https://esv.literalword.com/?q=Genesis+22
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Monday, 25 November 2024:
Here is a message on Genesis 22 by the late R.C. Sproul: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/themes-from-genesis/abraham-and-isaac
Genesis 22:1, 2 – After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
From Henry T. Blackaby – “Our difficulty is not usually that we don’t know God’s will. Our discomfort comes from the fact that we do know His will, but we do not want to do it! When God first spoke to Abraham, His commands were straightforward. ‘Go to a land I will show you’ (Gen. 12:1). Then God led Abraham through a number of tests over the years. Abraham learned patience as he waited on God’s promise of a son, which took twenty-five years to be fulfilled. Abraham learned to trust God through battles with kings and through the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The pinnacle of Abraham’s walk of faith was when God asked him to sacrifice the one thing that meant more to him than anything else. Abraham’s previous obedience indicated that he would have quickly and decisively sacrificed anything else God asked of him, but was he prepared for this? God did not ask Abraham to make such a significant sacrifice at the beginning of their relationship. This came more than thirty years after Abraham began walking with God. As the Father progressively reveals His ways to you in your Christian pilgrimage, you, like Abraham, will develop a deeper level of trust in Him. When you first became a Christian, your Master’s instructions were probably fundamental, such as being baptized or changing your lifestyle. But as you learn to trust Him more deeply, He will develop your character to match bigger tests, and with the greater test will come a greater love for God and knowledge of His ways. Are you ready for God’s next revelation?” (Henry T. Blackaby)
“Here I am.” Abraham had grown in faith to the place where he stood at the ready, prepared to instantly and willingly obey any of the Father’s instructions, regardless the personal cost. This sort of spiritual maturity should be our life ambition and prayer to God – “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:10-13)
“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” This is the first mention of love in the Bible. Abraham’s great faith rested on his love for the Lord which was higher than all other loves but which was also the source of his ability to truly love anyone else because God is Love, the source and definition of true love. We can only love at all because He first loved us and enables us to love as His image bearers. How could Abraham, without hesitation, prepare to sacrifice his son as God had commanded? Didn’t he love Isaac? God Himself said he did, and God knew Abraham’s heart better than anyone. Abraham didn’t hesitate because he knew he could unquestionably trust the God he loved with everything else he loved, because God would only respond to Abraham and Isaac from His nature of perfect love. Whatever God commands is what Love requires. Sin (disobedience) is always unloving – it defies Love. Some people sin in the name of love, suggesting sin is justified by love; however, any ideas of love which defy God’s commands is merely lust. The Bible says, “God is Love,” rather than “love is God,” because God defines love, and not the other way around. However, people quite often try to validate their lustful sin by describing a false god who honors their false love which is merely lust. Undoubtedly, Abraham dreaded the idea of losing Isaac, but because of his love for God and Isaac, he didn’t let his feelings get in the way of what was honoring to God and best for Isaac.
- 1 John 4:8, 10, 16-19 — Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love…. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins…. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.
- Hebrews 11:6 — And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
- John 14:21 – “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
- John 15:10 — If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
- 1 John 5:1-5 — Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
- 1 Timothy 1:5 — The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
“Take your son…. and offer him….” God directed Abraham to sacrifice beloved son. Charles Spurgeon commented, “I cannot imagine a greater test than that which the Lord applied to Abraham. The Jews usually say that Abraham was tried ten times. Surely on this occasion he was tried ten times in one.” What are you unwilling to sacrifice for obedience to the Lord? Abraham trusted and obeyed God, even when he didn’t understand it or feel like it. We must operate on faith rather than feelings.
“But there is not a word of argument; not one solitary question that even looks like hesitation. ‘God is God,’ he seems to say, and it is not for me to ask him why, or seek a reason for his bidding. He has said it: ‘I will do it.’” (Spurgeon) Often our questions of “Why?” are simply an expression of doubt and delay, as are our “How?” questions, our “Who?” questions, our “What?” questions, and our “When?” questions. As Henry T. Blackaby mentioned above, we usually know what God wants but we don’t want to do it; so we ask a lot of questions. I once spoke to a physical trainer who was known to be one of the best but also one of the hardest instructors around, and I asked him about the large number (the majority) of people who would start his program but quickly drop out. He said he could tell on day one who was going to drop out, and I asked him how he could tell. He said the people that asked a lot of questions about the workouts always dropped out, but the people who came and just obeyed the instructions and worked out without question stayed and achieved great results. God also knows the difference between honest questions for guidance in execution and delay questions. Remember, delayed obedience is still disobedience. If God says do it, just do it wholeheartedly, without hesitation.
Genesis 22:8 — Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb.”
This is a foreshadowing of Jesus — “…and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36) Notice that following parallels between Abram/Isaac’s willing sacrifice and Jesus’ willing sacrifice on the Cross:
- Willing sacrifice — Isaac cheerfully submitted to being a sacrifice, just as Jesus was willing to lay down his life for humanity.
- Carrying wood — Isaac carried wood to the place of sacrifice, just as Jesus carried his wooden cross to Golgotha. Isaac carrying the firewood was a figure of Christ’s death, submitting himself to his father as a victim.
- Journey to Moriah — Abraham and Isaac’s journey to Moriah took three days, just as Jesus’ journey of sacrifice was complete on the third day with his resurrection.
- Blood sacrifice — The Lord provided a blood sacrifice in the place of Isaac, just as He provided a blood sacrifice for all people through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.
- Anguish of sacrifice — The story of Abraham and Isaac shows the anguish of Jesus’ sacrifice.
- Isaiah 53:7 — He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
- 1 Peter 1:19 — But with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
- Revelation 5 — Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Genesis 22:14 — On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.
The “land of Moriah” is also where Jesus was crucified. Here is a five minute audio commentary by Sinclair Ferguson on the significance of Mount Moriah — https://learn.ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/the-lord-will-provide
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 25 November 2024: Today, obey God wholeheartedly, without hesitation, regardless the personal sacrifice, and trust the Lord to provide for the sacrifice.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 