Genesis 22:1-19
Isaac is finally born to Sarah and Abraham in Genesis 21. Seems like everything is going smoothly, until God decides to test Abraham by commanding that Isaac be offered as a burnt offering. Surprisingly, instead of putting up an argument or pleading, Abraham seems to act without hesitation and heads to the place where God indicated along with Isaac.
Along the way, Isaac asks where the lamb for the sacrifice is, but Abraham can only respond that the LORD will provide.
Arriving at the destination, Abraham readies to sacrifice Isaac, but as he was about to use the knife, the angel of the LORD stops him. Abraham notices a ram that is stuck in the thicket and offers it as a sacrifice.
The angel of the LORD tells Abraham that he had passed the test, and that God will indeed bless him and his descendants, who will bring blessing to the whole world.
This passage raises some difficult questions, since it deals with the nature of God that might be uncomfortable for us and not so easy to explain. Does God really test people this way? Why does He test?
The answer to the first question is obviously “yes”, since he did so with Abraham. The situation with Job is similar. And apparently, Jesus, as he was about to be arrested to be crucified, was tested, since he prays in the garden of Gethsemane that, if possible, the burden of the cross would be taken from Him. Also, in the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray, is included the phrase, “lead us not into temptation”.
As to why God would test this way, that is a more difficult question. Does He not know what the outcome would be? It seems that the angel of the Lord did not know the outcome beforehand, since he states, “for now I know that you fear God”. Is it for the person’s sake that God tests? Is it for us, the reader? We really do not know the answer, but we must admit that for whatever reasons God tests, He has the right to do so. Whether God really wants to see how we react, or it is to teach or reveal something to us or to others, God apparently does test.
In Abraham’s case, the letter to the Hebrews, chapter eleven, gives us the insight that Abraham believed that God would fulfill His promise of descendants through Isaac. So, if Abraham goes ahead and sacrifices Isaac, God can raise him back from the dead. Abraham is not sure how God will fulfill His promise, but he has faith that God will keep His promise, even if the command to sacrifice Isaac makes no logical sense. Usually, there is no hope for coming back from death. Resurrection is finding hope of life, when only death is anticipated.
In the Old Testament, we see numerous occasions when God tests Israel to see if they would trust only Yahweh or if they would at the same time look to other gods. The testing times for Israel and for all of us who are spiritual heirs of Abraham are those times when it is attractive to find an easier, less demanding alternative to God. The testings drive us to find out whether we really mean what we say about our faith being grounded solely in the gospel.
Abraham passed his test – He hung on to God’s promise and acted in faith. And because of this, he did become the father of a great nation that would bring the ultimate blessing to the whole world – The Messiah. Job was faithful and through all of his great tragedies, did not curse God. Israel often failed.
What about us? When testings come, will God find us faithful? If we really think about it, the only good choice we have is to continue to believe in the promise of resurrection. Every one of us will die one day, but the gospel promises us that there will be forgiveness of sins and a resurrection and life eternal with the Lord and fellow believers. We were created to do good works and the work Jesus Christ did on the cross ensures us that everyone has a chance at eternal life. But they must be told how this can become so for them. We need to be witnesses for Jesus Christ – That He is the Son of God and the Savior of the World.
We cannot be effective witnesses without believing in God’s promises. We must also pass our tests – To believe that God will keep His promise, no matter what is happening in our lives.
In this passage, we see that God tests but also provides. We may prefer that He just provides and never tests, but that is not the case. We can be comforted by 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”
If you are going through trying times, remember that God is faithful and will keep His promises. If we can hang on to that hope, then we too can pass any tests that might come our way.
(The above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship together on June 25, 2023.)
Japanese Congregational Church 