We will wrap up our brief study on the life of Abraham this Sunday, July 28. Admittedly, we have covered Abraham’s journey “on the fly”, but I hope you have been encouraged and equipped for your own faith by studying this magnificent model. On Sunday, we noted four truths about faith from Gen 22:
1. Faith is not allowed to set boundaries – God does that (1-2)
2. Faith understands that God’s will deserves higher priority than our possessions – no matter what (2, 12)
3. Faith trusts in the faithfulness of God (8)
4. Genuine faith always pleases God (17)
We also learned some realities about hard obedience that God may demand of us (see Lk 9.23), and about the promised “well done” for all of God’s saints who endure to the end in their journey of faith. (see Matt 25.14ff; 2 Tim 4.7-8; Rev 4.9-11) We’ve been covering entire chapters, all of which contain multiple themes and principles. Primarily, we’ve zeroed-in on lessons about faith, and have skipped over some significant theological realities. I want to use this email to show you the gospel in Genesis 22. First, three observations; then, three parts of the gospel.
Observations:
1) Abraham’s faith is stunning for its utter confidence in God “God will provide . . . the lamb
2) God’s faithfulness is stunning when we read about His provision of the “ram in the thicket”
3) The promise of the Bible is stunning when we read about an offspring who will “bless all nations”
On those observations I want to hang three corresponding parts of the gospel:
1) Faith Faith in God is how everyone who comes to Christ is saved
2) Atonement (defined by Grudem as “work Christ did . . . to earn our salvation”; esp. His work on the cross)
The sacrifice of “the ram” in Moriah foreshadows the sacrifice of “the lamb” on the cross. Don’t rush through this: God did not ask Abraham to do anything that God, Himself, would not eventually do. As precious as Isaac was to Abraham, how much more precious is the Son of God to His eternal Father? Yet, in His love for us – God sent forth His Son” to “give His life as a ransom”– to secure our pardon from a just judgment. That brings us to the third part of the gospel revealed in Gen 22:
3) Redemption God promised Abraham an “offspring that would bless all nations”
Abraham would lay his Isaac down, and God would spare Isaac from the sacrificial knife. God would lay His Isaac down (Jesus), but, because of His love for us, He would not spare Jesus from the agony of the cross. Because Jesus died – as the Lamb that God provided – all who place their faith in Jesus are redeemed from the knife of God’s judgment. So, the blessing that God promised to all nations would come via a bloody sacrifice – the offspring of blessing would not be Isaac, it would be Jesus.
That’s the gospel: all who place their faith in “the lamb whom God provided” pass the test of faith, and become offspring of Abraham – better yet, they become children of God. Let the gospel Genesis 22 become one more thing to encourage you and equip your faith this week. Trusting in the atoning work of Jesus with you,
Pastor Gary