Lesson 52


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Bible Study 1 - Genesis 22

 

Series # 4:         FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH

Lesson 52:        Genesis 22.1-14   CLIMBING TO THE LOFTINESS OF FAITH

 

Genesis 22:1-14(KJV) “1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.3And 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 clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7And 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? 8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9And 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. 10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.11And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him 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. 14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”

 

INTRODUCTION

One more look at Chapter 22 and then we will move on. There is so much here, but I will conclude with these thoughts in this study. The steps of faith always lead uphill but they begin gradually because our faith starts out small. At first the incline up the hill of faith is gradual and the climb is easy. Nevertheless, God has so arranged the journey of life so that the walk becomes harder and harder and the faith of the child of God is inevitably strengthened each step of the way. Our desire is that the way of faith would be a little less difficult, but God wants us to learn that it is only through the difficult climbing that any of us will ever reach THE LOFTINESS OF FAITH. When we reach the peak, then we can see in clear view God's best plan and His purposes for us in history.

 

I believe that is exactly what happened in the life of Abraham. At first Abraham's faith was as simple as believing in God's call and doing what God told him to do in Gen 12. However, soon after that God led him to higher ground when Abraham was asked to believe that God could give him a son when he was past the age of bring about children and Sarah was past the age of fertility Gen 14. At that point, Abraham's faith in God meant believing that God was able to perform a miracle. Abraham believed that God could do it, and he wasn't disappointed. When Abraham made that step up the mountain of faith he learned to recognize God as the God of the impossible


in addition, he grew stronger and stronger in faith, giving God the glory. Along this uphill journey of faith Abraham learned a few things as he was CLIMBING TO THE LOFTINESS OF FAITH.

 

INTERPRETATION

 

CLIMBING TO THE LOFTINESS OF FAITH ABRAHAM LEARNED ABOUT THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE.

Before chapter 17 of Genesis, Abraham was 86 years of age when his concern for a son had last been shared with God. However, in chapter 17 we learn that Abraham was 99 years of age and he was hoping that Ishmael, who had been born in his old age of a slave girl, might be blessed as the son of God's promise. Nevertheless, the natural birth of Ishmael was not God's doing, and in time God came again to Abraham and reminded him that His promise of a son would come through Sarah. God said in Genesis 17:4-6   "As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee." This was the promise of God, and the fulfillment of that promise now required a miracle. The Bible tells us in Romans 4:20-21 that Abraham "was strong in faith, giving glory to God" and that he "was fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform." Then in the following year Sarah gave birth to Isaac who was the son of promise and an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

I wonder if we have a faith like that of Abraham? I wonder if we realize we have the same miracle working God that Abraham had? The God we worship is the God of Abraham, and He works in men to bring forth faith just like that found in Abraham. Our God brings [life out of death] - [love out of hate] - [peace out of turmoil] - [joy out of misery] - [praise out of cursing] - and - [miracles to those who truly trust Him]. In our day God does that through the Lord Jesus who is the focal point and the ultimate heir of all God's promises.

EXPLANATION

 

CLIMBING TO THE LOFTINESS OF FAITH ABRAHAM LEARNED ABOUT REAL FAITH IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS.

The final step on the path of Abraham's faith appears in Genesis 22. God put Abraham through some severe test's, and in the midst of those test's Abraham learned something about the way God deals with man that Abraham would have learned in no other way. In Genesis 22:2 God said to Abraham, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Because Abraham obeyed God, through this test Abraham learned something about the coming of the Lord and he was able, in at least some small way, to enter into the very mind of his heavenly Father.

 

THE FIRST TEST THAT CAME TO ABRAHAM WAS THAT OF PERSONAL DEVOTION TO GOD.

Again, we must remember that Abraham was 86 years old when he had his first son by Hagar. Abraham was 100 years old when Sarah finally gave birth to Isaac, and Ishmael was 14 years old. Now at this point in time, Isaac had become a fine young man, and some have calculated that he was maybe 15, which would have made Abraham 115 years old. Therefore, Abraham had loved this son Isaac for 15 years. This love had grown stronger as he watched his son grow to young manhood. Abraham loved him not only because he was his son of old age as the result of a miracle of God, but also because Isaac was the son of the promise. We can only begin to imagine the deep struggle that must have gone on in Abraham's heart during that long night as he surly wrestled with the thought of losing Isaac. However, whatever the struggle may have been, and regardless of how deep it was, it was all over by the next morning because he emerged committed to obedience. Genesis 22:3 says, "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 clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him."

