God Tests, God Provides
This past week we looked at Gen 22:1-19. After waiting decade after decade for the promised child, Abraham and Sarah finally conceive Isaac. The son of promise. But as we come to Gen 22, we are startled as God decides to test Abraham by asking him to do the unthinkable - kill his only son. If we were not give us that background we would not know what to think. Is God really asking Abraham to do something contrary to His later commandments (Do not kill)? But this is only a test, perhaps the greatest test of Abe's life. Not only was Isaac the promise, the blessing of God which he had waited for so long, but he was his beloved son. To sacrifice him is unthinkable. Yet God was testing him, in essence asking do you love me more than even my blessings? That is the question all of us must ask, "Do we really love HIM more than even His blessings?" Often it seems would rather toss Jesus to the side and take heaven and all its desserts. Ask yourself, "Could you enjoy heaven if Christ where not there?" In other words, Is the greatest thing that excites you about heaven is seeing Jesus face to face and worshipping Him forever or is it merely the peace, the streets of Gold and the beautiful mansions.
We find very quickly what Abe's answer was, the text tells us that he got up at "the butt-crack of dawn" (Phil's version haha) He didn't dilly dally, he got up ready to obey God in the most difficult test of his life. He gets things ready, rounds up his son and his servants and they head to the mountain to offer a sacrifice. We can imagine the agony that Abe is going through, especially as Isaac asks him where is the sacrifice? Yet Abe responds God will provide. That is what we need to realize , God is our provider. He looked by faith and new that God would provide the lamb. Hebrews 11 tells us that "17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring[b] will be reckoned."[c] 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. " Abe had faith that God would provide, even if it meant that God would raise his son from the dead. And God did for as Abe raised the knife to strike his son, God provided! R. Kent Hughes writes. "They had learned together, "The LORD will provide --Jehovah Jireh -- that this is God's pattern in dealing with His people, God tests, and then God provides." God tests and God provides. He never leaves us in our time of need.
Application
Two things we can take away, 1. God provided for us in Christ - God did not relent in striking his only beloved son. He did not spare Him but gave Him for us. He is our substitute. It as if we are all Isaacs with the knife of judgment raised to strike us because of our sins, but God cried out and provided the Lamb of God to take our place. 2. God provides for us in every day life - We all face tests and trials in life, remember God uses them for our good and His glory! Remind yourself when you feel lonely, remind yourself when you struggle with sin, remind yourself when your world is falling apart...He is my provider! He indeed is Jehovah - Jireh!
We find very quickly what Abe's answer was, the text tells us that he got up at "the butt-crack of dawn" (Phil's version haha) He didn't dilly dally, he got up ready to obey God in the most difficult test of his life. He gets things ready, rounds up his son and his servants and they head to the mountain to offer a sacrifice. We can imagine the agony that Abe is going through, especially as Isaac asks him where is the sacrifice? Yet Abe responds God will provide. That is what we need to realize , God is our provider. He looked by faith and new that God would provide the lamb. Hebrews 11 tells us that "17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring[b] will be reckoned."[c] 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. " Abe had faith that God would provide, even if it meant that God would raise his son from the dead. And God did for as Abe raised the knife to strike his son, God provided! R. Kent Hughes writes. "They had learned together, "The LORD will provide --Jehovah Jireh -- that this is God's pattern in dealing with His people, God tests, and then God provides." God tests and God provides. He never leaves us in our time of need.
Application
Two things we can take away, 1. God provided for us in Christ - God did not relent in striking his only beloved son. He did not spare Him but gave Him for us. He is our substitute. It as if we are all Isaacs with the knife of judgment raised to strike us because of our sins, but God cried out and provided the Lamb of God to take our place. 2. God provides for us in every day life - We all face tests and trials in life, remember God uses them for our good and His glory! Remind yourself when you feel lonely, remind yourself when you struggle with sin, remind yourself when your world is falling apart...He is my provider! He indeed is Jehovah - Jireh!
posted by FeFiFoPhil | 10:37 AM
1 Comments:
I have always learned that everything in life is a test and that God is always testing you, and sometimes you don't even realize it. Sometimes he'll see what you do when a "not so popular" kid sits down at the lunch table. He waits and sees if you make fun of him secretly with your friends, or if you talk to him and actually try to get to know him or witness to him. Or maybe he'll find out what you'll do if some one drops their book. Do you pick it up for them or ignore them and walk away. So, every action that I take part in, I now try to imagine it as a test that God is giving me, AND THEN I choose what my action will be. Because I know that sometimes I forget that God is testing me in every little way that he can, and I know that everybody else does too. So next time, think about it. God may be testing you or me this very minute.
Post a Comment
<< Home