Genesis 22
Genesis 22:1 (ESV) 1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."
1.)What is apparent about Abraham’s walk with God in verse 1? God initiated this conversation. When God calls his name, Abraham responds with “Here I am.” Abraham was listening and ready to respond to God’s calling, whatever that was to be.
2.)What is the significance of Abraham’s immediate response, “Here I am”, to God’s voice? Read these other “Here I am” verses.
Genesis 22:11 (ESV) 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."
Genesis 31:11 (ESV) 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am!'
Genesis 46:2 (ESV) 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here am I."
Exodus 3:4 (ESV) 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
1 Samuel 3:10 (ESV) 10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant hears."
Isaiah 6:8(ESV) 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." Isaiah 52:6 (ESV) 6 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I."
Isaiah 58:9 (ESV) 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
Isaiah 65:1 (ESV) 1 I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation that was not called by my name.
Acts 9:10 (ESV) 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."
What is our normal response when someone calls our name? Is it, “Yeah” or “What”? In most cases, whatever the response, is the tone one of, “Yes, what can I do for you?” or is it, “Yeah, what do you want from me?” “Here I am” is a response that is ready to listen and take action. It’s a response that knows more is to follow. It’s not a response that is annoyed or skeptical.
Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10
3.)What is our response when God calls our name? How’s your response when any loved one calls your name?
Is it, “Here I am, how can I serve you”? If this is not your response to people you say you love, it is probably not going to be your response when God calls on you either. Samuel could have been annoyed with Eli calling him the middle of the night, but instead he was eager to whatever Eli was asking of him, whenever he was asked. If he had been annoyed and ignored what he thought was Eli, he never would have recognized that it was God calling him.
Genesis 22:2 (ESV) 2 He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
4.)Was this command so absurd that Abraham knew God would not go through with it? Child sacrifices were not unheard of in Abraham’s culture. Many religions sacrificed children to their gods often to insure continued fertility. There is no telling what Abraham felt about this command from God but it would not have been as absurd to him as it sounds to us.
Genesis 22:3-8 (ESV) 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 8 Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together.
5.) How did Abraham respond to God’s command?
He took immediate action. He did not talk it over with Sarah first. God said to go so he went.
6.) Based on Abraham’s response and the fact that he never hid from Isaac that a sacrifice was the intent of the journey, what was Abraham’s belief?
Hebrews 11:17-19 (ESV) 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
Genesis 22:9-14 (ESV) 9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." 12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."
7.) Abraham responds to the angel’s call with “Here am I” again. What does this say about where Abraham’s head was at during this test?
Abraham was expecting God to do something. He did not know what or how. He was just obeying and relying on God to work it out. He was listening for God and not wrapped up in the sorrow of his own situation. As we go through trials, we need to focus on God’s promises and expect His deliverance. If we get caught up in self-pity we may miss God direction.
8.) While God’s request may not have been as crazy sounding in Abraham’s time as it sounds to us today, it certainly tested him. He had already lost one son (Ishmael was sent off) and now God was asking him to give up Isaac, the child of promise. What might God ask us to give up that might be similar in context?
While none of us expect God to come calling to ask us to sacrifice our children, he may call us to do something that is painful in its own right. We are not to put anything ahead of God, not even our family. This is not an excuse to neglect your family because you have a calling for a particular ministry.
While God may call you to serve in a way that takes you from your family, often we abandon others on our own for tasks we attribute to God when God has no intention for us to go off on our own.
Genesis 22:15-24 (ESV) 15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba. 20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, "Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." 23 (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
9.)After the trial, God reassures Abraham of His promise. The promise Abraham held onto to survive the trial. What promises should we hold on to as we face our tests and trials?
James 1:12 (ESV) 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
1 Peter 4:12-14 (ESV) 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
Our take home today is, “What is there in my life that giving up would as close as can be imagined to sacrifice your child?” Are you willing to give it up?
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