The Lord Will Provide Genesis 22 July 21, 2013

A. Introduction Why do you think Abraham had to face so many tests of his faith? Romans 5:3-4, James 1:3-4 • God tests us to reveal our hearts and to help us grow strong in character and spiritual maturity.

B. Examination of heart After many years of silence what did God tell Abraham to do with his son Isaac? 22:2 • ________________________________________________________________________________

Why do you think God told Abraham to do such a thing? 1, Romans 16:26, Hebrews 5:8 • It was to be a test of Abraham’s faith as indicated by his obedience to this difficult command.

Why do you think tests sometimes become more difficult as we grow older? Job 1-2:8, 42:10-16 • Perhaps God (and Satan) know that there is more to be gained (or lost) in terms of one’s testimony

What would be the passage of Scripture you would turn to first if God asked you to give up something which is as dear to you as Isaac was to Abraham? • _______________________________________________________________________________

How long did Abraham wait before he obeyed the command of the Lord? 3 • ________________________________________________________________________________

C. Rumination on hope How long a time was given to Abraham in order to meditate on this agonizing act of obedience? 4 • ________________________________________________________________________________

Why would this test have been such a difficult one for Abraham to pass? 2, I John 4:16 • Because of his great love for his son. Also the prescribed test seemed out of character for God.

What was one of the possibilities going through Abraham’s mind on the trip and why? Heb. 11:17-19 • ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

How long was given to Abraham to meditate on the Lord’s provision after he had obeyed? 4 • ________________________________________________________________________________

What did Isaac realize that they had failed to bring for the sacrifice? 7 • ________________________________________________________________________________

How did Abraham answer his son’s question about the lamb? 8 • ________________________________________________________________________________

D. Termination of testing What happened as Abraham stretched out his hand with the knife to slay his son? 11 • ________________________________________________________________________________

What was Abraham then told not to do and why? 12 • He was told not to slay the boy. Abraham’s fear of God in not withholding his only son was evidence that he had passed the examination of his heart as measured by his obedience to God.

At that moment what did the Lord provide to enable Abraham to complete his mission? 13 • ________________________________________________________________________________

What did Abraham call the name of this location where his testing took place? 14 • ________________________________________________________________________________

Can you trust God enough to obey him regardless of what he may ask you to do? Luke 9:23, 22:42 • ________________________________________________________________________________

July 21, 2013The Lord Will Provide

A. Introduction B. Examination of heartC. Rumination on hope D. Termination of testing

A. Introduction – The Akedah, the Binding of Isaac.

Examinations of Abraham’s heart

1. Relatives – Lot’s herdsmen, Sarah and Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael

2. Worldly possessions – Giving Lot choice of the best land

3. Worldly ambition – King of Sodom’s offer

4. Parental affection – Love for Ishmael

5. The impossible – A son born in old age

Examinations of Abraham’s heart

6. Courage – Going to rescue Lot

7. Obedience – Leaving Ur for Canaan

8. Patience – Waiting 25 years for a son

9. Compassion – Praying for people of Sodom

10. Faith – Through it all faith did not waiver (Romans 4:20)

Why do believers have to face so many

tests to examine their fear of God and

their faith in God?

Romans 5:3-5 - And not only this, but we also rejoice in our tribulations, knowing that

tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven

character, hope; and hope does not disappoint…

I Peter 1:5-7 - who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is

ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may

have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than

gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

B. Examination of heart

“Thy son, whom thou lovest”

Job 13:15-16 - Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him… He also shall be my salvation…

Isaiah 12:2 - Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord

JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Isaiah 26:3-4 - Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he

trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

James 4:8-10 - Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners;

and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the

Lord, and He will exalt you.

Tempt: to put to the test

“Sometimes, through God’s providence, there may appear to be inconsistency between God’s command and His promise. Nothing but faith bowing the soul to divine sovereignty can reconcile this.”

- John Owen

Luke 14:26 - If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and

children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:26 - Anyone who wants to be my follower must love me far more than he does his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters - yes, more than his own life otherwise

he cannot be my disciple.

Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Psalm 51:17 - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O

God, thou wilt not despise.

Isaiah 53:10-11 - Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt

make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his

knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Job 2:10 - . . . Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?

In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

C. Rumination on hope

Hebrews 11:17-19 - 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, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which,

figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Genesis 22:8 - And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the

burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

Genesis 22:5 - 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."

Worship: to bow down to God’s will.

D. Termination of testing

Genesis 22:9 - 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.

John 1:29 - The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God

who takes away the sin of the world!

Luke 24:27 - And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He [Jesus] explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

John 5:46 - For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me [Jesus];

for he wrote of Me.

Genesis 22:19 - . . . Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to

Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba.

The Gospel in Genesis

1. Isaac is not mentioned again in Scripture until Genesis 24 when he is receiving a bride. Christ gave Himself on the cross, went back to heaven and one day will appear to receive His Bride, the Church.

2. Both Isaac and Christ were promised sons, both born miraculously.

3. Both were born at the set time and brought joy to the heart of the father.

The Gospel in Genesis

4. Both were persecuted by their brethren and both were obedient unto death.

5. Isaac questioned his father and Jesus asked, “My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

6. Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice even as Christ carried the cross for His sacrifice.

7. Christ was raised from the dead and Isaac was symbolically raised from the dead. (Hebrews 19)

Abraham was justified before God by believing His promises. Here is conversion

Abraham was justified before men by acting upon his faith. Here is baptism, a public testimony of following Christ’s example.

Acts 3:19 - Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of

refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.