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Abraham and obedience - Genesis 22
Abraham and obedience - Genesis 22
Abraham’s obedience is spelled out for us.
Gen. 12:1-3 + Hebrews 11:8
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
Gen. 17:22-24, 26 – the very SAME DAY… circumcised
Genesis 17:26 26 In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
Later, when told to sacrifice his son received by promise in his old age -
Gen. 17:2 - take NOW your son, your only son, whom you love…
Gen. 17:3 – SO Abraham rose early in the morning…. Went to the place of which God had told him….
Several interesting points concerning this story… God was testing him. Abraham has been a believer and worshiper of God since we met him in Genesis 12! Now there is what most of us would consider to be an ultimate test. He has waited for 25 years to receive the promise of a son. Isaac has come according to promise. Isaac is now old enough to speak and reason. NOW he is asked to sacrifice Isaac – to take his life as an offering unto God.
· Vs. 5 - He told the servants: WE will worship and return to you.
· 8 – When Isaac asked about a lamb for the sacrifice, he responds “God will Provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering.”
· 10 – Upon arriving at the spot that God had instructed him to go to, he built an altar, arranged the wood, bound his son, laid him on the altar, on top of the wood…. And stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son….
Such was the nature of Abraham’s faith. It was there when we first read of him in Gen. 12, and it continued throughout his life! Even to the extreme test of offering his son in sacrifice.
This was written for OUR BENEFIT… Romans 4:23-25: “23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”
But such belief is not just the believing of facts about Jesus, it is believing IN HIM. As Abraham was fully assured that what God had promised, He was able to perform”, even so we are to be fully assured that Jesus will perform HIS promises! We are to be ‘of the faith of Abraham’ (Rom. 4:16), we are to follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham (Rom. 4:12). When God says GO, we go. Whatever God instructs, we set out to obey. We do it NOW, immediately, without delay.
Is that the nature of your faith? When Abraham was instructed about circumcision, he and all of his were circumcised that day. What do you think Abraham would have done if he was told to repent and be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins? What have you done?
Hugh DeLong
