Sermon #601 Hebrews
Notes
Title: Abraham’s Great Trial
Text: Hebrews 11:17-19
Readings: Bob
Duff – Genesis 22:1-19
Subject: Abraham’s
Faith Enduring Great Trial
Date: Tuesday Evening – July 31,2000
Tape # W-54a
Introduction:
“‘Tis my happiness below
Not to live without the
cross,
But my Savior’s power to
know
Sanctifying every loss.
Trials must and will befall;
But, with humble faith to
see
Love inscribed upon them all
–
This is happiness to me.
God in Israel sows
the seeds
Of affliction, pain, and
toil
These spring up and choke
the weeds
That would else o’erspread
the soil.
Trials make the promise
sweet
Trials give new life to
prayer,
Trials bring me to His feet,
Lay me low and keep me
there.
Did I meet no trials here,
No chastisements by the way,
Might I not with reason fear
I should prove a castaway.
Bastards may escape the rod,
Sunk in earthly, vain
delight;
But the true born child of
God
Must not, would not, if he
might.”
--
William Cowper
In Hebrews 5:8 we read that our Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, “Though he were a Son, yet
learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” And that which was
true of our Redeemer, when he walked upon this earth as a man, is true of us.
If we are the children of God, as long as we live in this body of flesh, we
will be required to learn obedience. And we learn obedience by the things which
we suffer by the hand of God’s wise and good providence.
The life of the believer is a series of
trials, by which his faith is tested, proved, and strengthened.
Character is developed by discipline. And God will develop the character of his
saints. It appears that frequently there is one great trial of faith, for which
all other trials seem to be preparatory. Certainly, that was the case with Abraham
and the great trial of his faith described in our text.
[Hebrews 11:17-19]
"By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that
had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. [18] Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be
called: [19] Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a
figure."
Verse.
17 – “By faith Abraham, when he was
tried” -- God’s will is the rule of justice and goodness, and whatever he requires is just and good. We
dare not attempt to call the Almighty to our bar. He gives no account to us of
his matters. His command to Abraham, to offer up his son Isaac may be confusing
to men. Men may use it to blaspheme his name; but the Lord our God is the Lord
of life. He gives it, he preserves it, and he takes it as he will, by whatever
means he pleases.
“Offered up Isaac” -- Abraham
showed no reluctance. As soon as he had God’s command, he traveled three days’
journey to the place of sacrifice. He took the wood for the burnt offering,
laid it on his son; took fire, and carried a knife in his hand to slay his son.
He built an altar, laid the wood in order on it; and bound his son, laid him on
the altar before the Lord, took the knife, and stretched forth his hand to slay
his darling son. He fully intended to kill his only son upon the mount of
sacrifice.
For this, he is
held before us as a great example of faith. Had God not stopped him, Abraham
would have killed his so by faith. He believed God. He trusted the equity,
justice, and wisdom of his God and his God’s command. Believing God, he was
fully assured of the truth and faithfulness of Lord’s promises, no matter how
his providence and commands might seem to contradict them. Moreover, Abraham was
fully persuaded that God would, one way or another, fulfill his promises, raise
Isaac from the dead, and save his people through that Savior who was to come
through his loins! This was great faith indeed! Being great faith, it was
greatly tried.
“And he that had received the promises
offered up his only begotten son” – The Lord God promised Abraham
that he would have a son, -- that a great multitude would be born of him, a
people who would inherit the land of Canaan, a people who would inherit the
earth. – The promise of God to Abraham was that the Messiah himself, (the
Woman’s Seed, the Christ, the Redeemer) would come into the world through
Isaac! The Lord calls our attention to this fact specifically in verses 18-19.
Verse 18-19 – “Of whom it is said, That in Isaac
shall thy seed be called.” Now, look at this (v. 19) – “Accounting
that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead!”
