Title: God Tested Abraham
Contents
1. Words that begin
The success of testing Adam and Eve, who lived with their God-ordained companion in Paradise, shows that there is no human situation that the devil cannot test. Humans are the cause of such temptations of the devil. James 1:14 explains, “But each one is being tempted, because he is drawn away and deceived by his own desires.”
The devil's temptation that corrupts mankind and leads to eternal destruction has nothing to do with God. In that sense, James 1:13 says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one'."
However, this does not mean that God does not conduct temptations for any purpose or any form of testing. Sometimes God tests His children.
2. God's Test
God tested Abraham after Abimelech king of Gerar and Pigol the commander of the army, who knew that God was with him no matter what Abraham did, came to Abraham and made a peace treaty and left. “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 a mountain as long as I will show you.”
Among those who still believe, there are a lot of people who cause rejection even when they hear about offerings such as tithes and thanksgiving, and there are a lot of people who cause rejection even when they hear about small service and service. What kind of son is Isaac to Abraham?
Wasn't Isaac the son miraculously obtained at the age of one hundred by Abraham, who was in a state of renunciation? Isn't that the only son that God has specifically promised and given? Besides, isn't he the first and only son to enjoy God's promise to Abraham to bless his descendants? If Isaac were to be sacrificed as a burnt offering, all those promises would be null and void. Therefore, Abraham could have dismissed the revelation about the sacrifice of Isaac as a misunderstanding or a misunderstanding.
Do you know how much Abraham loved that very Isaac? Even God acknowledged Abraham's love for Isaac. He clearly said, “Your dear only son Isaac. If there's a problem, it's this fact. He had to love God, who is the absolute, and to love and nurture his children in him, but rather, he was living in a state of being immersed in the love of his son. The original language is Ahavta, which reveals this well.
Our God does not want us to make absolutes that are not absolutes. Our God does not want absolute love for relatives. Because such attitudes and actions are the path of idolatry that leads to woe and destruction. In that sense, our God requires what we cherish or idolize. He commands us to give up everything that puts us above God, or even with Him.
3. Abraham's Obedience
Abraham woke up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, took his two servants and Isaac, and took wood for the burnt offering. I took it apart and set out on the path of obedience toward the place God was directing me. It is a really difficult decision of faith, and it cannot but be a very difficult obedience.
God's command does not require human judgment as to whether it is right or wrong, but requires human decision to believe and obey God or reject Him. Abraham made a very difficult decision and took the difficult step of obedience.
God said obedience is better than sacrifice, but there are a few things you need to do well in such obedience.
The first is absolute faith in God. You must have faith to entrust everything, including life, to the Absolute God, who governs eternal life as well as life and death in reality. Abraham entrusted the life and eternal destiny of his son Isaac, who was more precious than himself, to God.
After meeting the resurrected and appearing Lord, the apostle Paul lived a life of a person who completely entrusted his life and death to the Lord. He made a remarkable confession of faith in Romans 14:8, "If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."
Second, it is not to discuss with people about the sure command of God. Abraham did not consult with his wife, nor with Isaac. I didn't discuss it with anyone. He only silently followed God's commands, wiping away the tears of blood inward. The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:16, “I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood when it was pleasing to show him in me to preach the Son to the Gentiles.”
When God's commands that are difficult to understand are given, it is difficult to obey them if you discuss them with people. It is not desirable to consult with people to obtain simple human knowledge, wisdom, or experience. Isn't it a fact that everyone knows that experts have different diagnoses and different prescriptions for the same life problems? It is only worth a reference. All of these things should be done in order to hear and obey the will and word of God more accurately, who is our savior and the ruler of life and death.
Third, in order to obey God's commands, which we cannot understand and obey, we must not be drawn to recognition. If Abraham had been drawn to his fatherly affection, what the fate of Abraham and Isaac would have been.
Abraham suppressed injustice as he endured the heart-melting pain of having to cut and burn his children. Fearing that he might be drawn away and disobeyed, on the third day he saw a mountain in the distance, where he set off the two servants. Then he put the wood for the burnt offering on his son Isaac, and he took the fire and a cleaving knife to burn his son, and made heavy steps toward the destination. But Isaac, who was accompanying him, noticed something strange and said to his father Abraham, “The fire and wood are there, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Although he pretended to say, “God himself will prepare for him,” was Abraham's heart broken? Perhaps Isaac's question caused more suffering than all Abraham's suffering up to that time combined. Even though there were times when he was about to give up crying over the pain of the collapse of his billionaires, Abraham silently followed the path of obedience. Abraham obeyed, but he obeyed to the end.
Here we see Isaac's amazing faith and absolute obedience to his Father. Isaac did not disobey his father, even when his father built an altar, spread the wood, bound himself and put him on the wood on the altar, and raised a sword to kill him. It's a subjunctive, the father and the son.
4. The Purpose of God's Temptation
God said to Abraham when he lifted up his sword and was about to slaughter him, “Do not lay your hand on the boy, do nothing to him, because you have not withheld me, even your son, your only son, and now I know that you fear God. ” he said. And the ram you had prepared was to be offered as a burnt offering. Overwhelmed with emotion, Abraham named the place ‘Jehovah Jireh’, which means ‘the Lord prepares’.
Everyone, please believe that Jehovah Jireh is not talking about the fact that he only prepared the ram, but that the whole process was prepared for Abraham, Isaac, and the descendants of his faith. That's right. The purpose of all God's tests is to know our faith, to strengthen our fear, and to give us new grace, abundant blessings, and a victorious life.
5. Conclusion
Sometimes God has a good purpose to test us. May you obey with compassion and reason, as well as amazing faith that transcends all human things. I earnestly pray that you will deny yourself, live by faith in the Holy Spirit, and enjoy the grace of Jehovah Jireh forever.
(Poongseong Methodist Church. Book: Complete Commentary on 27 New Testament Books/ Interpretation of Difficult Scriptures I, II/ Salvation Before Jesus Came/Paul’s Understanding of Man/ Prosperous Prayer/ Seasonal Sermonbooks/ Sermonbook 18. T. 426 -3051)