 

THE TEST THAT CAME TO ABRAHAM WAS THAT OF SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION OF GOD.

 

Think for just a moment about the things that Abraham had learned in the years before Isaac's birth. At one time Abraham had been tempted to think that God would not keep His promises and that a household servant could be his legal heir in Genesis 15. Later on, Abraham wanted to substitute Ishmael, the son of Hagar, for Isaac, before Isaac was ever born in Genesis 17. God had taught Abraham that the blessing was to come through Isaac, and now God had asked Abraham to kill his son Isaac, the son of a miracle, the son of promise. I can only imagine the troubled heart and mind of Abraham during those dark hours the night before all of this was to take place.

 

Maybe his thoughts could have been these: “I know Isaac is the son of God's promise. God has shown me time and time again that He will not send the blessing through another. Yet, this same God now tells me to sacrifice this son and put him to death. If I put Isaac to death as God has commanded, then how can God fulfill His promise?”

 

You can rest assured that the puzzling thoughts in his mind were real, but then, as Abraham wrestled with this supreme test of God's logic, something must have clicked in him. Maybe it was as the sun was rising, maybe then the thought occurred to Abraham that the same God who had done a miracle in bring about Isaac's birth in the first place was also capable of doing another miracle in bringing him back from the dead. This was the solution that his aching heart could have discovered during that long desert night of struggle. As Abraham started for that mountain the next morning he must have been thinking: "Come on boy, we are going to see a miracle. God has asked me to sacrifice you on Mount Moriah. If God is going to be faithful to His promise, He's going to have to raise you up again from the dead. Boy, we're going to see a resurrection together!"

 

You may think I am taking personal privileges with this thought but I believe there are at least 2 places in the Bible that lead me to believe this is the way it happened.

 

  1. The first place is in the story of the event itself. Abraham had come to the foot of the mountain and he had the boy with him, and he was ready to go on up to obey God without the other young men who were with him. As he took the kindling and Isaac and prepared to climb the mountain, Abraham said to the others in Genesis 22:5, "Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." Just think about what Abraham said. Who would come again to you? [Abraham and Isaac!] What does that mean? [It means that although Abraham believed that he was going to perform the sacrifice, he also believed that God was going to perform a resurrection and Isaac would be able to come back down with him.] 

     

  2. The second place is in Hebrews 11:17-19 which is the full New Testament commentary on the incident. "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." That means that Abraham looked for a resurrection and he triumphed in this expectation and he grew strong in faith toward God.

 

When Siamese twins are joined at the waist both cannot live, so the parents have to choose which child lives and which child dies. That is a terrible predicament to be in. That, however, is the position that God placed Abraham in in this passage. Abraham had a choice to make and it involved the life of his son. Abraham’s faith was on trial before the Lord.

 

The Bible says in 1st Peter. 1:7, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" Through the centuries, Abraham has stood as a monument to true faith of God. Abraham trusted God in every area of his life and he was vindicated (or justified) by God every time. He was tried, but he came forth from the trial shining in the glory of the Lord. In these verses, we can learn much about the trial of faith. We can learn how to handle the trials of life and about the One who makes the victory possible for us. Notice with me three aspects of the trial of faith.

 

ABRAHAM WAS A LOVING FATHER EVIDENCED BY ISAAC’S APPEARING

 
Genesis 22:1-2(KJV) “1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac…”

 

HE WAS THE SON OF PROMISE

Genesis 17:19(KJV) “19And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac…” 


HE WAS THE SON OF PROPHECY


Genesis 17:19(KJV) “…thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him.”

 

HE WAS THE SON OF PROVIDENCE [OF ABRAHAM’S OLD AGE]

Genesis 17:17(KJV) “17Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?”

 

These three facts caused Isaac to hold a high place in his father’s life.

ABRAHAM WAS A LOVING FATHER EVIDENCED BY ABRAHAM’S ACTIONS

 

Abraham held Isaac higher in his esteem than he did Ishmael.


 Genesis 21:8-14(KJV) “8And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. 14And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.”


 


ABRAHAM WAS A LOVING FATHER EVIDENCED BY GOD’S ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

God knew Abraham better than anyone else and he stated the fact that Abraham loved Isaac! Love made the task hard!

ABRAHAM HAD A LIVING FAITH EVIDENCED BY A REQUIREMENT 2b-14

 

In the context this was a hard request which God placed upon Abraham. The Bible shows over and over that true faith is always tested.

