FAITH WORTH FOLLOWING: WHEN FOLLOWING GOD IS HARDER THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Genesis 22:1-19 (NKJV) 

1. Faith can be tough 

Gen. 22:1-2 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only sonIsaac, 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.” 

• God sought to test the faith of Abraham in this moment
• God had blessed Abraham beyond measure at this point and desired to find the level of his trust
• Warren Wiersbe said, “Temptations are used by the devil to bring out the worst in us, but trials are used by the Holy Spirit to bring out the best in us.”[1]

2. But still requires obedience 

Gen 22:3-6 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” 6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.

• No separation between verses 2 and 3, Abraham simply obeyed
• In a way, this echoed the institution of the Passover from Exodus 12 of separating the lamb four days prior to the sacrifice
• Abraham, though certainly in great distress, obeyed fully the command of God

3. It will test you in ways you never thought possible 

Gen. 22:7-10 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

• Abraham had already been tested greatly during his faith journey
  • Leave his homeland and family – Gen. 12
  • The famine – Gen. 12
  • Separating from Lot – Gen. 13
  • Abandon his plans for Ishmael – Gen. 17
  • Now, the sacrifice of Isaac
• God never promised our journey with Him will be easy
• Why? Because to achieve the greatest benefit takes the hardest work
• Arthur Pink stated, “The life of the believer is a series of tests, for only by discipline can Christian character be developed.”[2] – Arthur Pink
• God will always provide the lamb
• Warren Wiersbe – “True faith is always tested. Of course, God did not want Isaac’s life; He wanted Abraham’s heart.”[3]

4. But God is always faithful

Gen. 22:11-13 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” 12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, 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.” 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

• At the last moment, when it seems hopeless, God delivered
• This is also a clear foretelling of God providing His only Son for us all

5. And God will always reward your faithfulness

Gen. 22:15-18 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

• Walking in faith will always bring great reward
• There is no way to describe the potential impact of the faith-filled life during the trials of life but we can be sure, God will use it for His glory

Takeaways:

1. Never hesitate at the call of God
2. When the journey is rough, keep moving toward Him
3. Be ready for the move of God’s hand

[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Obedient, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1991), 109.

[2] Pink, Arthur. Gleanings in Genesis (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1922), 226.

[3] Wiersbe, Warren. Expository Outlines of the Old Testament (Victor Books).