OceanSide church of Christ

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ABRAHAM PASSES WITH FLYING COLORS

Genesis 22

Victor M. Eskew

 

I.           The Title of Genesis 22

 

A.   The Test of Faithful Obedience

B.    Take Now Thy Son and Offer Him

C.   God Will Provide Himself A Lamb

D.   Abraham Passes with Flying Colors

 

II.         The Key Verse of Genesis 22:  Genesis 22:9-10

 

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

 

Why this verse?  This had been the challenge made by God.  This will be the action that is rewarded by God.  These actions show the depth of Abraham’s faith in God.  God commanded.  Abraham obeyed.

 

III.       The Outline of Genesis 22

 

i.               THE TEST (Gen. 22:1-2)

ii.              THE JOURNEY (Gen. 22:3-5)

iii.            THE ASCENT (Gen. 22:6-8)

iv.            THE SACRIFICE (Gen. 22:9-13)

v.              THE NAME (Gen. 22:14)

vi.            THE BLESSING (Gen. 22:15-18)

vii.           THE RETURN (Gen. 22:19)

viii.         THE FAMILY (Gen. 22:20-24)

 

IV.        The Lessons of Genesis 22

 

A.   God tests man’s faith, but does not tempt him to sin (Gen. 22:1).

 

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham and said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold, here I am.

 

1.     This lesson is based upon a NT passage from James (James 1:13).

 

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God:  for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

 

2.     This is difficult for us to understand because God’s command to Abraham involves the slaying of his son as a human sacrifice.

 

 

B.    When God calls upon us, we should be ready as Abraham was (Gen. 22:1b).

 

…and he said, here I am.

 

C.   God’s tests can be very severe (Gen. 22:2).

 

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

 

1.     Isaac was his son.

2.     Isaac was his only son (the son of promise).

3.     Isaac was a son he loved.

4.     He was to travel away from home to make the offering.

5.     He was to offer him for a burnt offering.

6.     He was the only one aware of the command God had given him.

 

D.   Abraham’s obedience to God was immediate (Gen. 22:4).

 

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and cleaved the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went into the place which the Lord had told him.

 

E.    As a type, the third day of Genesis 22:4 is very important.

 

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

 

F.     Everything a man does is NOT worship.  Worship is a definite act with a definite purpose performed at a place designated by God (Gen. 22:5).

 

And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again unto you.

 

G.   Abraham expresses his faith in God in the last statement made to the young men who went with him:  …I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

 

1.     Abraham had been told to slay his son, but he was confident they both would come back from the mountain.

2.     Abraham’s reasoning about this matter is revealed to us in Hebrews 11:19.

 

Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

 

H.   Abraham trusted God as the great “provider” (Gen. 22:7-8).

 

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father:  and he said, Here am I, my son.  And he said, Behold the fire and the wood:  but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering:  so they went both of them together.

 

I.     Is there any command that God has given to us more difficult than the one given to Abraham?  Abraham obeyed God.  Why don’t we? (Gen. 22:9-10).

 

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.   And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

 

J.    God stayed Abraham’s hand, and said:  …for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou has not withheld thy son, thine only son from me (Gen. 22:12).

1.     Question:  What did God mean when He said:  “…for now I know…”?

2.     It was not that God did not know.  It only means that Abraham confirmed God’s confidence in Him by his obedience.

 

K.   It is the “fear of God” that makes a man obey God.

 

…for now I know that thou fearest me.

 

L.    God will always prove Himself to be the provider for all those who fear Him, trust Him, and do His will (Gen. 22:13).

 

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a ram caught in a thicket by his horns:  and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

 

M.  Names were often attached to places due to the significance of an event that transpired there (Gen. 22:14).

 

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh:  as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

 

1.     Many see this statement as prophetic in nature:  It SHALL be seen.

2.     This will be the same mountain upon which Jesus would suffer in the fullness of time.

 

N.   The blessing God bestows on Abraham continues due to his obedience to God’s commands (Gen. 22:16-18).

1.     …for because thou hast done this thing (Gen. 22:16).

2.     …because thou hast obeyed my voice (Gen. 22:18).

 

O.   After difficult times, life often continues as it had in the past (Gen. 22:19).

 

So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

 

 

P.    The lineage of Nahor (Gen. 22:20-24).

1.     Nahor was Abraham’s brother (Gen. 11:26).

 

And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

 

2.     Nahor’s lineage is introduced here because it will be involved in the selection of a wife for Isaac in Genesis 26 (See Genesis 22:23).  Rebekah would be a second cousin to Isaac.

 

And Bethuel began Rebekah…