What I Learned in the Homework
Before beginning, please review Genesis 22:1-14. As a parent it is hard to read this passage without cringing a little. Abraham is told by God, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (Genesis 22:2). The LORD is testing His servant Abraham. The homework teaches us much about the tests of God. Something to keep in mind as you read through this, each of these points about Abraham’s test can be applied to our own lives. Please take the time as you read to meditate on how these things could be reflected in your own walk with God.
Who Does God Test?
Our tests have our names on them. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-3). In Genesis 22, God called Abraham by name. In James, God tells us that we too will be tested.
Our tests are given proportionate to our faith experience with God. “Some time later God tested Abraham” (Gen. 22:2a) When God tested him at Mt. Moriah, Abraham had experienced God’s faithfulness time and time again. There was time for a history to develop.
What Does God Test?
Our obedience. When God told Abraham what he was to do, Abraham obeyed God immediately. He didn’t argue or try to understand. He just did what God said to do.
Our endurance. The trip to the place of sacrifice, Mt. Moriah, took three days. That was much time to think and reason away God’s command yet Abraham stayed the course.
Our words. The homework points out that what we believe will be reflected in what we say. “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45c). Abraham’s words reflected his faith.
Why Does God Test Us?
In Deu. 8:2 it says, “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands”. The question is, if God already knows what is in our hearts why does He test us?
God knows that we will pass the test. Abraham’s servant and Isaac were witnesses to the test of Abraham’s faith. As we read it, we are witnesses too. Think about what his testimony means to you? Does it not build your own faith in the Faithful God?
God knows that we won’t pass the test. There is something here that we don’t want to miss. “So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide” (Gen. 22:14a). In the homework it explains that the Hebrew word for ‘provide’ means to see beforehand. God can see a situation beforehand and provide for that need. God had already promised Abraham that through him all nations would be blessed. Abraham did not know ‘the how’ of this but He did believe that the LORD would provide. Perhaps we may fail a test because we don’t really trust that God will provide us with something He has already promised us. It may show us that we are depending on something or someone other than God. Truly trusting in the LORD brings peace – even if the outcome isn’t what we desired.
How Do We Pass Our Tests?
Finally what can we learn from Abraham and his test how do we apply it to our own lives? We have to be willingly offer up our own ‘Isaacs’. Our ‘Isaac’ is something that God has given us that we have to give back to Him. It might be a dream, a relationship, or a career. Trust God with it. He will provide.
What I Learned in Class
As Pastor Grace began her lesson, she directed our focus to God’s name Jehovah Jireh, The LORD Will Provide. She pointed out that this name of God has a common association with financial provision but this does not reflect the fullness of its meaning. What God provides to us is so much more than financial provision. He meets the needs of His servants. What are some of these needs? To name a few: peace, purpose, healing, joy, passion, an answer, a way, strength to endure, love for which we seek, and strength to endure. What a change in perspective!!!
The story of Abraham and Isaac, in Genesis 22, is a story about ultimate trust. God asked Abraham to do something that went against all reasoning. Abraham did not ask why this was happening. He did not ask God if he had fallen short somehow and had to prove himself to God. Had he not served the LORD well enough? God tested Abraham in order to see if he loved God more than anything God had placed in his hand. As we learned in the homework, God wants us to let go of the hold we have on our ‘Isaacs’. That is something we have to ask ourselves. As we have said so often this is not about condemnation but about freedom.
Pastor Grace related a story that makes this point so clearly. It involves the way to catch a monkey. To do this, a coconut is chained to a tree. This coconut has been hollowed by drilling a hand-sized hole. A trinket is placed inside the coconut. The monkey will put his hand in the coconut & grab the trinket, making a fist around his prize. But what happens? He cannot remove his hand from the coconut unless he opens his fist. However he holds on for dear life and alas, he is trapped. The trinkets we hold on to so tightly trap us as well. Pray and ask God to show what you are grasping in your fist then willingly lay it on the altar. Whatever it is, you can trust God.
Pastor Grace also brought up another relationship that stands out as one of trust. Isaac obeyed his father. Isaac went to the altar in willing submission to his father. Like Abraham, he did not question or hesitate. Delayed obedience is disobedience as is partial obedience. We don’t see this in either of these two men. Something we do see though is that Isaac’s behavior replicated that of his father. It is important that we walk in obedience to the Lord in our own homes because that is what our children will see.
Wrapping It All Up
Jehovah Jireh, The LORD will provide is Yahweh, the great I AM. No matter what our circumstances, He will meet the need. He is our provider!
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)
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