  1. The Bible says in 1st Peter. 4:12, “12Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:”

     

  2. The Bible says in 1st Corinthians 10:13, “13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

     

  3. The Bible says in 2nd Timothy 3:12, “12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”

 

Faith that is never tested is not a faith at all!

 

ABRAHAM HAD A LONG-TERM FAITH EVIDENCED BY ISAAC’S APPEARING

 
Genesis 22:3-10(KJV) “3And 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 clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7And 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? 8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9And 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. 10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.”

 

THERE WAS A RESPONSE

 

In the context, without question, Abraham set about doing that which God demanded. True faith always responds to God’s call! Abraham’s faith revealed the fact that he loved God more than he loved Isaac! In the Bible Jesus said in John 14:15, “15If ye love me, keep my commandments.” The particulars of the journey which Abraham obeyed are revealed clearly in verses 8-10. These verses reveal the true faith of Abraham! How could Abraham do it all? Abraham could do that because in his mind Isaac had died when God spoke. He had already put Isaac to death before he ever left home! This is the secret to a walk of total faith. That is, a mind absolutely yielded to the Lord and ready at once to surrender all to Him!

 

THERE WAS A REWARD

In the context, true faith in God is always rewarded by God. When we respond to Him in absolute trust and faith, God gets the glory and God blesses. God honors faith, because true faith honors God! He doesn’t always pay off on Friday, but He always pays off! God may require that you and I walk through some pretty hard places, but it is faith that will deliver us and get us through all the valleys. Faith is the key ingredient that makes all the difference between worry and winning, struggling, and succeeding, tragedy and triumph. Faith is the key to victory in the Christian life. The Bible says in 1st Corinthians 15:57, “57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

APPLICATION

 

SOME LASTING FEATURES 
 

Genesis 22:12-14(KJV) “12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him 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. 14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”

 

This story still speaks to us because of three outstanding features!

THE PICTURE IN ISAAC IS A PORTRAIT OF JESUS THROUGH AND THROUGH:

 

ISAAC WAS THE ONLY SON – JESUS WAS THE ONLY SON.


  1. The Bible says in Genesis 22:2, “…Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest…”

     

  2. Jesus said in the Bible in John 3:16, “16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

     


ISAAC WAS OBEDIENT TO THE FATHER’S WILL – JUST LIKE JESUS.


Isaac was about 15 to 20 years old and Abraham was about 100. Isaac was more than able to overcome his father, yet he submitted to his Father. Jesus could have rejected the cross, yet he submitted to the Father also.

  1. In the Bible Jesus said in John 4:34, “…My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” 

     

  2. In the Bible Jesus said in Luke 22:42, “…Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

 

ISAAC CARRIED THE WOOD FOR THE OFFERING – JESUS CARRIED HIS OWN CROSS.

  1. The Bible says in Genesis 22:6, “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.”

     

  2. The Bible says in John 19:17, “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:”

 

4. ISAAC PRAYED TO HIS FATHER – SO DID JESUS
The Bible says in Genesis 22:7, “And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son.”

 
The Bible says in Luke 22:42, “…Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

 

5. ISAAC WILLINGLY SURRENDERED TO THE APPOINTED TASK – SO DID JESUS.

 

  1. The Bible says in Genesis 22:7-9, “7And 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? 8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9And 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.”

  2. In the Bible Jesus said in John 10:18, “18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”


6. ISAAC WAS DEAD FOR THREE DAYS IN ABRAHAM’S MIND! – JESUS WAS IN THE TOMB FOR THREE DAYS 
1 .  The Bible says in Genesis 22:3-4, “3And 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 clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off”
.  The Bible says in Matthew 16:21, “21From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”


7. ISAAC RAISED FROM THE DEAD AND JESUS WAS ALSO RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
The Bible says in Hebrews 11:17-19, “17By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”


The Bible says in Matthew 28:1-6, “1In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. 2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”


 


THE PEACE IN ABRAHAM IS A WONDERFUL PORTRAIT OF THE GRACE AND PEACE OF GOD.


He was certainly heartbroken and miserable, yet somehow, he knew that God would intervene.

Perhaps, Abraham was even excited as he contemplated what God would do. Surely, he would see a new side of the Lord in this work. This is an encouragement for you and me to continue to trust in the Lord. He has no respect of persons, and what He did for Abraham, He will do for us!