Commenting on these words, John Gill wrote, -- “Abraham did
not go to the place of sacrifice without thought. Yet he did not consult with
flesh and blood. His reasoning was the reasoning of faith; and the conclusion
of it was, that God was able to raise him from the dead. He knew that he had
received him at first, as it were, from the dead; he sprung from his own dead
body, and out of Sarah’s dead womb; and though his faith did not prescribe to
God, yet he believed that God would raise his son from the dead, rather than
that his promise should fail; and this conclusion proceeded upon the power and
faithfulness of God.”
“From whence also he received him in a figure.”
– Abraham received Isaac as one raised from the dead, in a figure, in a
picture, for the purpose of teaching us about faith.
Let’s look one more time at
that great passage to which our text refers (Gen. 22:1-19). Let me show you
something of that which is revealed in this great chapter about Abraham’s
great trial.
Genesis 22 is one of the
great chapters of the Bible. Here,
for the first time, God shows us, in a vivid picture, the necessity of a human
sacrifice for the ransom of our souls. Because it was a man who brought
sin into the world, sin must be removed by a man. Because man had sinned, a man
must suffer the wrath of God and die. The blood of bulls and goats could never
take away sin. But the Man, Christ Jesus, “after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God...For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Heb.
10:4, 12, 14).
Genesis 22
records Abraham’s greatest trial and the greatest revelation of the gospel that
God made to Abraham. I am sure our Lord was referring to this chapter when he said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day:
and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). This chapter is full of Christ
and full of redemption. Someone suggested, “It could rightly be called, ‘The
Gospel of Moriah’.” Many, with good reason, believe that Mt. Moriah and Mt.
Calvary were the same places.
Proposition: This whole chapter is a
picture of God’s great sacrifice of his dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the
place of sinners.
There are
so many things portrayed in this chapter that I cannot possibly cover them all
in one message. It is a picture of...
·
Great faith!
·
God’s great purpose of grace!
·
Substitutionary redemption by Christ!
·
And God’s great provision of grace for his people in Christ!
But tonight I can only touch
the highlights.
I. Notice first, THE TIME WHEN THIS
TRIAL WAS BROUGHT UPON ABRAHAM (V. 1).
[Genesis 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."
“And it came to pass after these things” -- After all the other trials,
hardships, heartaches, and difficulties he had already endured, perhaps Abraham
had begun to think, “At last, the storms are over.”
·
This is the man who had been called to leave his home and family.
·
This is the man who had buried his father, Terah, in Haran.
·
This is the man who had to endure the family strife with Lot.
·
This is the man who had to go to war with the heathen kings to save
Lot.
·
This is the man who had to wait 25 years for God to fulfill his
promise. - Isaac
·
This is the man who had seen his brother’s family swept away in God’s
wrath.
·
This is the man who had been required to cast his son out of his house.
Abraham
must have thought to himself, after all that he had been through, “Now the
worst is over. Now I will live in peace. Ishmael is gone. Hagar is gone. Lot is
gone. But I have Sarah and Isaac. All is well.” But it was not so. “It came to pass after these things that God
did tempt,” test, try, and prove, “Abraham.”
Abraham had been tested again and again. But now the Lord seems to say, “My son, give me thine heart” (Prov.
23:26).
II. Second,
THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THIS TRIAL UPON
ABRAHAM WAS THE LORD HIS GOD. -- “God
did tempt Abraham” (v. 1).
The word tempt here means, “to try,” “to test,” or
“to prove” (James 1:2, 3, 12). God
brought this trial upon Abraham, not because he was angry at him, but because
he loved him. The purpose of the trial was to prove to Abraham the
reality of his faith and to reveal to Abraham the glory of his grace in Christ.
When the trial was over, Abraham knew
himself better than he did before; and he knew Christ better than he did
before.
All
through his life God had been preparing Abraham for this event; and now, “it came to pass after these things.” Our
great, sovereign God does all things “in
due time” (Rom. 5:6).
“In the fulness of time”
(Gal. 4:4)
-- “After
these things” -- After the fall, the flood, the exodus, the
tabernacle, the law, the prophets, the kings, and the priests had all run their
course, it pleased God to fulfill every prophecy, pattern, and promise of Holy
Scripture by the sacrifice of his only begotten Son. All that came before were
preparatory events, picturing and pointing to the hour when Christ would die
(Acts 10:43; Lk. 24:27, 44-46).
