Genesis chapter 22

The FAITH of Abraham.

Welcome back!

In Genesis chapter 22 we will read of the testing of Abraham’s faith. This climactic chapter will test our understanding of the Scriptures, our submission to the word of God, and the ground upon which we stand in relationship to God himself.

As impossible as it might be, we must try to place ourselves in Abrahams shoes. To do that we must go back to the beginning of Abraham’s story. We have to Imagine, what it was like when Abraham was young, and God first contacted him, instructing him to leave his home and his family. We have to imagine what it was like to be promised a grand inheritance by God himself to include descendants as numerous as the stars in a land that he had never seen. We have to imagine what it was like to live an entire life just watching, waiting, and hoping to see the day of promise to come to pass.

The hardest thing for us to imagine is the wait. The first few years were probably pretty exciting. How many years do you think you could wait before you started to question the situation? Imagine that every day you picture in your mind the life that God has promised you and every day you compare that picture to the life that you are living, and they look nothing alike. No descendants. No land. No Nation.

We want to understand. We want to know. We want answers to all the questions. Who, what, where, when, why, and how?

What we may not realize is the importance and the value of FAITH. God values our faith. God tests our faith. Grows it. Multiplies it.

What is Faith? Better yet, what is Biblical faith?

Faith in God is not baseless. Faith in God is based on God’s name, his character, and his word. As God is perfect and unchanging, our faith should mirror God and remain firm and unmoving. No matter the circumstances. No matter the consequences.

I am not saying that it is easy. There is nothing easy about Christianity.

Take the time to study the entire Bible. Accept everything, reject nothing. Then. Respond to it. Recognize and acknowledge God not just for what he is, but for who he is. Then. Recognize and acknowledge who you are in relationship to God. You are his creation. You are a sinner. Are you forgiven? Is he your redeemer? Either way, He will be your Judge.

Forget about your feelings. Forget about what you like or what you don’t like. Forget about what makes you uncomfortable. Truth does not care about your feelings. Truth does not care about your understanding. Eve was deceived. Her rationalization corrupted her understanding and brought God’s judgments. Swift and severe judgments as well as a curse. A curse that we continue to live under and experience to this day.

The word of God. God spoke to Abraham. God spoke to Moses. Over and over again we see the words, “The LORD said…” Followed by a response. That response is an illustration of our faith. How we respond to what God says, that is our faith. Our faith in HIM. Not faith in ourselves, our knowledge, or our understanding. Not according to what we see or witness, not according to what we might expect to see, but according to the reliable testimony of the inspired word of God.

We all have moments of weakness. We might lose sight of God’s promises. We might get distracted and wander off the path. We might fail time and time again, but what we should come to realize is that even when we fail, God remains faithful.

Let’s get started.