1. Genesis Title: Genesis - Abraham: Abraham's Test Text: Genesis 22:1-19 Genesis 22:16-18 (NIV84) 16 …“I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” By: Pastor Micah Adamson January 20, 2019
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2. Introduction:
In the spring of 1997, in rural Arizona, 3 Christian families who met for a weekly Bible study, decided to celebrate Passover together to remember the Exodus story and its connection to Easter…

3. Review: God’s Promise to Abraham
Gen. 12:2-3: Remember that God made Abraham a promise that included several elements.
Gen. 13: God repeated His promise to Abraham after he let Lot have the best part of the land that God had given him.
Gen. 15: God repeated His promise to Abraham after he refused to accept the blessing of riches from Sodom and Gomorrah and instead tithed to God through Melchizedek.
Gen. 22: God repeats His promise to Abraham again after he sent his son Ishmael away and is willing to sacrifice his son Isaac who is the embodiment of God’s promise of a family.

4. Chiasm: Genesis 11-22 A Genealogy of Terah (11:27–32)
B Start of Abram’s spiritual odyssey (12:1–9)
C Sarai in foreign palace; ordeal ends in peace(12:10–13:18)
D Abram comes rescue Sodom and Lot (14:1–24)
E Covenant with Abram (15:1–16:16)
Eʹ Covenant with Abraham (17:1–18:15)
Dʹ Abraham comes to rescue Sodom/Lot (18:16–19:38)
Cʹ Sarah in foreign palace; ordeal ends in peace (20:1–21:34)
Bʹ Climax of Abraham’s spiritual odyssey (22:1–19)
Aʹ Genealogy of Nahor (22:20–24)

5. Genesis 22:1-2 (NIV84)
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

6. Genesis 22:3-8 (NIV84)
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

7. Genesis 22:9-14 (NIV84)
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

8. “Jehovah Jireh” by Merla Watson
Jehovah Jireh, My provider (Gen. 22:14), His grace is sufficient, For me (2 Cor. 12:9). My God shall supply all my needs, According to His riches in glory (Rom. 9:23, Col. 1:27). He will give His angels, Charge over me (Ps. 91:11-12, Heb. 1:14). Jehovah Jireh cares for me, for me, for me, Jehovah Jireh cares for me (Gen. 22:14).

9. Genesis 22:15-19 (NIV84)
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” 19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

10. Who’s who in the story of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac?
The roles change in the analogy a few different times.
Is Abraham a picture of us?
Is Abraham a picture of God and Isaac a picture of Jesus?
Is the lamb a picture of Jesus and Isaac is a picture of us?
Moses talked a lot about sacrificial lambs.
Gen. 3:15, 21: When Adam and Eve sinned.
Gen. 4:2-5: Adam and Eve’s sons sacrificed.
Ex. 12:12-13: The Passover lamb.
Lev. 4-7, Num : The Israelites’ sacrifices.

11. What should we learn from Abraham?
Galatians 2:16 (NIV84) 16 [We] know that a man is not justified by observing [obeying] the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing [obeying] the law, because by observing [obeying] the law no one will be justified. Romans 3:28 (NIV84) 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing [obeying] the law.

12. What should we learn from Abraham?
James 2:20-25 (NIV84) 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? [Gen. 22] 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” [Gen. 15:6] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? [Josh. 2, 6]

13. What do we learn from Abraham, Isaac, and the Lamb?
Abraham: The only way we will be justified/declared righteous before God is by trusting in God’s promise fulfilled in Christ.
Lamb/Isaac: If you are worried about if you are a Sheep or Goat, don’t look to your own actions, look to the Lamb!
Isaac/Abraham: Live in the righteousness and life Jesus has given you.
Learn from Abraham’s obedient faith, by letting God be God in this story and in your story.