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Guest (Male): God’s word teaches us faith does not demand explanations, faith rests on God’s promises. I don’t have to know why; all I have to know is that God is going to keep His promise. Certainly our nosy, aren’t we? What are you doing now, God? Why are you doing that now? And what does He say? Trust me. I know just what you need. I don’t need this, I really don’t need this. Yes, you do. It’s another test.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Apply Within, a verse-by-verse study of the word of God with Pastor Bob Davis of Northcountry Chapel. We invite you to join with us as we, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, apply what is within our own hearts as we study line upon line, precept upon precept, verse-by-verse through the Bible. As our study of Genesis continues in chapter 22, Abraham and Isaac give us a picture of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Here’s Pastor Bob.

Bob Davis: We're going to take up in chapter 22 of the book of Genesis, and it’s great news for all of you who have ever read a promise of God. Anybody that’s ever read a promise. And it came to pass after these things. After what things? Well, obviously after the things that happened in chapter 21. Hagar got sent away; it broke Abraham’s heart, but he had to send his son Ishmael away.

And now it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham. And He said to Abraham, "Abraham." Abraham answered, "Behold, here I am." Abraham, you take now your son, thine only son Isaac, whom you love. In other words, with the deepest love you’ve got, with the all the ability that’s in you to love that boy, you love him. You take now your son, your 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 show you, which I’ll tell you of.

Go to the land of Moriah. The land of Moriah, that word means—the Hebrew word means—chosen by the Lord God Almighty. Some translate chosen by Jehovah. Jehovah means the Lord God Almighty. So chosen, that area is chosen by the Lord God Almighty, the land of Moriah. By the way, those are the hills, the mountains that Jerusalem sits on. Not now, but will, when Israel owns the land. So that is—you're going to find out that Mount Moriah is the same mount that we call Calvary where Jesus Christ was crucified.

Go to the land of Moriah and offer that son, your only son, the one you love, offer him as a sacrifice. That would be a burnt offering to me. You can see where this is going. Abraham is a type of the Father. Isaac is a type of the Son. God the Father and God the Son, the one that you dearly love more than life itself, your only begotten son. Take him and sacrifice him to me, God says, on a mountain I’ll show you.

Notice that God tells Abraham, "Take his son, his only son, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering." God forbids humans to be used as sacrifices on the altar. Did you know that? And many jump in there and say, "That’s a contradiction! He’s not Abraham’s only son. Ishmael was his older son of the bondwoman, of the slave girl, Hagar." And so everybody goes, "Gotcha, God! I don’t like you anymore because you’re—" No, it’s not a contradiction at all.

He was Abraham’s son also. Yes, he was. But the Lord God from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21 continues to teach us that He rejects any of the works of our flesh. Right? There is nothing I can do in my flesh that is acceptable to God. I’ll show you the verses, but you know that already. You’ve been reading the Bible a little while. Your best day today—if this was your best day—too bad, you need Jesus because your best day is not good enough. And I don’t think you’ve had your best day yet because every day’s been a mess, hasn’t it? Yeah.

But they argue, what about Ishmael? The Lord God rejects the works of the flesh. Isaac is the son of the promise, miraculously born by promise. God promised through Abraham and his wife Sarah. Sarah was 90; Abraham was 100. Impossible to have children. And Jesus, the year before the baby was born, said, "Is anything too hard for God?" And that’s a rhetorical question. The answer is: nothing is too hard for God. He saved me. He saved you.

Now you know God rejects the works of the flesh. So listen to Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9. "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Our works can’t save us. God rejects the works of the flesh. It’s all got to be done in the Spirit. Now, we should be good and we should want to do right and do well, but understand that by grace through faith I am saved. And because I’m saved, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I want to walk in the Holy Spirit. I want to do right. I want to do well. I want to do good.

But that’s not saving me. I’m saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. You’re saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Now, walk on in Him. Romans 8, verses 7 and 8: "Because the carnal mind is enmity, is at war against God, for it is not submitted to the law, neither indeed can it be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." There’s nothing I can do to get myself saved. There’s nothing I can do, nothing I can say, nothing I can offer to God. There’s nothing that can be done. I have to surrender to His grace and mercy.

