Genesis 22:1-2 Bible Study | Episode#287

November 15, 2022

Hope Alive: Applying God’s Word to Your Daily Life

Genesis   Bible Study | Episode #287

I am Chad Harrison, and I am the teaching pastor of Lake Community Church and had been serving as a pastor for 25 years. I'm also a practicing attorney. This podcast is designed to help you study God's word and find God's will for your life. The purpose of studying scripture is that you might know the character of Jesus Christ, and that you might see the world from the Father's perspective. That you gain wisdom that changes your life. I pray in the name of Jesus right now that God would open His word to you and allow you to see Him and to know Him. To know His will, that you might glorify Him and that you might walk in faith and power each day, especially today. In Jesus name.

If you would like to revisit today’s Bible study, please visit our website at https://hopealive.buzzsprout.com/ to download the transcript. 

If this podcast ministered to you, please subscribe, and leave us a review on Apple podcasts. Reviews help us reach more people and spread the wisdom of God. 

Please follow us:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopealivewithgod/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hopealiveministry/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakeComChurch/ -Lake Community Church

Transcript

This is Chad Harrison, and you're listening to Hope Alive, Applying God's Word to your daily life.

Hi, this is Chad Harrison and I am the teaching pastor of Lake Community Church and have been serving as a pastor for 25 years. I'm also a practicing attorney. This podcast is designed to help you study God's word and find God's will for your life. I pray in the name of Jesus right now that God would open up his word to you and allow you to see him and to know him.

And to know his will, that you might glorify him, and that you might walk in faith and power each and every day, especially today in Jesus' name. Good morning. Welcome to Late Community Church. Morning Bible study. It is we're in, we're Genesis chapter 22. We're studying the life of Abraham. I don't know if you know it or not, but Abraham takes up 15 chapters of the book of Genesis.

He is the primary character in 15 chapters of a 40 chapter book, which means that Abraham's life is the primary life that is that is studied in the book of Genesis. The book of Genesis was written by Moses, but. It's primarily about Abraham and that the reason it's about Abraham is because he is the man of faith.

He. He's the man who trusted God and got to experience God's blessings, got to experience God's purposes, got to experience what God had in store for him, for his life. And when when we got to, when we get to Abraham, we are studying the quintessential as far as when you're thinking about scripture especially the Old Testament we're studying the quintessential man of.

And It's always good to just sometimes stop and think about his, the core of who he is and the core of how he responds, and how he acts toward God. If you'll notice many times the angel of the Lord has come to see Abraham. He is always eagerly running to see. He is always eager to be in God's presence.

He's always eager to meet with God. That's a sign of a person of faith. A person who is walking with God, a person who is seeking out God's purposes and not their own. A, a person who is learning. God's will and ways over their own will and ways. It's just is. It's a, it's just one of those things you look for.

It's a hallmark of a believer. And we use the term believer to describe ourselves. And that word believer is a person of faith. It's a person who trusts God. And notice I'm keep using those words interchangeably. Faith, hope, trust, belief. Those are the translations of the New Testament idea.

Or word called sio, which comes from the Old Testament idea of faith. And Abraham is, like I said, just a few minutes ago, Abraham is the character in the Bible who is quintessential to faith. Abraham Abraham obviously has done a lot. As we reach chapter 22 of Genesis, he's done a lot to show you that he's a person of faith.

He's just a he's right there. He's in the midst of it. He's always, Acting. God told him as a young man to leave his people and leave his surroundings, leave his hometown. And, sometimes that's very difficult. And and go to a place you do not know and live among the people you do not know.

And Abraham did it. That was a great act of faith. And we've seen over and over Abraham hearing God and trusting God, even though it seems Im. Trusting God, believing God for big things, and believing God for his prodigy to be a great nation and that God's promises to him or Yes and amen.

