Jan.8 - Genesis 22 - 24

Happy Birthday to my brother - Rick Shepard (49)!

Power Points:

Hindsight is always 20/20! From the very beginning of this chapter (22:1), we are told that "God tested Abraham's faith and obedience." And boy did He test him!!! Within the following verses comes the most horrifying and chilling account of God's command to Abraham to sacrifice his only son! You know...it's one thing to sit in church and sing that old song, "Take My Life And Let It Be Wholly Consecrated Lord To Thee" and another thing altogether to hear God say to you: "I want your only child. Take the joy of your life and give it back to Me." Could you do it? Believe it or not, Abraham did! And, God blessed him for it! Genesis 24:1 says, "Abraham...the Lord had blessed him in every way."



If God's going to test us, wouldn't it be nice if He warned us first? Wouldn't it be nice if God would kindly tell us WHEN He's testing us or simply inform us BEFORE he actually gives us the test? Abraham had no such opportunity! He was all on his own! If fact, Abraham had NO scriptures or stories to fall back on like we do today (in the Bible). He simply trusted God in blind faith! Are you able to do that? Are you absolutely trusting the God "who sees" (as Hagar put it) or in an Almighty God (the name God revealed to Abraham about Himself)? Is your God as big as the God of the Bible?

Here's some interesting things to note about the story of Abraham sacrificing his son:
- Trusting in God's Word makes even crazy things more understanding! It probably seemed like a weird and crazy idea to Abraham to be promised a son and then be ordered to sacrifice him! But notice Abraham's reassuriang faith in God as he says twice in the narrative:
- He told his servants: "Stay here...the boy and I will travel farther...we will worship there, and then WE will come right back." Notice how Abraham believed they BOTH would return!
- He told Isaac (when Isaac asks where the sacrificing lamb was): "God will provide a lamb my son." And, God did!!
- This sacrifice of Isaac was to take place on Mount Moriah - the EXACT location of Solomon's temple where Solomon and the nation of Israel would offer thousands of sacrifices to God much later!
- This story is a picture of God and His Son Jesus Christ! Notice the comparisons:
1) Both Abraham and God had "beloved sons."
2) Both had willing sons.
3) Both offered up their own sons.
4) Both received their sons back with great joy.
5) Both made careful preparations for their son's wedding (Note Matthew 22:1-2)

Now, you're going to see many "types" in the Bible - where God reveals Himself through the lives and events of mankind - For Example:
- Abraham is a perfect type of the Heavenly Father in that he offers up his son and carefully plans his son's wedding to the perfect bride.
- Isaac is a perfect type of the Lord Jesus Christ in that, like Jesus, he had been offered up as a sacrifice, seeks a bride, receives a bride from a distant country, loves his bride unconditionally, and is heir to everything his father owns!
- Eliezer is a perfect type of the Holy Spirit in that he serves the father, glorifies the son and the father, and seeks to find the bride for the son!
- Rebekah is a perfect type of The Church in that she's from a different kingdom than the son and is given the freedom to choose the son - 24:58 - "And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Will you go with this man? And she said, 'I will go'."

Have a God-blessed day...and may His marvelous countenance be revealed in and through you!