Now that you know why God is saying Isaac is the son of the promise, Messiah will come through Abraham and his wife Sarah, through Isaac, through Jacob, right? All the way down to Jesus Christ. That was a promise made well before chapter 22 here. But people are bothered by the words in verse 1. "It came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham." People don’t like that. And here’s what they say, "Another contradiction in the Bible." This is one of the on the big list of contradictions. Because how could God tempt Abraham?

Well, listen to James chapter 1, verse 13. "Let no man say when he is tempted, 'I have been tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man." And so they say, "Well, you’ve got a contradiction. God tempted him, and James says God doesn’t tempt anybody." Does God tempt you? Never. He’s the one encouraging you not to listen or to fall. God, when He calls us, He calls us on. When He commands us, He commands us.

But you say, "Well, how come that word is used?" Because it is Hebrew, and we're translating it into English. The Hebrew word is nacah or nashah, and it means to put to the test or to prove. So when we read in the King James, "God did tempt Abraham," if you put it in American, "God tested Abraham." You think God ever tests you? Do you think God is testing you so he can find out something about you? Well, no, he knows everything. When he tests me, who’s supposed to learn something? Not God, me! Right?

God knows what Abraham will do. But Abraham doesn’t know what he’ll do. By the way, it’s kind of a rip-off because you and I, we know it. How do we know God’s testing him? Because the first verse 1 says he’s testing him. But Abraham doesn’t know it! And everybody, come on, quit, give the guy the benefit of the doubt. You’re going to see some amazing faith here. What would you do? I don’t know. What would I do? I don’t know. But Abraham doesn’t know this is a test. All he knows is God said, "Abraham." "Yes, sir, I’m right here." "All right, take your son, your only son, the son of the promise, the one that you dearly love more than life itself, and offer him as a burnt offering to me."

Okay, that’s crazy! What did Abraham feel? What did he think at that moment? We're not told. What would you have thought? I know what I’d thought. Okay, Bob, that’s not God. That is not God. Yes, it is. No, it’s not! It can’t be. I wouldn’t know. I can’t. No. This is a test of Abraham’s faith. But Abraham doesn’t know it. You’re going through tests all the time. You probably went through something today. It was a test of your simple faith.

God promised that Abraham would be the father of many nations. Did Abraham believe that? He did. By faith, because when God promised him that, he had no children and had no children for years and years after that. Okay, well, put that in your head and heart along with now he’s the one that God said is going to bring Messiah somehow down the lineage. And now, God, you’re saying I have to give him back? I have to put him to death? Okay, how would you feel? Will Abraham continue in faith to believe the promises of God when he takes his son and puts him to death on the altar?

It'd be sure hard to keep the faith knowing the kid’s dead now, wouldn’t it? Did God promise it? Yes. Is God going to do it? Yes. What did He promise you? You trust in Jesus Christ. You just give your heart, surrender all. Will you be in heaven? How do you know? God’s promise. Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is born again.

God’s tests—when He tests our faith, it stretches us, it strengthens us, it grows us. Look at verse 3. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and he saddled the donkey, took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son, and he clave the wood for the burnt offering and rose up. He cut the wood, got the wood ready, rose up, and they went to the place which God had told them. Then on the third day, Abraham lifts up his eyes and he saw the place far off. This is where God wants us to do this, up at the mountain right here.

And Abraham said to his young men, to the servants, "Abide you here with the donkey, stay right here. I and the lad"—underline lad—"will go yonder and worship and come again to you." The language says we will both go and worship, we will both come back. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and, look, laid it on his son Isaac. Isaac had to carry his own cross, the wood on his back up that hill, which was Calvary. There at Mount Moriah.

Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, laid it upon his son Isaac, put across his shoulders probably. He took the fire in his hand and a knife, and they both went together up the hill. There was no hesitation. I don’t know what he was thinking, I don’t know what he was feeling. That’s what everybody seems to worry—if you’re American, that’s how people make decisions. How do you feel about the job? How do you feel about this move across the country? How do you feel about going to find work? How do you feel about the neighborhood you’re in? What are you supposed to feel?

Absolute faith and trust in the Lord, even though he has no idea what’s going on. His faith is in God’s promise, not what’s happening to him. In God’s promise. That’s amazing. In faith, Abraham walks. He gets up before the sun, early in the morning. Before it’s sunrise, this dude’s got everything loaded and he’s ready to go. He’s got his son, he’s got the two servants, got a donkey all loaded up with the wood they’re going to need. And here they go. No questions asked, he just did it.

How did it feel? I don’t know. He had to be confused, he had to be a little up shook, upset. But this is what my God wants me to do. Why? I don’t know why. It doesn’t matter why. He is my God. It’s a three-day journey. They're not going across the street. They're not just going down the mountainside maybe a half a mile or so. They're going three days. But they're still in Israel. Sarah lived—next chapter—Sarah lived to be 127 years old. That’s when she died, 127.

She had Isaac when she was 90, so you and I could do the math. It come out to about 37 years old, right? Isaac was 37 years old when his mother died. So it is believed that this is just a few years before that death. So many believe that Isaac was probably between 30 and 33. When did Jesus go to the cross? 33 years old. Isaac is a type of Jesus Christ.

After a three-day journey, they arrived at the place the Lord showed them. And the lad and I will go from here. The lad, that Hebrew word is na’ar. We would call that same person a young man. And it’s a three-day journey. And he’s going to carry that wood on his back. Abraham believed God. God’s word teaches us faith does not demand explanations, faith rests on God’s promises. I don’t have to know why; all I have to know is that God is going to keep His promise. Certainly our nosy, aren’t we? What are you doing now, God? Why are you doing that now? And what does He say? Trust me. I love you.

I know just what you need. I don’t need this, I really don’t need this. If you’re open to suggestions, I don’t—yes, you do. Yeah, it’s another test. And maybe you, like me, fail it with flying colors. That’s okay. You’re shocked and stunned, but God isn’t. He’s smiling; He loves you. He’s still going to continue to work. He’s still going to—you’ll be strong, you’ll be stronger, you’ll be walking with the Lord.

Hebrews chapter 11 specifically says that, verses 17 through 19: "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure." What he’s saying is, in American, Abraham didn’t know what God was going to do, but knew that it was going to be through Isaac, the son of promise, that Messiah would come. So if I put him to death, God’s probably going to raise him from the dead. He did not know. All he did was not doubt, not question, trust. Take God at his word. The word we use is faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I don’t need proof. I put my faith and trust in Him.

Abraham laid the wood on Isaac’s back for him to carry, also showing us he wasn’t a little bitty kid. Carrying a heavy load. The fire and the knife, and they're going up the mountain. So look at verse 7. Isaac spoke to his father on their walking up. He says, "Father." And his father said, "Right here, son. What you need?" He said, "Behold, we got the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? I mean, we’ve got everything we need except for the lamb." And Abraham said, "My son," verse 8, "God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering." So they went both of them together. Isaac was happy with that answer. God’s going to provide Himself a lamb.

And they came to the place which God—verse 9—which God told them of. And Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order and he tied Isaac his son, he tied him, bound him up, and laid him on the altar of wood. Now we know who the lamb is. And Abraham stretched forth his hand and he took the knife, he raised it up, and the angel of the Lord called from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham." And Abraham said, "I’m here, Lord." He said, "Lay not your hand on that boy. Don’t don’t even touch him. Neither do you anything to him, for I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son."

He was willing to let his son die on that mountain, a sacrifice unto the Lord. You gave him—I gave him to you, give him back. Abraham says, "I don’t want to, but I will." And he did. God will provide Himself a lamb. The language is clear: God Himself will be the lamb. He will provide Himself as the lamb. Isaac’s not a child. He willingly submits to his father. That’s interesting. And he is laid on that altar. It is the very picture of God the Father placing his only begotten son on that altar at Calvary called the cross.

