6/19/22 - Your Only Son - Genesis 22 - Pastor Jason Fritz

Genesis chapter 22 contains one of the most well known stories in all of ancient narrative. Abraham’s willingness to make an offering of his son is the crescendo moment of Abraham’s faith. How did he get here? What was it that caused Abraham to embark on this journey with God in the first place? The author of Hebrews tells us…

By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. Hebrews 11:9-10 
 
Abraham went out because he was searching for a foundation. After you’ve been a Christian for a little while you believe in principle that God is foundational. But then things happen in your life that tests this belief. Difficulties come your way and you begin to wonder - Is God really on my side? It sure doesn’t feel like it. Hard to imagine the quiet moments between father and son as they walked up the hill together. The boy is genuinely curious about how and when the sacrificial lamb will be provided. Abraham moreso. How do you know your faith is strong? You don’t know until it is tested. Remember, Satan tempts, but God tests. So what is the difference? Satan tempts to weaken you, God tests to strengthen you.
 
The late Elisabeth Elliot, told about a time years ago while visiting friends who owned a sheep ranch in Northern Wales. One day she saw a shepherd pick up a sheep and take it to a sheep dip which is a large vat of liquid insecticide and fungicide, and put the sheep into the vat, and the sheep frantically fought for air. Then the shepherd pushed the head down, but the sheep kept fighting and coming up, and the shepherd kept pushing it down because all of its surface had to be coated with the solution to keep it from getting ill. 
 
Elisabeth said, “I wondered what it’s like to feel like your shepherd is trying to kill you? Then she remembered the death of her missionary husband at the hands of the very people he served and said, “Oh, I remember.”
 
If this story of Abraham tells us anything it tells us that sometimes your shepherd, who is trying to save you, will feel to you like he is trying to kill you. And that is a dark time indeed. I don’t know what it looks like for you, but I know this: Every human being in history has walked through some sort of dark time. But one day, one day the “third day” will come. It came for Abraham. The Lord provided.

To get a view of Isaac you need to understand Jesus. Consider the parallels: both were only sons, both offered on a mountain, both traveled with donkeys, two men accompanied them, both carried wood on their backs. The ram was stuck by thorns and then sacrificed, Jesus was also stuck by thorns and sacrificed. 

You see, the story of Isaac points to Jesus. God never intended to sacrifice Isaac’s life. His life was a giant neon sign pointing to the cross. We see ourselves in Isaac. Bound for death but saved by another. Only the cross makes sense of this story. Because the Lord did provide.