He just he, he constantly does that. And then we get to this chapter, and I guess chapter 22 is the place where Abraham kind of seals his position. As as one of the great men of faith in scripture. It is the chapter that really has set the course of history. It's the chapter that kind of has changed the whole world.

As far as its picture of. Of of Abraham actually taking on the role of God in the eternal story of God's redemption for mankind. And when I say taking on the role, I don't mean that he is God. What I mean is that he is taking on that symbolic role in this story in the sense that he is going to be asked by God to offer his son as a sacrifice.

On the altar, the son of Promise, the son the promised son, the promise, the promised child, he's been, he's gonna be asked to sit, asked to place that child on the altar. And and wow, that's that's one of those, that's one of those statements. That is, I, it is hard to, it's hard to to even.

And it's hard to and Abraham embodies it so well that you forget that as you're thinking about how could Abraham do that? How is Abraham even considering that? How could Abraham even come to a place in his own heart where he would even try to do that? And you forget that he's actually. In this story.

And it's not just a story. It's a true story. It's a, it's an actual events. How could Abraham do it? And then you realize, Oh, God did it too. God did the same thing. And then you realize, Oh, that's the whole point of the story. That's what this is.

This is about God giving us a picture of him making the making the decision to send his son to the cross of the whole idea. From time I Memorial, the Bible says that Jesus was slain from the foundation of time. The idea that God had prepared to do. And he is asking Abraham and think about the honor of this, think about the honor that Abraham is going to have in this.

He's getting the honor of playing the role in history of God himself playing that, that picture that that that, that story of the willingness to place his son as a sacrifice on the altar and and. And for Abraham to even be chosen for that role is a great honor.

It's an honor that's unimaginable. And the reason Abraham's chosen for that role is because Abraham is a man of faith. Abraham's somebody that can be trusted to act when God ask him to act. Abraham is someone who can be God expects. He knows Abraham is going to rush out to do his will and is going to rush out to know his will and is desirous to be in his presence.

And, like I said a per the hallmark of a person of faith is a person that is regularly chasing after the presence of God. That's, that is. That is a hallmark of faith. A person who is regularly, continually all the time. Desirs to be in the presence of almighty God. That that's the hallmark of faith.

Verse one of chapter 20, so says now as it came to pass, and you know that the that is mentioned a lot in the Bible but the truth is as time goes on, things happen. And really that's what this phrase means as it came to pass. As time goes on, things happen, and they always do. Don't. They always do.

As time goes on, things always happen. And that says that now in came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham. Now notice he's not testing him for no reason. God is testing that faith and you go. Why is God always testing us? You gotta remember, testing means more than just taking a measurement or reading of a person's faith.

Testing is tempering it and making it stronger. Testing that faith is doing the things that make that faith that does exist and is in action already. It's making it hard and solid. It's making it something that cannot be changed. It's hardening it into the systems that are in place and that's what's going on here.

God is hardening the faith of Abraham. He is testing Abraham in the midst of. This struggling. So it saved, It says he came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham. Now notice that don't run past this too fast. Don't go past it too quickly.

God calls out Abraham. And what does Abraham do? He says, Here I am. This is another one of those hallmarks of faith. This is one of those things where we see it, we see the old priest Samuel, the prophet Samuel laying down and going to sleep at night and he's. He's there in the temple and he hears God, call out him, Samuel.

And he jumps up and he runs to go see the chief priest to see what the chief priest wants. And chief priest says, It's not me. I didn't call you. And he goes back and lays down. And then God says Samuel and he jumps up and goes back in again. And the chief.

Realizing that it's not him, but it's God who's calling out to Samuel. He tells Samuel to go back to bed and to lay down, and when he is called out to when God calls his name out again just say, Here I am. What that means is I'm ready to hear what you've got to say.

I'm ready to, I'm ready to receive your will. I'm ready to receive. Receive Your purpose is for me. And Samuel goes and lays down into bed and and God calls out to him again. And Ca Samuel says, Here am I. And that brings about the kingdoms of Israel that that, that brings about God using Samuel as the priest and the prophet who who ultimately The best way for me to describe it is ultimately shepherds the king the burgeoning kingdom of Israel.

