That's why Hebrews 11:17-19 says, "BY FAITH Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense."
*Abraham passed the test by faith, and that is the only way we can pass the tests that come our way. Abraham had great faith, and we can have great faith, if we will take time to talk to God and listen to Him, if we will take time to read and study His Word. We can have great faith, if we will meditate on the things God has already done, and the things He has promised to do.
*God will help us get ready to pass the tests of our faith, and we must get ready, because the Lord is going to stretch us. He will test our faith. Remember these wise words: "Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us. -- God tests us to bring out the best in us." (5)
2. WE MUST KEEP TRUSTING GOD WHEN HE STRETCHES US. WE ALSO MUST TRUST GOD TO STEER US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
*The good news is that we can always trust in the Lord, because He will always guide us to the right place at the right time. We see God guiding Abraham in Genesis 22:2 where God said, "Go to the land of Moriah." That was a piece of instant guidance from God. And sometimes He will give us guidance that clear.
*But many times God's guidance is not that clear, that fast. In this same verse, God also told Abraham to go to "one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." Abraham had to wait to find out exactly where to go. And many times in our walk with God, we will have to wait on Him too. That can be hard. We don't like to wait. We want God to show us what to do right now!
*But God's timing is always perfect, and He will guide us in His good time. We see this happen in Genesis 22:9 which says, "Then they came to the place of which God had told him." God had come through with the right guidance, just as He always does. The Lord guided Abraham to the right spot, at just the right time, where a ram would be caught in the thicket by his horns.
*God knew where to guide Abraham, and the Lord knows where to guide us too. But it is important to notice that Abraham followed God's guidance. Abraham waited for the Lord to show him where to go, and then Abraham went the distance. Knowing what was coming, it was hard for that old man to climb up that mountain. It was hard for Abraham to watch his son with that load of wood on his back. But Abraham didn't just go halfway up the mountain to get it over with. He went the distance. And because Abraham went where God told him to, when God told him to, he went to the exact spot where that ram was caught by his horns. What a difference that made for Isaac, for his parents, for the whole world, and for us!
*God gives us a path of obedience, and if we will follow that path by faith, that is where we will find our blessings.
3. WE MUST KEEP TRUSTING GOD TO STEER US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND MOST OF ALL, WE MUST TRUST GOD TO SAVE US.
*Look again at what happened in vs. 10-13:
10. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!'' And he said, "Here I am.''
12. And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.''
13. Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
*God provided a Lamb! -- A ram in a thicket, caught by its horns. I wonder if those bushes had the same kind of thorns used in the crown of thorns Jesus wore 1,900 years later. God provided a ram to take Isaac's place. And God provided His Son Jesus Christ to take our place of death.
*Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God who died for our sins. And, of course, there is another picture of our Savior in this story: Abraham's son, Isaac. As Michael Card once sang, "As Abraham was asked to do, God has done. He has offered His only Son." (6)
*So we see Isaac, Abraham's only begotten son carrying the wood on his back as Jesus carried His cross for us. We see Isaac allowing his father to bind him and lay him on the wood, just as Jesus willingly laid down His life for us on the cross. There, Jesus suffered and died to take the awful punishment for all of our sins. Then three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead in everlasting victory over sin and death.
*Putting all of this together, we can understand why Hebrews 11:17-19 says:
17. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18. of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,''
19. accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
CONCLUSION:
*Just as surely as Isaac walked back down Mount Moriah, Jesus Christ physically came back from the dead. And now our Risen Savior offers salvation to anyone who will put their faith in Him. So, put your trust in Jesus today. Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Call on the Lord to save you, as we go back to God in prayer.
*But don't be surprised when the Lord stretches you. Don't be surprised when He stretches your faith. Keep trusting in Him, because it is always for our own good. And keep trusting God, because He will always steer us in the right direction. Keep trusting the Lord through every situation of life.
*Would you please bow for prayer.
(1) Adapted from Sermons.com sermon "Passing the Ultimate Test" by King Duncan - Genesis 22:1-19
(2) Sermons.com sermon "The Supreme Test" by Bill Bouknight - Genesis 22:1-18
(3) SermonCentral illustration
(4) Adapted from EXPLORING GENESIS by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "The Proof of Faith" - Genesis 22:1-24 - Downloaded to "Bible Study 6" from Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc."
(5) Biblical Illustrator - Source: Sermons.com sermon "Passing the Ultimate Test" by King Duncan - Genesis 22:1-19
(6) Adapted from "God Will Provide A Lamb" by Michael Card - Source: https://genius.com/Michael-card-god-will-provide-a-lamb-lyrics
