Faith Trusts God with All of It!

Genesis 21:22-22:22

Faith Trusts God with All of It!

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Genesis 21:22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: 23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. 24 And Abraham said, I will swear. 25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. 26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. 27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. 31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days. 22:1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. 15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor; 21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

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• Look at the story and understand what is happening

• How do we deal with authority or those that might be doing us wrong?

• Make sure that all know that this story is a picture of the Father loving us enough to sacrifice His own precious Son for us

• Decide if we will be people of faith that live it out where the community can see it and testify to our love for God

• Know that we are prepared to be tested in our lives

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1. An unquestionable testimony

Genesis 21:22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

Abimelech does not doubt that God is with Abraham. There is obvious evidence of God’s work and blessing in his life

This is the same man that God spoke to about Sarah when Abraham lied

Genesis 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

• Do those around you think of you as being a man or woman of God?

• Is there evidence that God is at work in your life?

• Does your life exhibit a work of God in your character, your customs, your conduct, your conversation?

Abraham will deal honestly and not use his power to harm those less fortunate around him

• He has God on his side but doesn’t abuse others with his strength

• He swears to do right

Being God’s man doesn’t stop Abraham from reproving Abimelech when some wrong has been done

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

Notice how Abraham handles a disagreement

• He went directly to the man

• He listened to his side of the disagreement

• Instead of using his power, he makes his own promise with a gift

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

Abraham had a consistent worship life, devotional life

33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

2. Expect testing from the Lord

22:1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

We need the tests to know where we are

• Tempting and testing are the same words, the same thing

• The tempting is testing. Satan would use temptations to cause you to fall. God would use tempting or testing to prove you, to show you who you are and where you are

• God will never bring about a test until you are ready

The test doesn’t take place until “after it comes to pass!”

• God had been working in Abraham’s life for 57 years now

• Abraham had already passed a test when he left his home

• Abraham had failed the famine test when he went to Egypt

• He passed a test when he said goodbye to Lot

• He passed a test when he refused to get rich at the hands of the king of Sodom

• Abraham failed the test when he took Hagar to try and do God’s will in his own power

• He passed a test when he sent his son Ishmael away

Each test prepared Abraham for something greater

God is busy building you right now

I Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Temptations come from wrong desires in us

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Trials come from the Lord as a preparation to do something for Him

Not all believers face the same testings and trials

• There is no mention of Lot going through this

• Lot never got past the temptations of the world, money, material things

• Trials and testings are almost like compliments because God is showing that He trusts that we will be victorious

3. Why does God send or allow testing in our lives?

To purify our faith

I Peter 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

To perfect our character

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Protect us from sin

II Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

4. Will you give God what you love?

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

All of Abraham’s hopes and aspirations hang on Isaac

Isaac is God’s promise and answered prayer for Abraham

There is absolutely nothing more important in the world to Abraham than Isaac

There is a picture of Christ in this story

• Isaac was conceived miraculously when Sara was 90 years old

• Isaac was the promised child

• Isaac was obedient to his father to the point of death, allowing himself to be offered as the sacrifice

• Isaac was the fulfillment of God’s promises

Notice that worship was associated with this sacrifice, giving to God what is precious to you. Do you do that with your money, your children, yourself?

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

Are you holding on to your children, your security, your future, your money, whatever?

Giving is proof of your love

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

5. Living in faith

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Abraham’s life was one of faith

He left his home and family by faith

Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

• He lived in uncomfortable places waiting on the promise Hebrews 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

• His eyes were on God and what He would do in His life Hebrews 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

• He knew that God would raise Isaac from the dead

Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Faith does not demand explanations; faith rests on promises.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

Faith means trusting the Lord Jesus for your salvation but also for everything else

Will you believe that He will not allow anything to happen to you that is not for your good

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Will you trust God to take care of your children?

Will you trust God to meet your financial, physical, and emotional needs?

6. Abraham found out that He serves a God that sees Him and His desperate need

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

God saw Abraham but more than that, Abraham saw God

Abraham learned something great about God in the middle of the trial

God meets our needs just on time

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

If you see God for who He is then you will want to use the time of testing as a time of glorifying God

7. Obedience even in trials brings even greater blessings

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

Don't waste your suffering

• We ask “How can I get out of this?”

• What we need to ask is “What can I get out of this that will honor and glorify God?”

We think it is a coincidence but God is at work

We get angry at the people around us or the circumstances instead of seeing that God is making us into what we need to be, to get more blessings