Reflection on Pastor Stef’s Sermon
(God Will Provide, Abraham’s Faith to the Finish. Delivered on 26 July 2015 at Bethany Baptist Church)
I do believe that Abraham knew before the actual killing were to occur that God will provide the sacrifice and it wasn’t Isaac but indeed a lamb. To me, Genesis 22:8 seems to indicate what was literally on Abraham's mind in answering Isaac's naive question. And when we look at this phrase as a picture of Jesus' sacrifice, how could Abraham have thought about Jesus at that time? After all this was his reply to Isaac and this wasn't God’s reply. Surely today, in light of the New Testament (with the Emmaus experience of Jesus revealing himself in the OT to the two disciples) we can look at this typology now. Abraham didn't have this luxury.I'm not questioning Abraham's faith, and in fact if the usual interpretation that Abraham really thought God was asking him to kill Isaac and he just got up and was willing to do it without question, then this shows a robotic faith. And surely, God did not need Abraham's blind faith. If that was the "meat" of Abraham's faith then we should truly run away from God.
I do understand that God is developing us into his own character - he’s sanctifying us unto his image. He is calling us to totally surrender to his will and he wants to see how far our faith could stretch out that we would give up our own child for him. But I thought this would be really too much to ask for especially from a righteous man like Abraham (or Job). However, as the story of Job tells me, that God is sovereign and reason alone cannot explain his decisions. Which leads me to think that true faith must also rest in God’s love and provision and not faith based on God’s expectation of suffering and loss for his people.
And so, I must infer that it is more correct to understand Abraham's faith as a kind of trust that "God provides" rather than a surrendering trust that is emotionless? The fact that the Holy Spirit didn’t describe how Abraham felt when God asked him to kill Isaac, leads me to think that the Spirit is opening this account in Abraham’s life up for inspired interpretation sort of like the parables of Jesus. Although, my inference comes from verse 14 really, when Abraham called the mountain The Lord Will Provide. Sure it was after the incident that he named this mountain. But my understanding is, this characterized Abraham’s faith even before God asked him for a human sacrifice. I mean, it’s correct to assume that Abraham’s faith evolved and developed over the many years since receiving the promise. It’s reasonable to think he’s come to expect God’s deliverance in every circumstance of his life, in joy, in pain, and in blunder. Isn’t this what grace is, underserved favour? We can surmise with certainty that Abraham was full of God’s favour. His transgressions were overlooked because of his faith. In fact, all patriarchs including Joseph, experienced pure grace from God. The Israelite people even though they ended up as slaves in Egypt, God rested his favour upon them, eventually leading them out of Egypt.
I looked for clues in the bible that would tell me the people of Israel suffered loss and death from the time they left Egypt up to the time at the wilderness of Sinai before the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19), and I couldn’t find one thing. In fact, in Psalms 105, David recollects God’s mercy and longsuffering for the people and describes how they left Egypt with back payment of gold and silver and that no one was sickly or feeble among them. (By the way, I also found this fact in Exodus 12:36.) God’s favour was on them at least until, God sensed pride in his people, when they practically bragged to Moses without hearing the terms of the new covenant that they will do all that God commands - verse 8 of Exodus 19. After this verse, God’s demeanor changed. All of a sudden God didn’t show his glory directly to the people anymore but when they did they died. Which is typical of the law, isn’t it? You break the law and you are cursed or worse you died. As opposed to when they were on their way from Egypt to Sinai, they were running from the Egyptian army, God opened up the sea. They complained about starving to death, God provided the manna. The waters from Marra were a bit too mineralized and God gave them Perrier. They defeated the Amalekites based on Moses’ hand position. When up they win, when down they lose. So they propped up Moses hand with a rock and Aaron held it up until the Amalekites were defeated by Joshua. All the while, none of them died or got sick. That is pure grace which they all lost when they entered God’s covenant of the Law with Moses. In Hebrews 8, the author described how God felt the old covenant (of law) was inadequate or obsolete and the new covenant (of grace) was superior in every way. It’s amazing how many Christians today, don’t even know where to find the words of the new covenant that Jesus sealed with his death and resurrection. Anyway, I’m going off tangent here a little bit.