God’s providence is always on time.
“All things are of God” (2 Cor.
5:18). And God does all things well. Learn these three things:
A.
Our trials always come from
our heavenly Father.
B.
Our trials are brought upon
us by God to prove and improve our faith.
C.
Our trials reveal Christ and
make him more precious.
III. Third,
read verse 2 and try to realize something of THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS GREAT TRIAL.
[Genesis 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 there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will
tell thee of."
The words of this verse,
taken one by one, reveal the greatness of Abraham’s sacrifice, the love behind
it, and the agony he endured through it. Can
you imagine...
·
Abraham’s grief when he received this command?
·
The sorrow he suffered as he contemplated the death of his son by his
own hand?
·
The love he must have had for God, to willingly sacrifice his darling
Isaac?
·
The supreme sacrifice he made?
Every word in this verse must have been like a sword
in his heart! Yet, there is a greater Sacrifice than that of Abraham. Here the
Lord God himself is telling us what he has done for us.
A.
“Take now thy son” -- The Lord Jesus Christ, whom God sacrificed
for us, is himself the Son of God.
B. “Thine only son” -- Our Savior, whom God gave
for the ransom of our souls, is God’s “only
begotten Son” (John 3:16).
C. “Isaac” -- Isaac means “laughter”, or “delight.” And Christ is the one, the
only one, in whom God is well pleased.
D. “Whom thou lovest” --
God
said, “This is my beloved Son.” Yet,
he sacrificed his darling for us, the very chief of sinners!
E. “And offer him for a
burnt offering” -- Not just a sacrifice, “a burnt
offering!” The Lord Jesus Christ is our burnt-offering, our sin-offering,
our trespass offering, sacrificed for us by the hand of God, according to the
will of God (Isa. 53:10; Heb. 10:9-10).
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift!” (1 Cor. 9:15).
III. Fourth,
CONSIDER THE DIFFICULTIES ABRAHAM HAD
TO OVERCOME TO OBEY GOD’S COMMAND.
There were many things Abraham might have argued as
reasons for disobedience. But he “consulted
not with flesh and blood.” God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, but...
A. The Lord gave him no reason for requiring such a sacrifice. -- All
Abraham had was God’s command.
B. The commandment was contrary to nature, reason, and love. -- But it was
crystal clear.
C. The commandment appeared to be contrary to the promise of God. -- But
it came from God who made the promise.
D. If Abraham obeyed God, as he knew he must, he was sure to suffer much
ridicule, persecution, and reproach for it.
·
What would he tell Sarah?
·
What would he say to the Egyptians?
God, give me grace to give you such implicit
obedience. “God’s commands must not be disputed, but obeyed. We must not
consult with flesh and blood about them (Gal. 1:15-16), but with a gracious
obstinacy persist in our obedience to them” (Matthew Henry). “Whatsoever he saith to you, do it!” (John
2:5).
V. Fifth,
now I want us to LOOK AT ABRAHAM’S
SACRIFICE (vv. 3-10).
[Genesis 22:3-10]
"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. [4] Then on the third day
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. [5] And 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.
[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. [7] 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? [8] And Abraham said, My son, God
will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of
them together. [9] 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. [10] And Abraham stretched
forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son."
As we read
these verses, turn your thoughts away from Abraham. This is a picture of God’s
whole purpose of grace and his work of redemption by the sacrifice of Christ.
A. “Abraham rose up early in
the morning,” and prepared everything with
great care (vv. 3-4).
Abraham had three long days
to think about what must be done. As they journeyed those days and slept
through those nights, the burden and sacrifice constantly lay upon his heart.
But our heavenly Father planned, purposed, and ordained the sacrifice of his
Son for us, not three days, nor three thousand days, but from eternity, before
ever the world was made (Rev. 13:8; Eph. 1:3-4). And he never thought about
altering his purpose!
