The School of Faith
Genesis 22 records a very great test for Abraham. It is a passage of Scripture that I identify with having faced our own test of faith with Dennis’ cancer journey. In his Old Testament Commentary, Warren Wiersbe says that “the main lesson (of this passage) is obedient faith that overcomes in the trials of life. Abraham teaches us how to face and handle the tests of life to the glory of God.” When Dennis first began to process his cancer diagnosis, he said that “God must not have thought we could handle much adversity because we have been blessed in so many ways through the years. But apparently, he thinks we’ve matured enough to be able to handle this now.” It was interesting to read almost the same thing from Warren Wiersbe in his commentary. He writes, “In one sense, it is a compliment when God sends us a test; it shows God wants to ‘promote us’ in the ‘School of Faith’. God never sends a test until He knows you are ready for it.” The Christian life is not a guarantee of an easy life. In fact, we should “expect trials from God.” (WW)
We see the chapter open with God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Isaac was a gift from God to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. He was the promised son. The one through whom God would give Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars. This request “looked like God was wiping out everything Abraham and Sarah had lived for” (WW). We might wonder how God could make such a request in the first place as well as how Abraham could possibly obey such a request. The NIV text note says that “Abraham had committed himself by covenant to be obedient to the Lord and had consecrated his son Isaac to the Lord by circumcision. The Lord put his servant’s faith and loyalty to the supreme test, thereby instructing Abraham, Isaac and their descendants to the kind of total consecration the Lord’s covenant requires.” It is a reminder that following God must be a whole-hearted endeavor. Warren Wiersbe reminds us that “our faith is not really tested until God asks us to bear what seems unbearable, do what seems unreasonable, and expect what seems impossible. . . We live by promises, not by explanations.”
Verse 3 in chapter 22 tells us that Abraham’s obedience was prompt as “early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey.” As a parent, how often do we work on first-time obedience with our kids. There is always that thought that if they were to run out toward the street and a car was coming, we want them to be trained to stop on our command immediately. I think God was pleased with Abraham’s obedience. Although I’m sure Abraham didn’t fully understand God’s request, he must have been relying on God’s promise for Isaac’s future. Perhaps Abraham believed that if he did kill his son, God would raise him from the dead. He was so confident in God’s promises, that Abraham told his servants in verse 5 that “we will worship and then we will come back to you.“ It is a reminder to us that “faith does not demand explanations; faith rests on promises.” (WW)
As Abraham and Isaac began their journey up the mountain, Isaac asks his father where the lamb for the sacrifice is. Once again Abraham shows faith by stating that God would provide the lamb. He believed that God would provide for their every need. Ultimately this was a glimpse to the future fulfillment of the Lamb of God who would come to take away the sins of the world. These verses also remind us that when it comes to trials, we cannot rely on our feelings or other people. We must keep our focus on the promises and provision of the Lord. Verses like Genesis 18:14 remind us that nothing is too hard for the Lord; and Philippians 4:13 tell us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.
Upon reaching the place God had led them, Abraham builds an altar. Then he did what must have been a heartbreaking thing, he bound his son and laid him on the wood. The passage doesn’t say that Isaac struggled or questioned his father. It’s hard to believe he didn’t. We can’t imagine Isaac not being frightened or confused. But perhaps, it is a testament to Abraham’s teaching and training of his son. Isaac had adopted his father’s faith in God. Isaac was a willing sacrifice; another picture of the Lamb of God, Jesus, who would be a willing sacrifice for the world. The responsibility of leading our children to a personal relationship with Christ is one of our primary goals as Christian parents. To see our children also walking in faith brings no greater joy (3 John 1:4).
Just as Abraham was about to slay Isaac, we read in verse 10 that an angel of the Lord called out to Abraham and told him not to lay a hand on his son. The angel commends Abraham by saying, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (v. 12) After Dennis was diagnosed with cancer, I remember singing about “letting go of all earthly things”. I was struck by the thought that I needed to release my husband to the Lord and allow Him to have His way in Dennis’ life. We may think that by holding on to our spouse, children or way of life we are in control and will do what is best. But that is foolish. God’s ways, although not always understood, are far better than ours (Isaiah 55:9). He has our best interests in mind with everything He allows into our life. Romans 8:28 reminds me that He works all things together for good.
