LifeWay Family Bible Series for May 22: Give allegiance to God, not the promise_50205
Posted: 5/10/05
LifeWay Family Bible Series for May 22
Give allegiance to God, not the promise
• Genesis 22:1-24
By Mitch Randall
First Baptist Church, Bedford
He had disobeyed before and knew too well the consequences of second-guessing God. The readers of Genesis would do well to understand the story of Abraham with the full knowledge of his earlier misdeeds. From lying about his wife to laying with another woman for the sake of interfering in God’s plan, Abraham knew too well the pains of disobedience.
As this incredible moment in the life of the great patriarch unfolds, one would be amiss to neglect the shadow presence within the story. The memory of Ishmael lingers. The pain and sorrow of a father losing his son lives within each amazing word. Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant. Unable to conceive as the Lord promised, Sarah and Abraham decided to take matters into their own hands. Sarah gave her husband her maidservant, Hagar, so they might conceive a son as the Lord had promised.
However, God’s plan did not mention any such arrangement. The Lord had promised Abraham and Sarah they would have a son. It would be Isaac, and not Ishmael, who received the special blessing from God. Yet God did not forget Ishmael and blessed him as well. Unfortunately though, the situation grew worse as Ishmael and Hagar were asked to leave the family. In a heart-wrenching moment, Ishmael and Hagar leave Abraham behind. The pain of that moment resided within Abraham every day of his life.
Genesis 22:1-2
The day came when God decided to test Abraham, using his precious love of Isaac and his deep wounds of losing Ishmael as a backdrop for a stage where one man’s faith would be forever altered. God instructed Abraham to take Isaac and travel to the land of Moriah. There, Abraham was to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
Literally, God asked Abraham to put to death his son and heir. The painful memories of losing Ishmael had to creep up in Abraham’s mind. And now, to be asked to give up his one true heir seemed calloused and cold. Why would God even ask Abraham to do such a thing?
Metaphorically, God seemed to be asking Abraham to put to death the promise. Interesting, seeing that this promise was the avenue through which it was apparent God was working.
However, there is a much to be pondered here. God’s testing of Abraham seemed to weigh his dedication to the Lord against his dedication to the promise itself. It is imperative that our loyalty reside in the personal relationship with the Divine. While God’s promises always are true, our faith is not in the promise itself, but in the person of God. Dedication to the promise can lead to perversion, as was the case with Sarah and Hagar.
Faith is rooted in the personal relationship with God. Only through a personal relationship with our Creator can we begin to build trust. The promises of God always are true, but when our dedication evolves into the worship of the promise, we have the possibility of corrupting ourselves as Abraham and Sarah did with Hagar.
Genesis 22:3-8
Upon hearing of this odd request, Abraham does not flinch. He obeys immediately. He rises early the next day, packs the needed supplies, gathers his men and requests Isaac to accompany him. They travel to Moriah, where Abraham instructs his men to remain behind. He and his son must embark on this endeavor alone.
On the way to the place where they were to worship, Isaac begins to feel something is amiss. He questions Abraham about the absence of a lamb for the offering. Instead of interjecting his own ideas or intervening in this plan, Abraham offers solace by words of trust in the Lord.
Genesis 22:9-14
He and Isaac ascended to the place of worship where they quickly prepared an altar. There are many questions offered regarding the ease by which Abraham bound Isaac, but readers would be muddled if they got too caught up in the details of this account. The importance of this story is not about the ease by which Abraham bound his son or Isaac’s willingness to go along with this plan, but discovering a new willingness in the person of Abraham. He has come from a place where doubt and deception dictated many of his decisions to a place where his peace now rests in God.
As he stretched out his hand to kill his son, a voice from heaven made an appeal: “Abraham! Abraham!” The voice instructed Abraham to leave his son alone. In the thicket nearby, a ram had been caught by its horns. The Lord provided, and Abraham worshipped. Afterward, the Lord informed Abraham that his faithfulness to him would be reward through countless generations. Needless to say, obedience to God leads down a pathway to peace.
Discussion questions
• Why is it important to be totally obedient to God?
• Why Isaac?
• Does God ask us to place special relics upon an altar? If so, what are they and why?
• How can we live in total obedience to God?