 

THE PROVISION OF GOD – THE RAM IN THE THORNS – GOD ABUNDANTLY INTERVENED AND MET THE NEED

 

Jehovah-Jireh “The Lord Will See To It."

 

While pain, heartache, grief, sorrow, dread, death, and brokenness went up one side of that mountain, provision, healing, glory, salvation, delight, deliverance, and blessing was coming up the other. He was Jehovah-Jireh then, and He is Jehovah-Jireh today! He is what we need in every area of our life! What God did on that mountain called Moriah then, 1,500 years later that is the same place that was to be called Mount Calvary!

 

If our faith is real it will be tested, but you can be rest assured that Jesus is and has all we need to have the victory in our life. The primary thing that needs to be settled is this: Are we trusting Jesus Christ for our salvation? Just like Isaac climbed Mt. Moriah, Jesus climbed Mt. Calvary, carrying His cross and our sins. He died there to save our soul and if you haven’t already, you can be saved if you will go to Him by faith and ask Him to forgive your sins and become your Savior. If you are a Christian, are you undergoing a trial today? If so, please take your burden to the Lord in prayer and leave it with Him, He is still the God who will see your through it. Do not waste one more moment but take your need to Him right now.

However, all we have seen up to this point is what Abraham learned before he ascended Mount Moriah. The climax of the story and the greatest lesson of all comes up on top of that mountain. The Jewish people have a proverb that says, "In the mountain the Lord will provide.” On that mountain Abraham learned that God would one day provide His Own son to die for man's salvation.

 

CONCLUSION

 

ALONG THE PATH OF FAITH ABRAHAM LEARNED ABOUT REAL RESURRECTION IN THE HEART AND MIND OF GOD.

 
THE FIRST LINE OF EVIDENCE FOR THIS CONCLUSION IS FOUND IN JOHN 8:56-58.

 

In this verse Jesus speaks of the knowledge of Himself that Abraham possessed when He says, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." Abraham had a vision of Christ's coming in his own day, some 2,000 years before the actual birth of Jesus.

The context of these verses requires the point, not that Abraham existed after death, but that Christ was preexistent, Jesus existed before His birth. Jesus existed in the Old Testament in order to give a revelation of Himself to Abraham. If this is true, to what period of Abraham's life does this vision refer that was spoken of by Jesus? The only part of Abraham's life recorded in the Old Testament to which is could possibly refer is the part we are now looking at and studying right here. This is the only occasion where this could be a vehicle to reveal Christ's coming to earth, His death, and His resurrection.

 
THE SECOND LINE OF EVIDENCE FOR THIS CONCLUSION IS FOUND IN THE NAME OF GOD THAT MADE UP WHAT ABRAHAM LEARNED ON THAT MOUNTAIN. 


I don't know whether you remember or not but we saw in an earlier study that God had previously revealed Himself to Abraham by different names.

THE FIRST was "JEHOVAH," which means "I Am That I Am" in Genesis 12:1.

THE SECOND was as Abraham had given tithes to Melchizedek, he had learned the name "EL ELYON," which means "The most high God" and identifies God as the possessor of heaven and earth in Genesis 14:19.

THE THIRD was when Abraham learned that God was able to do that which seemed impossible to men, as he did at the birth of Isaac; he came to know God as "EL SHADDAI," which means "God Almighty" in Genesis 17:1.

THE FOURTH was when Abraham learned that God was also "JEHOVAH-JIREH" which means "The God who provides" in Genesis 22:14. This name was a true revelation of God's character. This name points to the fact that the God who would provide a ram as a substitute for the sacrifice of Isaac would also provide a substitute for the death of all men through Jesus Christ.

 
THE THIRD LINE OF EVIDENCE FOR THIS CONCLUSION IS FOUND IN THE WAY THE STORY ITSELF IS DRAMATIZED. We can't doubt that God allowed it to happen in this way as an illustration of what would happen 2,000 years later when God would give His Own Son on Calvary.

Think about what actually happened. As Abraham started out early that morning, Isaac was as good as dead, because Abraham was determined to obey the Lord's commandment. For three days they traveled on the way to Mount Moriah - the exact length of time that passed between the death of Jesus and His Easter resurrection. Abraham and the boy reached the mountain and the climb was made. Isaac was bound, laid on the altar, and Abraham raised his hand to plunge the knife into his son. It was only at this point that God intervened to provide a substitute of a ram that was caught in the bushes.