In verse 13 we read that a sacrifice was indeed provided. A ram was caught by its horns in a nearby thicket. So Abraham sacrificed the ram as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham called the place “The Lord Will Provide” or “Jehovah Jireh”. Warren Wiersbe writes about God’s provision in his commentary. He says that God will provide “in the place of His assignment.” Abraham was where God wanted him to be, so He was able to meet Abraham’s needs. If we want God’s provision, then we need to be in His will. God is faithful to meet our needs “just when we have the need.” So often this has happened to us. The biggest way we have seen God’s provision is financially. We have received a money gift, a tax return, or a credit just when we needed financial assistance. My anxiety over our provision has finally begun to subside because I have seen God’s faithfulness over and over. This was another point by Wiersbe. God provides “in ways that are usually quite natural.” Most importantly, God provides for our needs “for the great glory of His name.”
It is difficult to offer glory to God when we are going through trials. “It is easy to think about our needs and our burdens” Weirsbe writes, instead of “focusing on bringing glory to Jesus Christ.” It’s not a matter of how we can “get out of this”; but of what we can get out of it “that will honor the Lord.” As I sat in the waiting room following the doctor telling me Dennis had cancer, I looked down at the Bible study I was doing on living a life of worship and the thought came to me that others were going to be watching how we handled this. I prayed that God would help us to glorify Him in the way we walked this journey. I hope He was pleased with how we did just that.
The passage ends with the angel of the Lord returning and giving several blessings to Abraham. Warren Wiersbe writes that “there is always an ‘afterward’ to the tests of life (Hebrews 12:11; 1 Peter 5:10); and that “it is worth it to go through trials, if, at the end, the Father can say to us, ‘Well done!‘”. First, the Lord would make Abraham’s “descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” His descendants would take possession of “the cities of their enemies.” Third, that through Abraham’s “offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.” (v. 18) Perhaps most importantly, however, is “Abraham came away from this trial with a deeper love for the Lord.” (WW)
Much is written in Scripture about the good and joy that can come from trials. They definitely serve a purpose in our life. We may not always understand or see the purpose of the trials, but by trusting in the promises of God, we can endure and get through them. It is good to keep in mind that our suffering will never be as great in comparison to that of Christ’s suffering on the cross. But as we share in His suffering in our own way here, we will “grow closer to our Father and become more like the Lord Jesus Christ.” (WW) This is our ultimate goal in the Christian life; to be more like Jesus.
We see the chapter open with God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Isaac was a gift from God to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. He was the promised son. The one through whom God would give Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars. This request “looked like God was wiping out everything Abraham and Sarah had lived for” (WW). We might wonder how God could make such a request in the first place as well as how Abraham could possibly obey such a request. The NIV text note says that “Abraham had committed himself by covenant to be obedient to the Lord and had consecrated his son Isaac to the Lord by circumcision. The Lord put his servant’s faith and loyalty to the supreme test, thereby instructing Abraham, Isaac and their descendants to the kind of total consecration the Lord’s covenant requires.” It is a reminder that following God must be a whole-hearted endeavor. Warren Wiersbe reminds us that “our faith is not really tested until God asks us to bear what seems unbearable, do what seems unreasonable, and expect what seems impossible. . . We live by promises, not by explanations.”
Verse 3 in chapter 22 tells us that Abraham’s obedience was prompt as “early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey.” As a parent, how often do we work on first-time obedience with our kids. There is always that thought that if they were to run out toward the street and a car was coming, we want them to be trained to stop on our command immediately. I think God was pleased with Abraham’s obedience. Although I’m sure Abraham didn’t fully understand God’s request, he must have been relying on God’s promise for Isaac’s future. Perhaps Abraham believed that if he did kill his son, God would raise him from the dead. He was so confident in God’s promises, that Abraham told his servants in verse 5 that “we will worship and then we will come back to you.“ It is a reminder to us that “faith does not demand explanations; faith rests on promises.” (WW)
As Abraham and Isaac began their journey up the mountain, Isaac asks his father where the lamb for the sacrifice is. Once again Abraham shows faith by stating that God would provide the lamb. He believed that God would provide for their every need. Ultimately this was a glimpse to the future fulfillment of the Lamb of God who would come to take away the sins of the world. These verses also remind us that when it comes to trials, we cannot rely on our feelings or other people. We must keep our focus on the promises and provision of the Lord. Verses like Genesis 18:14 remind us that nothing is too hard for the Lord; and Philippians 4:13 tell us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.
