THE FINAL TEST

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am’. He said, “ Take now 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 that I shall show you.” (Genesis 22: 1-2)

It had been a very long journey and finally Abraham was going into retirement. He got his well of water, he got the son he had always wanted and he had peace with his neighbours. And to symbolize his retirement, he planted a tamarisk tree. Just as the tamarisk tree takes deep roots in the earth, finally Abraham was going to take root and settle down and enjoy the fruits of his labour. Or so he thought.

But God came to Abraham at that point of his life and called him to the biggest test of his obedience. It seems as though everything was building up to this moment. This is the peak in Abraham’s life for after this event, the life of Abraham flows like a river into the vast wilderness and disappears into the horizon.

The test of Abraham is three fold, take now your son- the test of his faith, your only son Isaac, the test of his hope, whom you love- the test of his love. These are the three greatest qualities a Christian should have. And now there abideth faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love.

Firstly the test of his faith. Just as Isaac had been born in a supernatural way, Abraham had to surrender Isaac back to God believing that somehow God was able to restore Isaac in that same supernatural way. But he just did not know the how or the when. But he had to believe it.

Secondly the test of his hope. Abrahams hope for the future was not tied to his bank balance but on his boy Isaac. He knew that he would never have another son- not through Sarah anyway. A peace or a wave offering, the worshipper will get something back. But a burnt offering every bit of it had to go - the offer or will get nothing back- as it will have to be burnt completely to ashes. How was Abraham going to get Isaac back? He did not know the how or the when but he responded in obedience.
Thirdly, the test of his love Abram was fond of Ishmael but Isaac he loved. It was the fulfillment of a promise that he had waited a very long time. But now even Isaac had to go. The test was this- Abram, is your faith and hope in God or is it on Isaac- that was the ultimate test?

May I ask you a personal question? What is your most precious possession on this earth? What is it that makes your life worth living? For some it may be a person and for others it may be a thing. But if God told you to surrender your most prized possession would you be able to surrender it believing that somehow God is able to restore it back to you in a supernatural way- something even better? Abraham, would you take your boy, your only boy, the boy whom you love and give him back to me in faith?

Look at the following verses “ And Abraham said to his young men- Stay here with the donkey while me and the lad go yonder to worship, and we will both come back to you”
Abraham was not fooling around with the young men. He said that they will both come back!!! Again he did not the how or the when but he just sensed that something supernatural was about to take.

It is a horrible moment now and this story increases in tension as the two go up to Mount Moriah. Imagine the scene- Isaac carrying the heavy wood for the sacrifice up the mountain, Abraham carrying a bucket of fire and a sharp knife. Again when Isaac asks his father Abraham – “My father look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt sacrifice?” That Isaac who was about to be sacrificed was asking a broken hearted father about the lamb for the sacrifice. And the father replied saying that God would provide himself a sacrifice.

In my early Christian life -, when reading the Bible I got the impression that God was a cruel and bloodthirsty character up there and his favourite pastime was to sit on an exalted throne to test his people. But it was after spending much time with the Bible that I could see the divine pattern. I am told that Mount Moriah is just within walking distance to Calvary. That Isaac is carrying the wood that is to be the means of his own execution with the father surrendering him is all pointing to Calvary. The redemption story.

What is the biggest test you have been through in the Christian life? Of all the Bible characters I have read, I think Abraham went through the biggest test. Romans put it this way- “Who against hope believed in hope.” What is your biggest test that you are going through right now? Some testing’s are intense like the testing of Jesus in the wilderness but other testing’s are really circumstantial for the believer- relating to honesty in business matters or keeping a commitment or refraining from badmouthing others. Then others seem to go through a perpetual loneliness. I don’t think that is a test at all. These Christians just need to discard their “spiritual image” and just need to go out and meet more people. You are a Christian? So what? You still have to face all the trials just like everybody else!

When the days seem incredibly long and your perseverance seems to diminish, take time out and find a place of solitude in prayer. One learns many things in solitude rather than griping to others how severe the trails have become. Every dark season has to pass sometime. The story of Corrie Ten Boom , how she survived in a Nazi camp when she was asked “ Why does God allow this?” She replied- We do not know the answer but we know that we can face this with our faith


ABRAHAM REVEALS GODS IMAGE 12

Then he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the wood, upon the altar. Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But an angel called to him from heaven and said “ Abraham” And he said “ Here I am” And he said “Do not lay your hands on the child or do anything to him for now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.


We have now reached the climax in Abraham’s testing. After both of them had built the altar together, Abraham suddenly turns against his only son whom he loves binds him and lays him upon the altar. Just imagine the picture, on some desolate side of Mount Moriah, the fire burning at Abraham’s side ready for the burnt offering. Isaac tied upon the altar and a sharp knife in Abraham’s hand. It was when Abraham looked at Isaac’s face for the last time that he stretched for his hand and took the knife to slay his only son. To make any sense, to this story we have to step into the supernatural dimension -otherwise it is just a horrible story and can’t even be preached to young people in the church or to older people who have own children. But is the meaning of the story?


We have now reached the climax in Abraham’s testing. After both of them had built the altar together, Abraham suddenly turns against his only son whom he loves binds him and lays him upon the altar. Just imagine the picture, on some desolate side of Mount Moriah, the fire burning at Abraham’s side ready for the burnt offering. Isaac tied upon the altar and a sharp knife in Abraham’s hand. It was when Abraham looked at Isaac’s face for the last time that he stretched for his hand and took the knife to slay his only son. To make any sense, to this story we have to step into the supernatural dimension -otherwise it is just a horrible story and can’t even be preached to young people in the church or to older people who have own children. But is the meaning of the story?

But when the knife was raised, God intervened and stopped it all because even the sacrifice of Isaac was not good enough. The sacrifice for the atonement must be perfect and even reading the life of Isaac casually one straightaway discerns that even Isaac too had the compulsion to lie when caught in a difficult situation.

But God did not intervene when another sacrifice was presented at Calvary many years later. The price had to be paid. It was a dreadful day when the Father sacrificed the Son for the atonement. Four thousand years earlier David had wrote “My God, My God why have you forsaken me? The exact words Jesus had cried out from the cross during his last moments. There was no other way- “Without the shedding blood there is no sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews).

If you are a Christian, rejoice in the fact that your past records of sins have been wiped clean. Jesus made the atonement for you by his death - and that is the only sacrifice that God accepts.
Posted by vijay at 12:33 AM