Going back to my point, I’d like to characterize my faith as a faith in which that God will provide a way out of my present bad circumstances and condition. He’s not one to see me suffer with unbearable pain, especially now that he already provided his Son for me two thousand years ago as the perfect lamb. Surrendering to God doesn't mean to expect suffering like sickness or death of a loved one. Surely, if that was the case, God could’ve chosen Job as the father of nations because at least Job suffered the most loss and his faith endured. And with Job, the Holy Spirit thought it would be okay to describe in detail Job’s emotional, physical, and psychological torment unlike in Abraham’s account where there was none. But one thing Job lacked was an intercessor. He had an accuser, Satan, but didn’t have an advocate which of course now, we all Christians have in Jesus. So Job’s kind of suffering isn’t one a Christian suffers today or suffered since after the Pentecost in 1 AD.
The kind of suffering to expect is a suffering that is bearable according to one's faith. I believe in chastisement (or correction) but in the context of God like a father disciplining his own child. A father does not discipline other kids but his own. And the purpose of the discipline is not to break the child in half or take away the child’s dignity but to break the child’s will instead through thoughtful punishment. Didn’t Jesus say that his burden is light? To think that we can suffer for God like Jesus did on the cross is hubris. And we know that the greatest sin is pride. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that the early Apostles and martyrs all throughout history and even modern day martyrs were prideful. They were called to that purpose and they knew that. Are we all called to be martyrs? Must I believe that the ordinary and common "sands" and "stars" in God's kingdom like myself are to expect to suffer unbearably? Is this really God's will for me? In light of Jesus’ death, I think not. We are called to faith and to be righteous by faith. I mean this is God’s pouring of undeserved favour on his children just like what the new covenant says (Hebrews 8:10-12). God himself will put his laws into our hearts. And he will forget all our sins, past, present, and future. I mean this is a big deal and nothing to be trifled with. It’s like we’ve come back to the days of the patriarchs, before the ministry of death was instituted through Moses (2 Cor 3:9 NKJV). Romans 1:5 also says, "Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.” This implies that under the law of Moses, there was no grace at all. Wow.
The biggest test we all have is persevering in the faith against all odds. Imagine a “young" Christian or someone who grew in the faith hearing Hitchens, Dawkins, Krauss, Hawking, Maher, and even the secular schools of today make a case for God is dead and then coming out having more faith than when you first heard their arguments is a testament of a maturing faith.
And this is the faith - that God loved the world so he gave his only son. His son suffered and died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. And he rose on the third day to confirm our righteousness in him. He is our Lord and Saviour. And whoever believes in Him, shall have everlasting life. So for a Christian to carry this faith through the rigours of life mundane and/or dramatic is a test of endurance and character. I hear many pastors say that the purpose of trials and sufferings for a Christian is to develop godly character. I totally believe that. After all, what character is there to build, when one ends up dying or losing dignity. Is there any account biblical or extra-biblical that the apostles were afflicted with sickness or dementia or cancer or extreme poverty during their ministries? Even Paul’s afflictions were a result of his physical beatings and the bible does not say that he was stricken with an illness during his ministry. Yes, with the exception of John, many died violent deaths but those came about from men who rejected God and not directly from God.
And so I agree with Pastor Stef that we should expect to get hurt. But I would add to that, that God would not allow me to be hurt beyond what I can bear because the first-born, Jesus, took that unbearable hurt which I deserved, on the cross. And when He said, “Finished” he wasn’t lying.
I like to end my reflection with Romans 4:5-8 ERV,
“5 But people cannot do any work that will make them right with God. So they must trust in him. Then he accepts their faith, and that makes them right with him. He is the one who makes even evil people right. 6 David said the same thing when he was talking about the blessing people have when God accepts them as good without looking at what they have done:
7 “It is a great blessing
when people are forgiven for the wrongs they have done,
when their sins are erased!
8 It is a great blessing when the Lord accepts people
as if they are without sin!”