Upon reaching the place God had led them, Abraham builds an altar. Then he did what must have been a heartbreaking thing, he bound his son and laid him on the wood. The passage doesn’t say that Isaac struggled or questioned his father. It’s hard to believe he didn’t. We can’t imagine Isaac not being frightened or confused. But perhaps, it is a testament to Abraham’s teaching and training of his son. Isaac had adopted his father’s faith in God. Isaac was a willing sacrifice; another picture of the Lamb of God, Jesus, who would be a willing sacrifice for the world. The responsibility of leading our children to a personal relationship with Christ is one of our primary goals as Christian parents. To see our children also walking in faith brings no greater joy (3 John 1:4).
Just as Abraham was about to slay Isaac, we read in verse 10 that an angel of the Lord called out to Abraham and told him not to lay a hand on his son. The angel commends Abraham by saying, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (v. 12) After Dennis was diagnosed with cancer, I remember singing about “letting go of all earthly things”. I was struck by the thought that I needed to release my husband to the Lord and allow Him to have His way in Dennis’ life. We may think that by holding on to our spouse, children or way of life we are in control and will do what is best. But that is foolish. God’s ways, although not always understood, are far better than ours (Isaiah 55:9). He has our best interests in mind with everything He allows into our life. Romans 8:28 reminds me that He works all things together for good.
In verse 13 we read that a sacrifice was indeed provided. A ram was caught by its horns in a nearby thicket. So Abraham sacrificed the ram as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham called the place “The Lord Will Provide” or “Jehovah Jireh”. Warren Wiersbe writes about God’s provision in his commentary. He says that God will provide “in the place of His assignment.” Abraham was where God wanted him to be, so He was able to meet Abraham’s needs. If we want God’s provision, then we need to be in His will. God is faithful to meet our needs “just when we have the need.” So often this has happened to us. The biggest way we have seen God’s provision is financially. We have received a money gift, a tax return, or a credit just when we needed financial assistance. My anxiety over our provision has finally begun to subside because I have seen God’s faithfulness over and over. This was another point by Wiersbe. God provides “in ways that are usually quite natural.” Most importantly, God provides for our needs “for the great glory of His name.”
It is difficult to offer glory to God when we are going through trials. “It is easy to think about our needs and our burdens” Weirsbe writes, instead of “focusing on bringing glory to Jesus Christ.” It’s not a matter of how we can “get out of this”; but of what we can get out of it “that will honor the Lord.” As I sat in the waiting room following the doctor telling me Dennis had cancer, I looked down at the Bible study I was doing on living a life of worship and the thought came to me that others were going to be watching how we handled this. I prayed that God would help us to glorify Him in the way we walked this journey. I hope He was pleased with how we did just that.
The passage ends with the angel of the Lord returning and giving several blessings to Abraham. Warren Wiersbe writes that “there is always an ‘afterward’ to the tests of life (Hebrews 12:11; 1 Peter 5:10); and that “it is worth it to go through trials, if, at the end, the Father can say to us, ‘Well done!‘”. First, the Lord would make Abraham’s “descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” His descendants would take possession of “the cities of their enemies.” Third, that through Abraham’s “offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.” (v. 18) Perhaps most importantly, however, is “Abraham came away from this trial with a deeper love for the Lord.” (WW)
Much is written in Scripture about the good and joy that can come from trials. They definitely serve a purpose in our life. We may not always understand or see the purpose of the trials, but by trusting in the promises of God, we can endure and get through them. It is good to keep in mind that our suffering will never be as great in comparison to that of Christ’s suffering on the cross. But as we share in His suffering in our own way here, we will “grow closer to our Father and become more like the Lord Jesus Christ.” (WW) This is our ultimate goal in the Christian life; to be more like Jesus.
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