The Lord Will Provide

The Lord will provide Genesis 22:1-24

• Now it happened that after these things – God tested Abraham

• Testing and sacrifice 

• • Most people don’t like testing- Testing is only good when it is told as a story that passed
  • Testing requires sacrifice:
    • There are those that choose testing – Iron man, marathons, e.t.c 
    • Or those who find themselves in a fight/struggle with life and they choose to give up or stay in the fight 
  • I love that the Bible doesn’t sugar coat it – In this world there will be trouble – John 16:33 (NLT) – Troubles that will test your resolve, your patience, from things seen and things unseen 

• The Bible says that God does test us. 

• O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you test those who are righteous, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets ~ Jeremiah 20:12 (NLT)

• This is not uncommon that He decides to test Abraham 

• Vs: 2 (AMP) -God said, “Take now your son, your only son [of [a]promise], whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of [b]Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Take your son: 

• God is not just asking for anyone. Take Noah’s son or take someone’s resources
• Take something that belongs to you! Something that you value. Something that requires ownership transfer 
• Today, you may not be asked to take your son, but for most of us the call is –take your time, take your money, take your hobby, take your relationship and be ready to walk it to the mountain to sacrifice it 
• I was really surprised when I got to America – little kids would say – Lets go to my house, we can give you a ride in my car 
• See where I came from as a child you knew better than says “my this – my that” It was our house, …emphasizes on OUR- Entitlement was not a thing! 
• There is a beauty in ownership and also English is indeed a difficult and sometime confusing language – however, we all know that in the west, entitlement is huge 
• We are ok with giving up things as long as we keep “mine”– and God will ask for that which is deeply hidden in your heart 
• God is interested in your heart condition

Take your only Son: 

• • Once we get past the mine, ONLY carries more weight – it’s easy to give up things when we have extra stuff   
  • But the stakes are higher here with God’s request – Take that promise and sacrifice it to me 
  • If you don’t remember, Abraham waited for Isaac for a very long time – 75 YEARS
  • And now that He has in son of promise- The inheritance (very big in those days) – God wants him to give it up 
  • Here is where we lose 50% of the crowd  
    • We become possessive, we become bitter, we are afraid, we forget who gave us that thing in the beginning 

• We forget that every good thing that we have come from the Lord – James 1:17 (NLT) 

• What do you have that God hasn’t given you? – 1 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT) 

Take the boy Isaac, whom you love

• • We are willing to give up that which we have, or even that one thing – but when it come to love – that’s where most of us quit 
  • The one I love? – Heck no!! 

• Vs 7- 8 (Nkjv) 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 [a]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.

• My Father, Here I am my son, my son, God will provide – These words carry Love and trust 
• Love was in the balance scale – and Abraham knew what it would cost him and was willing 

• Decide beforehand 

• As I read this – this question keeps on coming up ~Abraham, How did you do it?
  • Please teach me your ways 
• Word that wrecks me are: 
  • So Abraham got up early in the morning 
  • Prepared -Saddled the donkey, split the wood 
  • On the 3rd day – he saw a place 
• It’s easy to think that the test began when Abraham raised his knife to sacrifice his son
• NO! It began when Abraham made the decision to love God more than the promise 
• During the conversation with God, he already resolved in his heart and mind – I choose you God – I choose you over everything you have given me 
• It the same heart that we read in Joshua 24:15 (Nkjv) – choose whom you will follow – But as for me and my house – we have already decided it’s all God or nothing!
• I have decided to follow Jesus, not turning back, no turning back ~Song!

Not today’s choice 

• • A choice like this does not happen the day of – You don’t just wake up and say – here I am Lord – take everything you want from me 
  • The desire has to be motivated by something greater than emotion or self will 
  • Before Abraham resolved that he was all in, he remembered
    • Abraham did not initiate this relationship. God called Abraham from a pagan household ~ Genesis 12:1–3. Jesus (initiated) died on the cross 
    • Abraham lied that Sarah was his sister fearing that he might be killed -twice (Genesis 12:10–20(Nkjv) – Egypt & Genesis 20:1–18 (Nkjv) Abimelech – So do we 
    • God remained faithful after the Hagar/Ishmael failure — Genesis 16–17
    • God delivered His promise of Isaac – regardless of his failures. – So do we 
  • And these are the things we know – how much more has God, protected & delivered you from? Given you and covered your failures with His loving kindness?
  • That is why vs 1 says. After these things? 
  • After which point do we recognize the things that God has already done and be willing to give up that which he requires -as reasonable service to Him 
  • After how many miracles do we need to see before we can trust the Lord fully. How many lies does He have to cover, how long are we going to reject Him before we can submit His call and trust His promise 

• Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest ~ Matthew 11:28 (NLT) 

• • We have to decide before the call comes – Here I am Lord!
  • Here is how deciding beforehand sounds like: 
  • Don’t miss this – vs 5 NLT) – Stay here, my son and I will go over there and WORSHIP GOD! And we will return to you! 
  • Worship??? 

• Romans 12:1 (NLT) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him

• This is worship
• And Abraham was willing to worship God with everything he had because he knew God was faithful 
• Abraham would have decedents through Isaac as God had already promised 

The Lord will provide 

• Vs 7 (Amp) And Isaac said to Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself [f]a lamb for the burnt offering.” So the two walked on together.

• vs13 -14 (Amp) Then Abraham looked up and glanced around, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering (ascending sacrifice) instead of his son. 14 So Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide. And it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be seen and provided

• • Provision is on the other side of obedience – Period!!
  • Sometime the blessings are on the mountain, caught in the thicket – obstruction, confusion, caught -Need some undoing 
  • When we believe that the Lord will provide – we are willing to go to the mountain/thicket
  • He has already planned it all out 

• You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed ~ Psalm 139:16 (Nlt)

• • And He has already provided above beyond anything you can ever think or imagine 
  • How do I know this: Because vs 20-24 tells us 

• Vs 20-24  (NLT) Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor’s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. 21 The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23 (Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah, 24 Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

• • As we are fighting to give up that which is currently in our hands …
  • God had already put the promise in place and moved on to make it happen 
  • While we are so distracted by what might happen if we sacrifice what we are holding on to – God is already working – above beyond anything you can ever think or imagine – (Images:)

• What are you willing to give up?