And shepherds it all the way to David, where David begins to be the true lit leader of Israel. Samuel is the bridge between the judges and the kings. And so it is a hallmark of faith. I think of I think of the prophet Jeremiah. Or maybe Isaiah, my mind's blanking on me right now.

But but he's in the throne room of heaven. He said, I saw the Lord hide seated. And the train of his robe filled the temple with glory. And God says whom shall we send? And who shall go. And that prophet yells out, Here I am, send me and it's the idea of a person who is actively regularly in their own heart and mind, wanting to hear from God and wanting to know God's will for their life.

And, those times where God just speaks with that kind of clarity in our. Can be sometimes rare. They can be not, they're not a daily occurrence. Sometimes they're not even a yearly occurrence. Sometimes they're those occurrences that happen and and they happen just a couple of times in our lives.

Now, other people according to their giftings and God's purposes for them, may hear from God a little bit more clearly. At more often or more numerous occasions but just because that's the case, just because that's the case doesn't mean that you're not one who hears God.

Samuel, Abraham is a man who hears God because he's got a willing heart to hear God. He's got a heart that says, Here I am. It's a heart that says, I am. I'm here waiting and listening. I'm here prepared to do you're bidding and to do your will. I am a. Who desires to know you And, those are hard.

Those are difficult words to really comprehend in the sense of doing them in the sense of actually making them a part of our lives. To say to God, here I am, send me, here I am. What is it you want, Lord? What is it that you desire that you would call my name out? It's the same idea of, it's the same idea of the disciples when Jesus was going around and he would say, Come follow me.

Are you willing to follow me? We. We're gonna talk about in a couple weeks. A man who wanted to follow Jesus, but he loved, he, he loved his position. He loved his power. He loved his wealth too much. So that at that moment in time, he could not follow Jesus. He could not chase after him.

And and that's a problem. When something in this world that is perishing becomes more important than the eternality of God's will and plan for our lives. When something in this world is more important than that we have our priorities messed up and we have our.

Our way of looking at the world is marred and it flipped up upside down, really. What came first, the physical of the spiritual. Obviously God is spirit and everything that his physical came from him. In fact John Chapter one says that Jesus made all things and all things that were made by him, and nothing that was made was not made by him.

What does that mean? That means that that God is is the author of all things and God the father. Wied that into existence by his very mind and heart. And if he wied all that into existence by his very mind and heart, and he is spiritual, then the spiritual came first.

So what has to be ultimately, Of the most importance? Is it the physical? We would many times in our own lives, we would say the physical's more important cuz that's where I live. But the truth is everything spirit, physical comes from the spiritual and everything. Spiritual is what is going to be eternal and what matters the most.

And so when Abraham turns to God and says, Here am. Send me when he says, here I am. What is it you want, Lord? When the disciples drop everything and go follow him when Jesus calls them to follow him. That is an understanding. That's an idea. That, that, that's a reality and an idea that God is actually, God is actually the most important thing.

He is his purposes and the spiritual purposes in the world are far more important than the physical things. And knowing that. Is a great leap for a believer. Coming to that realization is a, is an important leap for a believer, but it's not only that acting upon that is the doorway into, all great things.

It's the doorway into actual life. The truth is the spiritual gifts that God gives us, the spiritual work that God gives us, it lasts. It continues on when we serve God and we see God at work in our lives. The things that we see about him are things that are continual, the daily pleasures of the moment for the flesh or the daily enjoyments of life that God gives us.

They pass away. The physical world passes away, but the spiritual doesn't. And that's why God treasures people so much. Because people are the only thing in this world that are spiritual. They're the only things. In this physical world that that have spiritual purpose. And so that's why God places so, so much great value on us is because we are the eternal beings.

