Application: Am I watchful in my dealings with people that I give proper honor to God and refuse to receive honor that belongs to him' (5) Genesis 15:1-6 Test: Abraham trusted God's promise that he would have a son. He sacrificed his only Son for us. Rashi, the greatest Biblical commentator of all time, also hangs his interpretation on the same word. Sermons in Merced by Dr. John Oakes Repent, Return, Restore, Rebuild II. Jesus Christ told the Jewish leaders of His day, But now you seek to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. not undertake to save Him because there was no other acceptable (13:16): I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your descendants also can be counted. This was a great promise, but one that must have seemed so remote to a man in Abrahams position. We who are of the faith of Abraham must also believe that God can resurrect the dead. What was perhaps even more upsetting was the knowledge that his descendants too were to be sojourners in a foreign land (15:13), and slaves to boot! . For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. His writings can be viewed on his blog,Or Am I? In a similar way Christians can point to the empty tomb and the There is a difference between trusting in our own works and trusting in God in order to be justified and saved.In Abrahams Seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Abraham was a stranger and a pilgrim in the land of Canaan just as Christians today are foreigners to the ways of the world. So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him (Genesis 12:1-2, 4). The Lords Supper Is a Multiethnic Love Feast, Nondenominational Churches Are Growing and Multiplying in DC, Transgender Teens, Pronouns, and Preferred Names: Youth Pastors Grapple with New Questions, The Word Made Fresh: Taglish Bible Translation Brings Streets of Manila into Church, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. It seems, at least at first glance, that Gods request to Abraham was unreasonable and possibly even cruel. Several lessons of Abrahams life seem particularly relevant today. v.2 The repetition of the word "son," ten times in the chapter, together . If God was all knowing, why did he tell Abraham to kill Isaac to 'test his faith'? What does the Bible say about reincarnation? Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. What is the point of God testing us? First, if we are to be Abrahams spiritual children and heirs of the promise, we need to recognize that faith is true only when based on the objective word of God (Gen. 15:6; cf. Do you have faith in the LORD GOD? Does Matthew 12:7 (I desire mercy, not sacrifice) mean that Jesus' sacrifice is not needed? Commentators throughout the ages characterize this story as an example of the heights of faith. Why did he do this to Abraham and Isaac? He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son." Hebrews 11:17 (NIV). In these days when faith is faltering in both pew and pulpit, we might do well to take a look at Abrahams faith. shall call his name Isaac" (Gen. 17:19). But this was not the plan What is faith? In return, God promised to make his offspring as many as the stars. Could you shed some more light on this for me? 13:13), we need to recall that Abraham was sustained, guided, and kept (cf. The story in Genesis of the near-sacrifice of Isaac, Abrahams son, which is read on Rosh HaShanah. Then God said to Abraham, Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son (Genesis 22:12). God made Abraham a promise. One day when Isaac was a boy, God came to Abraham and told him to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. The story in Genesis of the near-sacrifice of Isaac, Abrahams son, which is read on Rosh HaShanah. Thirteen tense years pass before we rejoin Abraham in Chapter 17. How sad those words made Abraham, because Abraham loved . God does not force our decisions. Faith is more than an inner spiritual attitude; faith works (see James 2:18 ). But Abraham had only a word from God to base his faith on, and this appeared to be in constant danger of contradiction. For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. servant, Eliezer, be made his heir, but God said, "This man will not be 1 Having learned to deal with personal doubts we often sway when those closest to us raise new ones. Why did God reward Abraham greatly? Father! he said. Please explain why Nahum (Nah 1:4-6) and Habakkuk (Hab 3:14-15) borrowed from Canaanite/Ugaritic descriptions of Baal. Do not lay your hand on the boy, said the angel. Twice he was driven away from the area by famine to an uncertain existence in Egypt. In the prophetic program, the promise of the land was to be one of Faith has also two argumentsGod will do it, because he has promised; and he can do it, because he is omnipotent. In our own battle of faith, as we struggle with our weakness, we should be fortified by the knowledge that many others have faced the same sort of problems and found success. Hebrews records it, "By faith Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.". "Binding." Hebrews 11:10 reveals that in addition to accepting the to be bound on the altar as God had directed Abraham. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ( 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). The final promise made to Abraham again involved not himself directly but others through himin you all the families of the earth will be blessed (12:3b, RSV margin). God used Abraham to picture the greatest example of His lovelong before Jesus gave His life for us. Used by permission of Zondervan. Genesis 22: 1-2, we read how God tested Abraham by demanding his son, Isaac as sacrifice How then was it accounted? God's test of Abraham allowed His childand all the worldto see the reality of faith in action. final regathering of Israel which will be completed at the second Our New Years party came from the idea that while this work can be challenging, it is a joy to lift up the diversity and unique lived experiences of those in our community. But she failed to reckon with God, who is faithful to his word and capable of bringing it to pass, and in due course Isaac was born. Quite a provocative title! The reference to Abraham's "offspring" in this passage is to Jesus Christ, through whom all the people of the world would be blessed with the opportunity for . What if he misunderstood Gods intended purpose? We will not spam, or share your information. was a prosperous city with lovely homes, beautiful parks and public As John 8:39 says: If you were Abrahams children you would do the works of Abraham.. Abraham wavered and Hagar got hurt. While free to pray for changes in our physical And there is a difference between relying on the law, as the Jews did, and doing good works that demonstrate obedience and living faith. Robert Raasch is pastor at Mount Olive, Appleton,Wisconsin. grave. chapter 50, while only two chapters are given to the entire story of Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you." The next morning Abraham got up early. I just finished reading a book I would recommend on this topic. We will worship and then we will come back to you (Genesis 22:5). There were also other factors to disturb Abrahams assurance. 