Community & Discipleship

Most Valued Possession (Genesis 22:1-19)

2012.01.22Rev. Eddie Byun

God tests Abraham to reveal what he loves most, and the sacrifice of Isaac points forward to God giving his only Son for us. When we give God first place, we find that the Lord provides and that his covenant promises stand.

Sacrifice reveals what we love (vv. 1-2)

God tests Abraham, and the Hebrew word means both test and temptation. Satan tempts us to draw us away from God, but God tests us to draw us closer to him, as James 1 teaches, because God never uses evil to test anyone. A test shows what we value most, and God calls Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, whom he loves. The repeated wording of 'your only son, whom you love' reflects John 3:16, where God gives up his only Son for us. Through this command, God gives Abraham a picture of the gospel.

The Lord provides in our place (vv. 3-14)

Abraham obeys even though his mind must have been troubled during the three days of travel. On the way, he tells his servants, 'we will return,' which shows his faith that God would provide. Isaac also submits willingly, carrying the wood and allowing himself to be bound, which pictures Jesus submitting to the Father. When God stops Abraham, a ram is caught in a thicket and is offered in place of Isaac. The name 'the Lord will provide' points to the cross, where Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Romans 8:32 confirms that God did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all.

Sacrifice leads to covenant blessings (vv. 15-19)

After Abraham obeys, the angel of the Lord speaks again and God swears by himself to bless Abraham and multiply his offspring. Abraham had seen God's faithfulness all his life, so he could live by promise-oriented reasoning rather than problem-oriented reasoning. Too often, however, we make decisions out of convenience instead of conviction, choosing financial or relational paths for our own sake rather than by faith. We should trust God in both small and big decisions, because his promises remain with us and he will bless us.

Making God our most valued possession

When the preacher faced a choice between a mission trip and being present for his son's birth, he heard God's question in a dream: do you love me more than your son and wife? He realized that he had placed other things ahead of God, so he committed to putting God first, and his wife agreed to this decision. Later the trip was canceled, but the lesson remained. Like Abraham, we must give God first place, as Paul counted everything else as rubbish compared to him. Hebrews 11:17-19 says Abraham had a resurrection faith, believing God could raise Isaac, and we can trust that God has something better for what we give him.

Apply to Life

  • Let us examine what our tests reveal about what we value most.
  • Let us trust God in our small daily decisions so that we are ready for greater sacrifices.
  • Let us receive our family, finances, and future as gifts from God and use them to bless others.
  • Let us make our decisions by faith rather than convenience, trusting God's promises.
  • Let us make God our most valued possession and place him above everything else in our lives.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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