1. Abraham carefully prepared
everything for the sacrifice. And our great God carefully prepared everything
for the sacrifice of his darling Son for us (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28).
2. “Abraham saw the place afar off!” So the Lord God, from everlasting set his
heart and mind upon the place of sacrifice -- Mt. Calvary!
B. Abraham and Isaac went to the mountain of sacrifice
together alone (vv. 5-8).
I don’t know how to explain
what I am about to say theologically. Some may think me utterly heretical for
declaring it. -- I know that God is pure, eternal, immutable, incomprehensible
Spirit. – I know that God has neither body, nor passions. – I know that nothing
moves, affects, or in any way alters the eternal God. – But I know this, too:
-- God is not a stone! He felt the sacrifice!
Redemption was the work of
God alone, a transaction between God the Father and God the Son. “God was in Christ reconciling the world
unto himself” (2 Cor. 5:19).
Twelve went with the Son of God to the Passover. Eleven went
with him to the garden. Three went with him to pray. But when he went to the
cross, our Savior was alone with God his Father (Heb. 1:3).
1. The wood was laid upon
Isaac’s back. -- Christ carried his cross.
2. The instruments of death
were in the father’s hands. – “Awake, O
sword!”
3. Isaac’s question – “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?”(v. 7) -- He knew that God could not be worshipped
without a blood sacrifice (Ex. 12:13; Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22).
4. “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (v. 8). This is clearly a
prophecy of Christ, the Lamb of God.
·
The Sacrificial Lamb for God!
·
The Sacrificial Lamb from
God! Whatever sacrifice God requires, it is only what God has given!
·
The Sacrificial Lamb is God!
C. At last they came to the place of sacrifice (vv.
9-10).
[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. [10]
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his
son."
1. Abraham built the altar and
laid the wood upon it.
2. Abraham bound his son and
laid him on the altar.
3. Isaac willingly submitted to
his father’s will.
4. Abraham stretched forth his
hand to kill his Son! (Zech. 13:7).
[Zechariah 13:7]
"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of
hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn
mine hand upon the little ones."
VI. Sixth,
verses 11-13 reveal A BEAUTIFUL,
BLESSED PICTURE OF SUBSTITUTIONARY REDEMPTION.
[Genesis 22:11-13]
"And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said,
Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. [12] And he said, Lay not thine hand
upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou
fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. [13] And 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."
Once Abraham’s faith was
proved, God intervened to save Isaac. And the type changes.
A.
When God spoke Abraham
looked. -- Faith.
B.
When he looked, he saw a
ram. -- Christ.
C. He offered the ram “in the stead
of his Son!” (2 Cor. 5:21).
VII. Seventh, “ABRAHAM CALLED THE NAME OF THAT PLACE, JEHOVAH-JIREH” (v.
14).
·
The Lord will see. -- He sees our need: Atonement! Righteousness!
·
The Lord will provide. -- What we need: -- Christ!
·
The Lord will be seen in the provision he makes!
VIII. Last,
WHEN THE WHOLE WORK WAS DONE, ISAAC,
THE OBJECT OF HIS FATHER’S LOVE, WAS EXALTED (vv. 15-18; Phil. 2:9-11).
[Genesis 22:15-18]
"And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the
second time, [16] And said, By myself
have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast
not withheld thy son, thine only son:
[17] That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply
thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his
enemies; [18] And in thy seed shall
all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my
voice."
[Philippians 2:9-11]
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name: [10] That
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth; [11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father."
A.
He was promised a great
posterity. -- “He shall see his seed!”
B. He was made to be a great ruler. -- “Possess the
gate of his enemies” (John 17:2; Ps. 2:8).
C. He became the source of universal blessedness (Eph. 1:3).
Application: In the light of these things, I send you home
to meditate on three questions:
1.
What trial is too great?
2.
What sacrifice is too costly?
3.
What work is too demanding?
1 Genesis Notes #17 Tuesday Evening -- October
8, 1991
Preached in Danville on Tuesday Evening – July 31, 2001