1. Whats your story? Are faith struggles evidence of wandering? Abraham lived in a comfortable home and in pleasant circumstances. Archaeology has disclosed that Ur, located not too far from Babylon, God promised to make Abram the "father of many nations" ( Gen. 17:4) but she was barren. That is the promise in the Bible. Why did God test Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son? But when Isaac had grown older, Jehovah tested Abrahams faith. Paul implies that God overlooked Abrahams lapses. Perhaps God, through the angel, reaffirms to Abraham how much God loves him, but also signals that Abraham and his followers should no longer employ cruel or intimidating means to show their love for God. third day brought them near to the place of sacrifice. But that is the point. God said to Abraham, Take your son, your only son, whom you loveIsaacand go to the region of Moriah. But that is the point. Nevertheless God said, "Sarah, your wife, shall bear you a son, and you Abraham was asked to sacrifice his one and only son, just like God sacrificed his one and only son. Or is doubt just a downswing in our undulating but sincere search for the things of God. Wouldn't he already know Abraham had enough faith? appointment. circumstances, a Christian is willing to accept by faith the place God *, Abraham Went to the Land God Promised Him. We need to understand this as we will all get tested in some way and it will help us if we realise what God is doing. 11:8). He made such a request to draw the best out of Abraham as well as move forward in the big plans He had for him He called the place Yahweh-yireh meaning the Lord will provide. After the sacrifice, the angel spoke again to him, saying that he would be blessed for being willing to give all that he had to the Lord, as Genesis 22:16-18 relates: I swear by my very selforacle of the Lordthat because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your son, your only one, I will bless you and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants will take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth will find blessing, because you obeyed my command.. However, you raise a good point about Gods foreknowledge. With that introduction, your question is a good one. He promises that hes preparing a place in heaven for those who believe (John 14:3). figure was resurrected from the dead, the Christian can put his trust God praised Abraham. Please explain: Why did God cruelly command Abraham to sacrifice his son? To modern readers, this passage and this test feels like a nightmare. and a deeper look at what it means to be a Lutheran. Abraham, Hebrew Avraham, originally called Abram or, in Hebrew, Avram, (flourished early 2nd millennium bce), the first of the Hebrew patriarchs and a figure revered by the three great monotheistic religionsJudaism, Christianity, and Islam. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also(Romans 4:9-11). James explained: But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Now I know that you have faith in me, because you have not held back your son, your only one, from me.. He holds teh B.A. As they grew old and Sarah remained barren, they doubted Gods promise, but He had not forgotten them. He had to separate from Lot, partly because both of them had grown prosperous and had many possessions and partly because their respective herdsmen were constantly quarrelling. Faith gets tested that is a simple fact. obedience and incomplete faith, there is no scriptural record of any Click on the image to buy this book for $12.99 plus S&H and see other books. The answer is in Genesis 15:4-6: And behold, the word of the LORD came to him [Abraham], saying, This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir. Then He brought him outside and said, Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them. And He said to him, So shall your descendants be. And he believed the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.. But God promises to use each of these situations as an opportunity for us to fear, love, and, especially, trust in him above all things. the lamb for the burnt offering?" How sad those words made Abraham, because Abraham loved his son very much. Abraham, despite his great faith, had one great frustration. pagan life in Ur, how could this possibly fit into the plan of God? The supreme test of Abraham's faith was yet to come. At the moment when Abraham was about to plunge the knife into his son, God stopped him. Perhaps God saw Abrahams life events compressed into an essence that spelled FAITH because faith did eventually triumph in obedience. Learn how your comment data is processed. Did St Christopher really exist or is it fiction? 