Offering Isaac | Good With God | Drew Moore

What kind of God would ask a father to sacrifice his son? One who would do the exact same thing. Abraham in Genesis 22 asks this question: What do we do when following God seems to lead the wrong way? God has been good, God will be good, because God is good. He blesses trust, creates new things out of nothing, and does whatever He promises. How is God inviting you into a relationship built on trust?

KEY VERSES

  • Genesis 22:1-2 NLT: Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

  • Genesis 22:3-4 NLT: The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

  • Genesis 22:4-7 NLT: On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.“Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on togetherIsaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

  • Genesis 22:8-10 NLT: “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.

  • Genesis 22:11-12 NLT: At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”“Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

  • Genesis 22:13-18 NLT: Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”Then the angel of the LORD called again to Abraham from heaven.“This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name thatI will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

  • Hebrews 11:17-19 NLT: It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaaceven though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

  • Romans 4:17-19 NLT: That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

  • Romans 4:20-23 NLT

    Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded

One of the best ways to hear what God is saying right now is to look at what He has said in the Bible with a few friends. Discovery Bible Study is an easy-to-use way to hear from God, make good changes in our lives, and share with others what God is up to. Grab some friends, pick a verse or story from above, and dive deeper into this week’s message.

Recap

+ Reconnect

To begin the study, each person answers these questions:

  • What are you thankful for?
  • What is causing stress for our neighbors and people around us?
  • What can we as individuals or as a group do to help?

+ Recap

  • Have someone retell the story from your previous meeting.
  • Did you live out your response from last week?
  • Did you tell anyone else about the story from last week?

Discovering What God Is Saying

+ Read and Retell the Bible Story

  • One person reads the story out loud to the group.
  • Someone else in the group retells the story in their own words as they remember it, and others fill in what’s missing.

+ Read and Look

  • Read the passage again (different version if possible)
  • What does this passage say about God, Jesus, or His plan?

+ Read and Look Again

  • Have 1-2 more people retell the story as if they were telling a neighbor outside their home.
  • What does this passage say about people in general?

Doing What God Is Saying

+ Consider

  • What in me needs to change to better DO what God is showing me today?
  • How will you respond to/obey this passage in a tangible, perhaps even costly ways in the next 47 hours?
  • Have someone record these for prayer time, and for the beginning of the next meeting.

Sharing what God is saying

+ Praying Together

  • Take prayer requests
  • Pray together

+ Share

  • Who in your life needs to hear this story?
  • Who could you invite to study the Bible like this?

Become a Partner

Every time you give in Jesus’ name, you make a difference in others AND you make a difference in your own life! Partnering together in generosity helps accomplish things together that could never be accomplished alone! You can partner together in giving today with a single gift, or schedule recurring giving using your checking account, debit, or credit card.

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