Abraham and Isaac

Sermon on Genesis 22:1-18, part of a series on Abraham, preached at St Mary's Little Parndon today. (I prefaced the sermon by considering the call of God to Abraham in the context of morality. I suggested that as in 1 Chronicles, Satan is introduced into the temptation of King David at the threshing floor where in Kings God alone is spoken of, so perhaps we might do the same thing here. In one sense God is 'responsible' for everything (he made the world), we may also distinguish God's permissive will, which allows  Satan a role. This passage sees things from the viewpoint of God's overall 'responsibility', through which Abraham learns more of God eg child sacrifice is wrong.)

In the first Harry Potter book, the first year boys are put into Houses in the School for Magic, Hogwarts. There is a magical Sorting Hat. To begin with, the hat wants to put Harry into Slytherin. But Harry says no, he wants to be with his friends in Griffindor.

Later in the story we learn that Harry suited Slytherin because he has similarities to some of the evil members of that House. He is devastated, That is what I am like, he thinks. No it is explained, for it is our choices that make us what we are. Harry, you chose the way of friendship and loyalty, not the way of power and selfishness.

Who do you want to be? Today's passage is about the importance of our choices.

God puts us all into difficult situations, when the earth seems to disappear from beneath our feet. We can all think of examples. Where is God, we think?

This was true for the Jews of old. In the 6^th century BC they found themselves in Babylon. God had promised them the Promised Land, and yet they had been invaded and taken into captivity. Where was God?

Today’s story of Abraham and Isaac was one they read each other. God had promised a son to Abraham, Isaac.

·        But now God himself was asking Abraham to sacrifice his son. It seems  God had given a promise with one hand and taken it away with another.

·        Worse, he was demanding that Abraham sacrifice his own son. What anguish this must have seemed!

In our own lives and own lives there have been moments of agony when it seems that God has forgotten all the promises he made us in the past. It is not just that they seem to delay; it seems that he has betrayed them – and us.

For all of us there are moments of deep sadness. We ask, Where is God?

Gold bars are tested, and then stamped so that everyone knows it is 99.99% pure. The refiner stamps it. You can then take that bar to the Bank of England and they will accept it. It has been tested. Without that stamp, who knows what you have.

The Bible speaks of our being tested. But the testing is not so that God knows what we are like. He knows already. It is not really so that we know what we are like, though that knowledge is useful. It is so that the stamp might be there in our lives. We are changed by the testing. Our choice makes a difference. Something is stamped on our character.

Romans 5 ¹ Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have^[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.² He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast^[b] of the hope we have of sharing God's glory!³ We also boast^[c] of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance,⁴ endurance brings God's approval, and his approval creates hope.⁵ This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us.

Here we read that Abraham was tested. (Some versions:‘tempted’: but God does not want us to do wrong; the Hebrew word for test and tempt is the same).

When you are tested, you come out stronger - stamped with the experience. You are better for it. Abraham learnt to trust God in a much deeper way.

Jesus was tested for the 40 days we recall during Lent.

·        Hungry, he could easily have used his powers to turn stones into bread

·        He realised he could avoid trouble by doing miracles to impress people, like jumping off a great height and surviving

·        How much easier to go the devil’s way. As Adolph Hitler knew, it is easy to control people by violence.

For 40 days he resisted. And he learnt that God provides.

Which meant that when he faced Gethsemane and the Cross, and the other challenges, he came through unscathed. He was stamped with the experience in the wilderness.

And Abraham came though as well. He hung on to the thought that God provides. And when he was about to sacrifice his son, God pointed him to a ram in a nearby bush.

Abraham named the shrine: Jehovah Jireh: The Lord will provide.

In this season of Lent we remember Christ who was tempted to breaking point, and was triumphant. He was pushed to every extreme; tested like we are in every way, yet without sin. Supremely that was true on the cross, where even he cried “Why?”.

In our testings and testing moment, let us flee to Christ, who is able to strengthen and help us through.

If I take a flimsy piece of paper it is soon crumpled or torn. But if I place it between the leaves of a think book, it resists all attempts.

So it is with Christ as we abide in Him. Amen.