11:17-18). Abraham learned to trust the Lord. I admit that where Paul says Abraham did not waver in unbelief, my indignation used to rise. When Isaac had reached his early teens, God told Abraham to do a But in as much as this might have been a test of Abraham, I read the story as a clear indication that Abraham failed the test. Abraham was still struggling. "Abraham!" God called. Since Abrahams faith is so often mentioned in the Bible, there are many lessons we can learn. Notice that Abraham says, We will come back to you. What is Abraham confessing? Hebrews But just at that moment Gods angel called: Abraham, Abraham! And Abraham answered: Here I am!, Dont hurt the boy or do anything to him, God said. God wanted to test Abraham's "faith"his character and behaviorwithin the context of their relationship. Sarah suggested they lend God a hand by appointing Hagar, her maid, as a surrogate mother. like Abraham, we are justified by faith. After Abraham came into the land of Canaan, he continued to be a stranger and a pilgrim in that foreign land. God does not remove our free will, but God is omniscient. earthly possessions are always temporary, and only that which is resurrected Christ, and believe the miracle of the power revealed on Hes confessing that he firmly believes that Isaac is going to accompany him back from the sacrifice. Do we question or doubt God because of an inner rebellion or refusal to take a faith step? sacrifice for sin. Fiery tests of receive Isaac back from death" (Heb. Finally, just as Abraham was promised that God himself would be his exceeding great reward, we should not lightly throw away our confidence (Heb. Also, our liturgy calls Abraham, our father in faith: Please consider a gift so that Forward in Christ can continue to share your stories of faith, WELS news, Here I am, he replied. INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Then there was that name! Did it require an almost superhuman amount of faith for Abraham to complete the task? There kill your son and offer him up as a sacrifice.. I want us to look at why God tests us first of all. What an astounding command! Abraham is convinced that if he puts Isaac to death, God is going to bring him back to life again. Often he puts our faith to the test too. sacrifice. God told him that he would make him a great nation. The apostle Paul wrote about Abrahams faith in Romans 4:3: For what does the Scripture say? My son, Abraham answered, God will provide the sheep for the burnt offering. Then the two walked on together. Abraham bound Isaac, arranged the wood on the altar, and drew his knife. In fact, when young Isaac asks, Father, . Copyright 2022 . for being such a strong believer. abounded. land with Lot. inheriting the land, be fulfilled if he had no children? Did it require an almost superhuman amount of faith for Abraham to complete the task? Its all these promises and more that allow us to say with Abraham, even in the middle of the most severe tests, God, all I can do is trust you. And with that, Gods purpose for every test we face will be achieved. JPN Reply: Hi Claudia, thanks for the question. If you would like to receive these Bible devotions by e-mail, please sign up (we will not spam, or share your information). That seems so cruel! Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you." Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey. God promised Abraham that He would continue His covenant with Isaac, and that he would have many descendants through this promised son. Akeidah: Abraham Failed God's Test, but God Loved Him Anyway. Moriah which was to be used for the sacrifice. "We know the LORD knows everything, past, present and future. Now, I am not God, and I am not in a position to make any sort of request even remotely like what God asked Abraham. He wanted Abraham to see how great the faith he had within himself. Abraham bound Isaac, arranged the wood on the altar, and drew his knife. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Send us an article or an idea to consider for future publication. They came to the place where God had told him to go and built an altar. most of his life he and Sarah, his wife, had no children. If you look at Hebrews 11:17-19 it offers a useful commentary on this test of Abraham. God knew what Abraham would do. sacrificed Isaac consumed as a burnt offering he would be restored And if we find believing the word of the Lord difficult in the twentieth century, we need to remember that Abraham had far less grounds for confidence than we have. Abraham and Sarah loved Isaac very much and had built their whole future around him. Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts andupdates. No, God tests our faith for our benefit. Once again reason would say that the game was up; the promise and the covenant were both futile. How can it say No unbelief made him waiver concerning the promise of God when he agreed to have a child by Hagar? Abraham noticed a ram caught by his horns in the thicket nearby and offered it to the Lord instead. *New Testament Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW What was Gods purpose in testing Abraham so severely? Yes. Forward in Christ is a ministry of WELS. Instead, it is a beautiful picture of Abrahams faithfulness and Gods provision. He has a knife, and it looks as if he is going to kill his son. However, like so many difficult Bible passages, a deeper lesson about our faith and doubt and Gods grace is waiting to be uncovered. Consider how unreasonable God's request was. In the words of Hebrews 11:9, he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. Having camped briefly between Bethel and Ai and built an altar, he then moved on toward the Negeb. Abraham did not understand, but still he obeyed God. 2023 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod All Rights Reserved. Sometimes we are confronted with a situation that seems to make no sense at all, like the death of an infant child. Video From John Oakes' Presentation at U Conn 4/2/11, Is Jesus an acceptable sacrifice according to the Old Testament (an advanced quest. We have a whole cloud of witnesses, greater even than that known to the writer of the Epistle of the Hebrews. God has ordained that all should be justified by faith. "Yes," he replied. Answer When we ask why God tests us or allows us to be tested, we are admitting that testing does indeed come from Him. But for years, Abraham lurched between faith and doubt in His promise of a son. We must remember that the promises of God given to Abraham are realized through faith. (Genesis 22), the almost-sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham. Hebrews 11:9-10 records this process: By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.. will tell you" (Gen. 22:2). Sarah apparently was not even informed. He tests our faith not for his benefithe already knows exactly how strong or weak our faith is. Abraham's Faith Tested - Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. that they had brought back with them from Egypt. For many people, its an Old Testament Bible story that is confusing, even alarming. Actually, God himself answers that question for usbut only after Abraham passes the test. Why did God test Abraham's loyalty by asking him to sacrifice Isaac?
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why did god test abraham's faith
