Promised and Provided

Genesis 22:1-19

Don George

Sunday January 28, 2024

Songs for Sunday - Spotify Playlist

• Amazing Love
• A Christian's Daily Prayer
• Mighty to Save
• I Will Follow

Tis the season (political season that is). Anyone with a number that begins with 603 can likely attest to this fact. We’ve endured the tv and radio ads, seen the billboards and the signs. We’ve heard the pitches, researched the candidates, and educated ourselves (hopefully) on who we feel are those who will best represent us in office. As we’ve listened to the candidates, we’ve undoubtedly heard them tell us unequivocally how they’ll get things done. They’ve enlightened us by disclosing how their opponents will not keep their promises while assuring us that they will.

As the saying goes, “A tale as old as time”.

Regardless of who you voted for, it remains to be seen if those promises will be kept. After all, we can’t be certain that everything promised by a politician will come to fruition. This isn’t even meant to suggest that all politicians make empty promises. After all, there are certain situations and circumstances which are just simply out of their control. We must be honest with ourselves and admit that we cannot have complete faith in the fulfillment of these promises.

In this week’s text, we will read the account of Abraham and see his faith tested. We’ll journey with him for three days as he travels to sacrifice his only son Isaac. We’ll climb into his head as he recollects God’s promises and agonize with him in our hearts as we attempt to reconcile those promises with God’s command. We’ll rejoice with him when God relieves Abraham of his duty, and “provides for himself the lamb for the burnt offering” and we’ll celebrate his great faith, a faith which is recorded in Hebrews 11, known also as The Hall of Faith. And then we’ll meet the true hero in the story…

As you prepare for this week’s gathering, take some time to read a “fly-over” account of Abraham’s life and God’s promises in the following verses:

• Gen. 12:1-4
• Gen. 13:16
• Gen. 15:1-6
• Gen. 17:4-8, 15-19
• Gen. 18:10, 18
• Gen. 21:1-3

• What observations did you make? What promises does God make to Abraham? What commands does God give Abraham? How does Abraham respond?
• What event(s) take place in Gen. 21:22-34, the passage immediately preceding this week’s text? How would you describe the mood in verse 34?
• Now that you have some context, go ahead and read Gen. 22:1-19. What do you make of the phrase, “After these things” in verse 1? Does 21:34 affect your reading of the passage? If so, how?
• What does God command Abraham to do? Does this make sense? Why or why not?
• How does Abraham respond? Why does he respond this way? Does this make sense?
• What observations did you make? Are there any repeated words? What significance do your observations hold?
• How does this passage connect to the gospel (life/death/resurrection/ascension of Christ)?
• How should we respond in light of what we’ve read?

We can’t wait to see you Sunday! We love you faith family!