June 15, 2003
Morning Service
Fathers Day
Text: Genesis 22:1-19
Subject: Abraham’s Obedience
Title: Distinguishing Between Blind Obedience and Faith
I never cease to be amazed at the perception that the world has of Christians. It shows in the news media, on the movie screen, and in the newspapers. Christians, for the most part, are mindless robots who follow their leader with acts of blind obedience. Of course we are talking about worldly people who don’t understand the nature of Christian obedience because what we do we do in the Spirit. Not being spiritual, they cannot understand these things.
On the other hand there are cults who are led by charismatic people who demand obedience to them and to the extra-biblical writings that are authoritative over the Bible.
Does God call us to be mindless robots? I think not! If that were the case, then why would the Word of God encourage us to "meditate on the Word night and day" and to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling"? It is true that God calls His people to be obedient. It is then and only then that we can find true freedom.
Roger Staubach who led the Dallas Cowboys to the World Championship in ’71 admitted that his position as a quarterback who didn?t call his own signals was a source of trial for him. Coach Landry sent in every play. He told Roger when to pass, when to run and only in emergency situations could he change the play (and he had better be right!). Even though Roger considered coach Landry to have a "genius mind" when it came to football strategy, pride said that he should be able to run his own team.
Roger later said, "I faced up to the issue of obedience. Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment, and victory."
Today we look at the extraordinary story of Abraham’s obedience. Was it blind obedience or an awesome act of faith? Today we will look at one of the greatest Fathers Day presents ever given. As we look we will see that there is a pattern that Christians can learn from. In our Christian walk there are often tests to which we respond and then there are rewards.
I. Abraham’s test. (Verses 1-2)
When God spoke to Abraham, he knew who was speaking to him. The same God who called Him out of Haran. The same God who had blessed him with material wealth.
The same God who had given him the son of promise.
He recognized God’s voice because he walked with God in faith. Abraham’s response? Not like Adam and Eve in the garden. Genesis 3:8-9, "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ’Where are you’?" The one through whom sin entered the world tried to hide from God. Abraham walked in faith and was available to the Lord.
"Here I am." He didn’t wonder what God wanted. He just responded in faith. It didn’t matter what God wanted, Abraham was ready to do it. But God asks the unthinkable. "Take now your son, your only son Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering." Why did God call Isaac Abraham’s only son? He had another son, Ishmael.
But Isaac was the son of promise. The one through whom Abraham’s descendants would be multiplied. The words "only son" come from the Hebrew word hachid which means "a precious, solitary life that can’t be replaced by another; his darling, only child". You can see how precious Isaac was to his father and God knew it too. Now this doesn’t make any sense does it?
In chapter 21 verse 12 we read, "But God said to Abraham, ’Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called’." There is a logical train of thought that would take place. The promise was through Isaac and Isaac had no children. So if I kill Isaac, I kill the promise. Right? Was Abraham exhibiting blind obedience? No. When we see blind obedience in action people act without even considering the consequences. But that is not what Abraham did. He weighed it out and then decided to obey. Why? Hebrews 11:17-19, "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, concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead" Was Abraham’s love for others (his family) greater than his love for God? God doesn’t test people to see if we have faith in His promises. He wants to know if we have faith in the One who makes the promises.
II. Abraham’s response. He didn’t waste any time.
"So Abraham rose early in the morning." He made all the preparations himself. Made the long journey to the mountain that God had described to him. Abraham didn’t say, "If only I could understand what this is all about!" He didn’t say, "This just doesn’t feel right."
He walked by faith and not by feelings or by sight.
"On the third day he lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off." The time had come. Abraham’s faith in operation again. Verse 5, "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’."
This is the first use of the word worship in the bible. The word shachah literally means to bow down.
Verse 6, "where is the lamb?" Look at the prophetic statement Abraham now makes.
"God will provide for Himself the lamb." God is the provider - Jehovah-Jireh. Let’s talk about Isaac.
Was a young man. Some estimate that he was about 17 years old. That would make Abraham 117. Don’t you think that when Abraham began to bind him with ropes that he could have resisted? Look at verses 6 and 8. Two times the Bible says that, "the two of them went up together". Interpreted literally this means that they went up in agreement. Isaac was in complete obedience to God and his father. He allowed himself to be bound and then laid on the altar to be sacrificed.
Isaac was willing to accept whatever would come his way. How could he do that? By faith. Could we do that? We may be asked to someday. Philippians 2:5-8, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross." That needs to be our mindset. We pattern ourselves after Jesus. We must be willing to sacrifice all for the sake of others. Abraham was willing. Isaac was willing. Jesus did just that. "And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son." By faith not by blind obedience. Do you see the difference? Blind obedience takes place often because of tradition. Why do you do this or that in church?
We’ve always done it that way. Why aren’t you believing God for healing and provision and blessing in you church. We’ve never been taught that before. Do you believe in it? Well yeah but we don’t see it much.
Faith is believing even when it doesn’t make much sense.
Faith is being fully persuaded that whatever God has promised, He is able to perform.
Faith is not walking by sight, by emotion, by circumstances, but walking in the promises of God trusting in the One who promised.
That’s what Abraham did and he was justified by his faith.
III. Abraham’s reward. Look at the timing of the event. Death for Isaac was imminent. They traveled for two days and then on the third day God showed Abraham the place of sacrifice. It was also on the third day that Isaac was delivered from death. Verse 11, "But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven". The Angel of the Lord is Jesus Christ Himself calling to Abraham. "Do not lay your hand on the lad". Verse 12, "now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Abraham called this place, "The Lord Will Provide" "Jehovah-jireh" Moses, the writer of Genesis, says, "as it is said to this day, ’In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided." Prophetic utterance, for this is the same mountain where some 1800 years later Jesus would die on a cross as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Verse 18, "in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." Abraham’s obedience was not for his benefit alone. The reward that came was for the benefit of all mankind. Through Abraham the covenant of promise was begun. His selfless act, even when it all seemed wrong, did two things. It provided for his own salvation by his faith. It opened the doors for the lineage of the messiah who would come and provide salvation for all who believe.
Many have questioned the story we heard today. How could a God who loves us ask someone to kill their son? Understand this, it was a one-time event. Later on in the Bible God condemns Human sacrifice. But God requires our obedience. Does He ask us to go along blindly having no clue where or why we are going? No, He has given us His written word as a standard to judge by. Doe that meant we have to understand why we go through times of testing and trial? No. We just need to know by faith that when we are tested we have the power source needed to come out of testing as better people. One of the ways we exemplify obedience is to be obedient even when the pressure to do otherwise becomes great.
John Kenneth Galbraith, in his autobiography, A Life in Our Times, illustrates the devotion of Emily Gloria Wilson, his family’s housekeeper:
It had been a wearying day, and I asked Emily to hold all telephone calls while I had a nap. Shortly thereafter the phone rang. Lyndon Johnson was calling from the White House.
"Get me Ken Galbraith. This is Lyndon Johnson."
"He is sleeping, Mr. President. He said not to disturb him."
"Well, wake him up. I want to talk to him."
"No, Mr. President. I work for him, not you.?
When I called the President back, he could scarcely control his pleasure. "Tell that woman I want her here in the White House.?
That is the type of obedience that God wants His people to exhibit. Not because we fear the consequences; not because we expect rewards, but simply because we love the God who gives us great and eternal promises.
Today God may call you by name to do something unheard of. Heed God’s voice and say, "Here I am, Lord".