This event provided a figure of a far greater and more literal resurrection. You see, Abraham was only called upon to offer his son and when his hand was poised ready to make its fatal blow, there was a substitute provided. But when the time came for God to offer His Son on Calvary, the hand that was poised above Him fell and God put His Own Son to death, there was no substitute provided because there was the only suitable or acceptable sacrifice for our sins before God.

Jesus endured the full sufferings of death, and for three days He lay in the tomb. Then God effected the resurrection an initiated Christ's triumphs. All of this was dramatized in Abraham and for us. Through all of this heart wrenching experience, right up to the point of seeing the ram as a substitute for his son, Abraham learned to look for Christ's coming. Through all of Abraham's suffering, Abraham learned of God's eventual suffering. Through this journey of faith Abraham learned what it meant for God to give His Son on Calvary.

 

WE HAVE NOW REACHED THE END OF THE STORY OF ABRAHAM. As we have studied the life of Abraham we have been FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH. We have followed him through a lifetime of learning to walk by faith. His faith grew by stages, and there is an application in at least one of these stages for each one of us. Whatever your position is in the life of faith, you are at one point of this journey. There is no way for me to cover all the possibilities, but let me just mention a few.

 

PERSONALIZATION

Something For You To Consider:

 

1.  There may still be some who are in Ur of Chaldees spiritually and you must be willing to leave behind all that you have been in the past and all that you are in the present and you must walk the path that Jesus shows you. [God wants you to leave your sin, God wants you to leave your past, God wants you to leave your own planning, God wants you to leave your good opinions of yourself, and follow Jesus.]

2. There may be some of you who have, like Abraham, been asked to believe that God can do the impossible. Maybe you need a change in your life, maybe it is a call to be a missionary, maybe it is to be a witness to someone, maybe it's a call to a life of service, maybe it's a marriage decision, or maybe it is some submission to a seemingly unthinkable circumstance. [The God who has called you is the God who can do the impossible so you need to trust him, and step forward in faith and let what will happen - just happen.]

3.  There may be some of you who are, like Abraham, reaching the last days of your earthly life and you are facing some very personal suffering. [God wants you to take courage in the fact that He will use even that to teach you something about yourself and about Himself and about His purpose for you from now until your home-going.]

4.  There may be some of you who are being tested where your children are concerned. [Through these experiences you are facing you may learn what God feels when we are disobedient children. During these times you may really learn what are true priorities in life, love, and living.]

5.  There may be some of you who are burdened over some friend, neighbor, or family member who does not believe and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. [Maybe God would have you learn through this what Jesus felt when He cried,] "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" [Maybe that burden is there because there is some word or deed or life experience that could come from you that could make a difference in their life as the Holy Spirit leads you.]

6. There may be some of you who know some personal, vindictive, unjust abuse from a family member, friend, or work associate. [God may want you to go through that experience in order to learn about His love and the depth of His compassion as you face the contradictions of a lost sinner and be and be an encouragement to someone else going through the same dreadful dilemma.]

If God has led you this far on the journey of FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH, you have begun CLIMBING TO THE LOFTINESS OF FAITH in order that you may learn that the knowledge of God is far more precious than any material blessing you may ever have.

 

You are becoming a true friend of God, as Abraham was, and you will not want to exchange THE LOFTINESS OF THIS KIND OF FAITH for the lowlands anywhere.

 

DO YOU NEED SOME HELP?

To find more help in receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior please go to the Bible Study Title Page “ETERNAL LIFE.” Please send me an email and let me know about any decision for Christ you make so that I may pray for you. Feel free to send me any questions, comments, or responses you may have as well. For those who are already Christians I invite you to also please let me know of any decisions you make in your Christian life for Jesus. Please send me your questions, comments, or responses and let me know if the Bible Studies are helping you.


<rfdenning1951@gmail.com>


 


ALWAYS REMEMBER!


The support of your local Church ministry and the ministry of your Pastor should be the first priority of your Christian life and your service to the Lord. Be faithful to prayerfully prepare and attend Sunday School and Worship Service this Sunday and participate in worship as your Pastor preaches the Word. Do not forget to give the Lord at least your TITHE through your local church from your gross income – that is your first fruits. Any other other giving is an offering to a ministry unto the Lord. Honor the Lord in all you do and with all that you have. Always remember that everything you have and all you are belongs to the Lord. It is on loan to you – so manage it well! There will be an audit one day! Make sure the Books Balance!


 


All Bible Studies Are Prepared by Pastor Frank Denning And May Be Be Used By Permission.