The Sacrificial Heart, by Deacon Wole Bodunde

Bible Passage: Genesis 22:1-18

The Christian life is free, and it costs nothing to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But there is a lifelong subscription you pay for being a Christian. Ps 50:5 says “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

God is a God of covenants. He is interested in people of sacrifice. Sacrifice is the central theme of Christianity. The Church is founded upon the bedrock of sacrifice. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave HIS only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Sacrifices are flavours we need to add to our Christian life and service, if we are going to reach our world with the gospel of Christ.

The story of Abraham in this passage is a wonderful and famous story of that age, looking at the strange command God gave to Abraham and the strange obedience and all the strange issues in the command. Genesis 22:1-2: “And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”

A. ISSUES IN THIS COMMAND

The command – Genesis 22:2: “..Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of”
The Person to be sacrificed – Isaac ‘’who thou loveth.. ’’not the bullocks, not thy servant, not thy steward of thy house, not an adopted son, not Ishmael- it is Isaac whom by name is your laughter – the child of covenant. This implies God is saying give me your heart, not your garment, as in Joel 2:12-13 – “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”
The place of sacrifice – Land of Moriah. Moriah should be about 3 days journey enough for Abraham to have changed his mind – but his early rising, saddling, cleaving the wood to slay his only son of promise proved his deliberate and complete obedient. This suggests that the issue of laying down ones heart to work for God requires preparation, it should be a mindset, and it can’t be an emergency factor. It must be an elaborate adaptation to the will of God.
The manner – offer him for a burnt offering. He must not only kill his dear son, but kill him as a sacrifice, kill him devotedly, kill him by rule, kill him with all pomp and ceremony with all seriousness and composure of mind, with which he used to offer his burnt offerings. This suggests that laying your heart at Calvary must be determined, must be for the sake of salvation – 1 Pet. 2:1-2. “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”

B. WHAT IS SACRIFICE

As a worker in His vineyard, it means – a sacred rendering; a selling or giving up; act of yielding/ resigning in favour of.

Abraham broke a difficulty through obedience; the feat Lot’s wife could not achieve at Sodom. Remember Lot’s wife thought about her possessions, friends and other things and thought of going back.

At the point of laying your heart for your father’s business, it may appear a difficult and traumatic thing to do. Sometimes, it would appear as if God is contradicting Himself by trying to interrupt your life and plan, asking you to forgo your comforts, riches, etc., and seek righteousness first.

Sometimes, God would ask you to follow Him without giving any reason. Abraham would have been right if he had asked God why He wants him to kill the son of promise.

Abraham didn’t consider what his wife would ask him of her only son. This suggests that the issue of your determination to work for God or salvation does not require consultation with your wife or close associates. It is supposed to be a close matter to your heart only.

Abraham didn’t consider what the Egyptians, the Canaanites and the Perizzites who dwell in the land would say – the eternal reproach. This educates us that in your decision, you need not bother about reactions of your environment, your social friends, etc. It further emphasises that God’s command must not be disputed, but obeyed, and we must not consult with flesh and blood about them. Gal 1:15-16 says ’’But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me, [even] from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles; straightway I conferred not with flesh and blood”

C. UNDERSTANDING SACRIFICE

No witness of heaven upon a man’s life without a sacrifice.
God testifies concerning a man when He receives our sacrifices.
Without faith you can’t offer an acceptable sacrifice.
God is more interested in the man that is offering a sacrifice than in the sacrifice itself.

D. THE ROLE OF YOUR HEART IN SACRIFICE

Your heart is the basis for sacrifice.
Your heart determines your sacrifice.
Developing your heart for sacrificial living.
Offering the sacrifice that counts.

E. THE SACRIFICE OF SELF

God considers your sacrifice of tremendous treasure and value.
You or your body is required first in sacrifice before your gift, talents, time, money, energy or any other things.
Why the sacrifice of self? – I Cor. 6:18-20 says ‘’Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.” And Mat. 6:33. says ‘’But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

F. CONCLUSION

Jesus had left us an example that can’t be waved aside. The patriarchs of old have done the same. What will you do for your maker in your own generation.

May God find a heart of sacrifice in you.

Deacon Wole Bodunde