FRIDAY, September 5th, 2008

Hey Everyone! Todays passage is the same passage that I preached on Wednesday night!! Hopefully you were listening on Wednesday and you are already somwehat familiar with the story here of Abraham and Isaac.


Genesis 22

1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”And he said, “Here I am.”
2 Then He said, “Take now 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.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad[a] and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.
7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
15 Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,
16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—
17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

The Family of Nahor
20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,
22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

Wow! Do you like to take tests? I do not. Many of you have already taken tests even this week, maybe even today. Well, in this passage God gave Ambraham a test! The test was this: Give up your son as a sacrifice to me.

What!!! God you want me to take my son, MY ONLY SON, and offer him as a burnt offering. I hope that the same thing is never asked of me... I am scared to think if I would respond like Abraham or not.

What a hard thing to do... Be willing to obey God even to the point of the Death of your SON!!! It is clear Abraham really loved God.

Think about this: something I did not even mention on Wednesday night: Do you know anyone else that gave their only son to die, in a way that proved their love?

How about John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave his only beggotten son. That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have ever lasting life.

Abraham and Isaac were such a beautiful picture of God and Jesus Christ. we say it is obvious how much Abraham loved God because He was willing to give up his son... well think about how much God loves you. He was willing to give up his perfect son, to die on a cross, for you.

Well, there is one other point in this passage that I want to mention. Abraham said to his servants: Me and the boy shall return. HOW DID ABRAHAM KNOW THAT GOD WOULD LET ISAAC LIVE? Because God had given Abraham a promise, and Abraham believed it.

God has promised so much to you and I as well, but you will not know the promises if you are not listeneningto Gods voice through the reading of his word. God spoke to Abraham audibly and he speaks to us through his word... Will you agree with me when I remind you how important it it for us to be in God's Word...

If we aren't then we will not know God's promises and that will make it harder to trust Him, because we don't know what He has told us.


I am up in Jacksonville right now. Having a great time! I hope that you are all doing wonderful down there in Port Charlotte. I will be home tomorrow! See you in church on Sunday!