It’s the very picture of Jesus willingly letting his Father tie him there onto that cross to suffer and shed his blood for the sin of the world. You’ve got the whole picture. God will provide Himself a lamb. Jesus Christ was the lamb that was sacrificed for the sin of the world. Abraham raised that knife into the air and was just going to plunge that knife into his son’s heart when the Lord stopped him. God knows Abraham’s heart, but Abraham doesn’t. The test was for Abraham, not for God. Are we doing that? Is that what we're doing? It’s what God wants us to be doing.

Abraham lifted up his eyes. After God stopped him, Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram. What? A ram, caught in a thicket, in the bushes, by the horns. And Abraham—so that means it’s a not a brand new baby ram. It’s got some horns though, so he’s grown a little bit. And Abraham went, took the ram, offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-Jireh, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." Okay, listen closely, this is a biggie. Abraham looked and he saw a ram caught in the thicket, in the bushes. His horns were caught; he couldn’t get loose. So he took the ram and he offered the ram.

Let me point out to you something that is redundant. A ram is not a lamb or a ding dong. Ram-a-lamb-a—sorry. Okay, right? What am I saying? What I’m saying is the lamb wasn’t sacrificed that day. It’s going to be a couple of thousand years down the road in the same right spot on the same mountain, but it’s going to be the Lamb of God. So there’s a ram there instead of a lamb. And Isaac may not have given that anything thought and Abraham was happy, right?

But think about it. There is a lamb and he will be sacrificed on that mount. And it will be God Almighty’s only begotten son, miraculously born, became flesh. And Abraham and Isaac played it out for the whole world to see what it looked like. Take your son, your only son, the son of the promise. God said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Dearly loved Son. And He’s going to let Him go to the cross and let Him suffer and die there. He stopped Abraham. Abraham was just a picture of what was going to be, but He stopped him. But He’s not going to stop it when Jesus gets on the cross. He will let His Son suffer and die for our sins.

And Abraham named that place Jehovah-Jireh, literally "The Lord will see to it" or "The Lord will provide." Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord God our provider. In verse 15, the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven a second time and said, "By myself I have sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, 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 seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemy. And in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed." There’s a promise for Messiah again because you obeyed His voice.

So Abraham returned to his young men. They rose up, went together to Beersheba. Abraham dwelt there in Beersheba. God once again tells Abraham all the promises He’s already had. He tells them again. "I knew you would be this way, and I want you to know that I will keep my promises and Messiah’s going to come through you." All the promises He’s given to Abraham, he reiterates them for him. "I will provide for you, I will protect you and make a great nation. And in you shall all nations be blessed," referring to Messiah. Abraham, Isaac, and two servants headed back to Beersheba, and they remained in that area. And you see the picture of God the Father, who loved the world so much, He gave His only begotten son. He offered His son as the sacrifice for sin on the cross at Calvary.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to Apply Within with Pastor Bob Davis. Apply Within is a radio outreach ministry of Northcountry Chapel. Our Sunday morning Bible studies are at 9:00 and 11:00 AM. We also have a Friday evening Bible study at 7:00 PM and a Monday evening Bible study at 7:00 PM. You can download today’s message in its entirety at northcountrychapel.com/studies. That’s northcountrychapel.com/studies.

If you would like a copy of today’s message, write to us and ask for the message with today’s date. The address is Apply Within, 2281 West Seltice, Post Falls, Idaho, 83854. Or call us at 1-800-572-8851. That number again, 1-800-572-8851. Our mobile app is available for iPhone and Android. Download it to listen to full-length studies, watch the live stream of our services, or to find out more about church events. If you have been blessed by the teaching or have prayer requests that you would like to share with us, write, email, or call us as well. Please join with us every Monday through Friday as we study together verse-by-verse on Apply Within, sponsored by Northcountry Chapel. God bless you.