ABRAHAM’S MOST IMPORTANT TEST
*What was the most important test in your life? ACT? SAT? For some it would be passing the bar, getting into med school,
All of us would probably agree, except for a few, that we really don’t like taking tests. God tested Abraham A fact that comes with living in the School of Faith.
Planned tests & pop quizzes: no test is a pop quiz if you were expecting it.
1. Expect Tests in your life (1) Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And Abraham said, ‘Here I am’.
SCOTT PECK: Life is difficult, once we truly know that life is difficult, once we truly understand and accept it then life is no longer difficult.
a. Life involves tests: marriage, parenting, work, world’s reaction to our obedience
1) Abraham’s test grades: leaving family – choice to Lot – refusing spoil –(A) trip to Egypt(f) – Child with Hagar(f)
b. Trials & Temptations are different:
1) God uses trials for a special purpose to fulfill in our lives – temptations come from desires within us.
2) Devil uses temptations to bring out worst in us while God uses trials to bring out the best.
3) Temptations seem logical while trials seem very unreasonable.
c. Trials & Tests are Tailor-made for our lives: unique.
1) God never asked Lot to face the tests that Abraham faced
a) Easy Life? 3rd grade seems easy after been there 10 years
(2) He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you’
2) God never sends a test until He knows that you are ready for it.
3) Imagine the heart of Abraham: God couldn’t be clearer: your son,
Your only son, the one your love, ISAAC.
2. When Tests Come Focus On Promises(not explanations)
a. Our faith is not really tested until God asks us to bear what seems unbearable, do what seems unreasonable, and expect what seems impossible.
1) How unreasonable was God’s request: only son(send Ishmael away and now kill Isaac?) What about the covenant? Whole future build around this boy: wear your coat son, don’t cross the street,
2) My problem with God(actually His with me) When God sends a trial he doesn’t always attach an explanation. What does Abraham do?
(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 wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.(50 mile journey) (4) On the third day Abraham raised up his eyes and saw the place from a distance. (5) Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.’
b. Abraham’s obedience was not based on his understanding or his feelings but upon faith and trust in God.
1) FACT: God’s will never contradicts God’s promise: 21:12 ‘in Isaac shall thy seed be called’.
2) HEBREWS 11:17-19 Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead. Already experienced resurrection power in his own body in order to have this child. I and the lad…worship…come again to you.
Sight of God’s choosing: Place where in later years King David would buy the threshing floor of Ornan as a site to build the temple - place where Solomon would build his temple. Perfect place to demonstrate a heartbroken father offering his precious son.
Isaac & Jesus: both promised, miraculous, brought joy, persecuted by brethren, obedient unto death: old enough to run away, carry the wood as Jesus did cross.
(6) Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
3. Expect God’s Promises to Lead to God’s Provision
(7) Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ And he said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering’? (8) Abraham, said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
a. Isaac’s curiosity was mixed with a simple faith. He had seen God speak to and work through dad before so his questions didn’t need complete answers.
1) GOD! What are you up too, I don’t understand, why me!
2) IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?(18:14) I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.(Phil 4:13)
a) Lit Abraham said The Lord will provide Himself as a sacrifice
(9) Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. (10) Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
b. Some basic facts about finding God’s provision:
1) WHERE is it found? In the place of His assignment. We have no right to expect the provision of God if we are not in the place of His will.
2) WHEN is it found? In the process of His assignment: when we have the need and not a moment sooner. Abraham was obedient with hand in air when God moved on his behalf. Where are you now in response to what God has asked of your life?
Charles Stanley’s Grandfather: If God says run your head through a brick wall you take off running and God will put a hole there when you need it.
(11) But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am’. (12) He said, ‘Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’
3) HOW is it found? Often very naturally. God allowed a ram to get caught and directed Abraham’s attention to it at the proper moment. Hagar found a well that was already there. When you found Jesus you found someone Who was already there but you had never seen before.
(13) Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offereing in the place of his son.
4) WHOM is it given to? To those who trust Him and obey His instructions: WHEN GOD’S WORK IS DONE GOD’S WAY IT WILL NEVER LACK GOD’S SUPPLY Hudson Taylor
a) God is not obligated to bless my ideas or projects but He is obligated by His promise to support His work.
b) Now I know……….What does God ‘know’ about you because of how you have responded in obedience to His will when His will did not make absolute sense.
(14) Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will provide, as it is said to this day. In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.
Abraham discovered a new name for God; Jehovah Jireh: the Lord will provide, the Lord will see to it
God reaffirmed to Abraham that just as He had provided a lamb for Isaac so He would provide all that had been promised all along.
(15) Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, (16) and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, (17) indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. (18) In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice’.
*Abraham reaffirmed a principle of faith: Whoever seeks to save His life shall lose it but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
4. WHEN GOD’S PROVISION COMES IN RESPONSE TO HIS PROMISE THEN HIS GLORY IS PROTECTED.
a. Why does God ultimately meet our needs: for His own glory
1) In times of testing, it is easy to think only about our needs and our burdens when instead we should be focusing on bringing glory to Jesus Christ.
2) Am I asking ‘How can I get out of this’ or ‘what can I get out of this that will honor the Lord’.
3) Sufferings in our life are often wasted because we neglect or ignore opportunities to lift up the name of Jesus to the world.
(19) So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheeba.
b. Several blessing come from a life of faith:
1) God’s approval
2) A new son: Isaac had seen something in his father’s relationship with God and in God’s faithfulness to his dad that would never leave his memory.
3) Reaffirmed assurances: the promises of God first heard years ago never rang so loud inside him as now.
4) New name for God:
HUDSON TAYLOR(founder of China Inland Mission) used to hang in his home a plaque with two Hebrew Words on it: EBENEZER & JEHOVAH JIREH They mean ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us’ and ‘The Lord will see to it or provide’ One looked back while the other looked forward. One reminded him of God’s faithfulness and the other of God’s assurances.
5) A DEEPER LOVE FOR GOD:
LEFT BEHIND for kids quote to wayward teen from mom: Do you not love Jesus anymore; I had never though of it like that before(committed to Him, know certain teachings, keep certain requirements) but to love Him like I would love another person?