We're the ones who are going to live in eternity. Jesus said, Those in the Father give me, I give eternal life. And so those are around us that have that eternal life that we see, that we hear, that we know. Those around us that do those things. Those are the things that are, those are the people that are important.

Those are the things that are the things we have to lock in on. God said to Isaac in verse two, Take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love. Notice God is in full knowledge and understanding of Abraham's view, of advising. He says I know he is your first boy son. I know he is your only son with.

He says, Whom you love? And go to the land of Mariah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains on which I shall tell you notice he is San to Abraham. Take your son, the only one you've got right here and the one that you love, and you go and make him a burn offering to me.

You offer him as a sacrifice to me. Wow. What a what a thing to ask Abraham to do, but more importantly, what a thing for Abraham to even consider Isaac is the encompassment of all the promises God has made to him. And now he's willing he's being asked to make that as a burn offering, as a sacrifice to him.

He's being asked to give his firstborn son up as a sacrifice to. What a thing to ask and what a thing to even consider. And yet God asked it of himself and considered it and implemented the plan in regard to Jesus Christ. He offered Jesus up as a sacrifice. See, this is giving us a foreshadowing, It's the picture.

It's the foreshadowing picture of God offering his own son as a sacrifice for our sin as a burnt offering. Remember, burnt offerings were sin sacrifices. It's not as a fellowship offering, it's as a offering for sin. It's as an offering for for his failures, for his rebellious heart, for his desires to do his own will, rather than God's will.

And you know what? Abraham did it. Abraham went up to Mariah and took his son and prepared to offer him as a sacrifice. You know why? Because Abraham is a man of ultimate faith. He considered that that if God could give him Isaac as at an old age, and he wanted him as a sacrifice that God would give him another son of promise to meet God's promises.

And you know what else he considered? He considered that if God knew what he was doing. And that God could see past the temporal moments that he lived in, into the eternal things that were very important. And he said, I'm gonna do what God asked me to do, and I'm not gonna worry about the results.

I'm gonna allow him to be the king of my results. And by doing that, All of a sudden you see that that Abraham elevates himself. He elevates himself to the place where God can actually use him as a picture of himself offering his own son as a sacrifice on the cross. And that's why Abraham's important that's why he gets 15 chapters in the first book of the Bible, is because he is a.

Of faith of such great faith, of such ability to trust God. He's a man of such great faith that God could trust him with such a awesome and terrible. And I say that terrible in the sense of so painful, so difficult and awful in a terrible task of offering his son as a s. God doesn't demand that cuz God does not spill that innocent blood.

God does not spill that innocent blood. In regard to us ourselves, he spills his own innocent blood, the innocent blood of his son for our sin, God hates the shedding of innocent blood. The only innocent blood he's willing to shed is his own blood, the blood of his son for our sins.

And that's, that is, that, is that that brought about such a great reward that it was worth it was worth the cost and you were such a great reward that God was willing to count the. And give his son on the cross for you, and I want you to hear me today. I want you to hear me today.

You have great value in the kingdom of God because of that cost that was paid. But that being said, because of that, You are now his you're his servant. You're the one who needs to have a heart that's willing to hear the call of God. And when God calls out and says Abraham, or says Scott or says Terry or says or says, Ed, Or says Mary or says Renee or says whoever's name you.

You gotta have the heart that says here am I send me here. Am I? What do you want? Lord, here am I. As Abraham said, Gotta have that heart cuz having that heart opens the door for God to use you in the greatest of ways. And, We talk about we wanna be used by God, but ultimately we wanna be used by God in the lasting and the great things that are are eternal and forever.

And I pray that you'll do that. I pray that you'll grow in your faith to the point where you could be a person who gets the opportunity to say to God, Here am I.

As you go today, I pray that the Lord will bless you and keep you, that he'll make his face to shine upon you and that he will give you hope and peace today in Jesus name.