Bible Verse: Gen. 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. Our sacrifice is required – Psalm 50:5 ‘Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.’

God is a God of covenants. From paradise lost in Genesis to paradise regained in Revelation, 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. 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. This is the pinnacle of sacrifice that anyone can make.

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. It is considered a wonder of the church, looking at the strange command God gave to Abraham and the strange obedience and all the strange issues in the command. In verses 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

1. The command and person to be sacrificed – V2. ‘..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 command was clear with emphasis – thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest-. Isaac was interpreted as laughter, the pillar of promise that Abraham waited on for more than 90 years. Of course before then human being has never been an item of sacrifice; why then? 

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 is by implication God is saying give me your heart, not your garment unlike His demand 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.

2. The place of sacrifice – Land of Moriah. Moriah was about 3 days journey to the place of Abraham; which is 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 obedience. This suggests to Christians that the issue of laying down one’s 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.

3. The manner – Isaac must be offered as a burnt offering. He must not only be killed, but should be killed 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 also to Christians that laying one’s heart at Calvary must be determined, must be for the sake of salvation. In 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 feet that Lot’s wife could not achieve at Sodom. She considered her possessions, friends and other things and thought of going back. Abraham could have considered the promise of God, his childlessness for more than 90 years, his age and what would be the reaction of his age long darling wife.

The attitude of Abraham should remind every believer that, at the point of laying one’s heart for the business of God, it may appear difficult and traumatic things to do; at times it would appear as if God is contradicting himself by trying to interrupt your life and plan, asking you to forgo your pursuit, comforts, riches, etc, and seek righteousness first.

At times God would ask you to follow Him without giving any reasons. Abraham would have been right if he had asked God why He wants him to kill the son of promise. After all, it was God that told him that through Isaac, He would multiply the world. Has God forgotten His own promise?

Abraham didn’t consider all those and even what his wife would ask him of her only son. This therefore 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 should educate all believers that, in making decision, one need not bother about reactions of your environment, your social friends, etc. It further emphasizes that God’s commands must not be disputed, but must be obeyed, and one need not consult with flesh and blood about them. In Gal 1:15-16. ’’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

There is no witness of heaven upon a man’s life without a sacrifice. God testifies concerning a man when He receives his sacrifice; and without faith one can’t offer an acceptable sacrifice. God is more interested in the man that is offering a sacrifice than in the sacrifice itself.

There are lots of things that can be achieved through sacrifice. For example, with the sacrifice of Abel, his name became reference point – ‘By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh’ – Hebrews 11:4. Can you imagine this? The sacrifice of Abraham is what every believer who by nature is Abraham seed is enjoying till date. – Genesis 22:15-18.

D . The role of our Heart in our Sacrifice

Heart is the centre of our being, where issues of life are. In 1 Peter “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Your heart is the basis for sacrifice. It is your heart that determines your sacrifice; you need to develop your heart for sacrificial living and for the sacrifice that counts.

E. The Sacrifice of Self

God considers the sacrifice of oneself as tremendous treasure and value. The heart and body is the first in sacrifice before gift, talents, time, money, energy or any other thing.

Why the sacrifice of self? – This Scripture will give us a lead – ICor.6:18-20. ‘’Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 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. Mat.6:33. ‘’But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

F. Conclusion

Jesus has 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. Amen.

 

Deacon Wole Bodunde