WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:00.800 Morning. 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:06.959 Today's reading is from Genesis chapter twenty-two, verses one to fourteen. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:12.400 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham, and he said, Here I am. 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:22.160 He said, Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. 00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:29.039 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:38.560 And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose, and went to the place to the place of Isaac, and he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose, and went to the place of which God had told him. 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:39.280 There it is. 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:43.679 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:47.520 Then Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey. 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:51.679 I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you. 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:59.359 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:07.040 So they went both of them together, and Isaac said to his father, Abraham, my father, and he said, Here I am, my son. 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:12.879 He said, Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:18.560 Abraham said, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:21.280 So they went, both of them together. 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:32.879 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:37.280 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:44.000 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, and he said, Here I am. 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:54.000 He said, Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:02:00.079 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:06.159 And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:11.199 So Abraham called the name of that place, the Lord will provide. 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:16.159 As it is said to this day, on the mount of the Lord it shall be provided. 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:17.360 This is the word of the Lord. 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:18.560 Please be seated. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:20.080 Thanks for joining us this morning. 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:21.439 My name is James Rathman. 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:23.919 I'm the pastor here at Redemption Church Denver. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:31.439 This is a cozy, rainy Memorial Day weekend, which means we get to have a very intimate service together. 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:38.479 So all of you diehard diehards and stalwarts that uh pride yourself out of bed this morning, thanks for joining us. 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:42.879 Uh uh, I'm gonna get to make a lot of eye contact this sermon. 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:46.319 So hopefully it will feel like I'm preaching directly to you. 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:50.719 Um a couple of announcements before we get into today's text. 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:52.319 Uh we're doing a book club. 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:53.360 I brought the book. 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:54.400 Is it right there? 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:56.719 Krista, can you reach right behind you? 00:02:57.039 --> 00:02:57.599 Thanks. 00:02:57.759 --> 00:02:58.719 I forgot it. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:02.560 Uh we're doing a book club this summer, and it starts this Wednesday. 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:03.439 We're reading this book. 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:06.400 It's called The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:18.159 It's by a historian named Carl Truman, and it's a wonderful history of how we came to think of ourselves in the categories that we use to think of ourselves. 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:20.719 So, what does it mean to be a modern person? 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:26.639 And how does our how do our concepts of identity clash with the biblical understanding of identity? 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:32.800 So I think this will be a really helpful book in understanding identity generally. 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:38.159 So our culture is obsessed with identity, and us as Christians, we are too. 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:42.080 We we disciple people towards finding your identity in Christ. 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:43.680 Have you heard that term before? 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:45.599 Yeah, we say that all the time. 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:48.400 Uh, this is a really helpful book in that direction. 00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:51.039 So we'll start this Wednesday at 5:30. 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:51.840 We'll meet here. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:04:01.199 You'll only need to read like the introduction in maybe first chapter, but if you just get through the introduction, that's fine uh for this first uh meeting of the book club. 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:03.439 Then we'll just have one more to wrap up. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:05.360 So it's just two times on the 23rd. 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:08.560 So pick up that book uh and join us. 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:18.399 Um next, we've got a discipleship workshop, uh, which will be hosted here on June 6th, right after the service. 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:20.959 So that's next Sunday, immediately following the service. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:29.439 It'll be about an hour discipleship workshop hosted by our very own Carolyn Kellum, uh, who will be uh teaching us how to make disciples. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:31.040 So that's what she does for a living. 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:34.000 So she's particularly good on it, good at it. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:40.959 This Friday is the first Friday of the month, and it's like, you know how neighborhoods do first Friday things? 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:42.160 Yeah, yeah. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:43.040 They used to. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:44.720 They used to, yeah. 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:46.800 Uh well now they're doing it again. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:56.480 So this uh first Friday on Tennyson, our R C D, we're gonna set up a tent on Tennyson and we're gonna have like a craft for kids to come and do. 00:04:56.639 --> 00:04:57.759 It's a really cute craft. 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:02.480 They get to plant a seed, like put dirt in a thing and plant a seed and take it home with them. 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:06.720 Uh and uh yeah, so we can kind of introduce ourselves to the neighborhood. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:12.000 So we want to invite you, come hang out at the tent, walk around, enjoy the other First Friday things. 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:13.519 Uh, we will be there. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:15.120 That's this Friday. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:16.480 Yeah, no problem. 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:26.079 Uh and lastly, June tw June, nope, June 13th, right after the service. 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:29.839 So two weeks from this Sunday, we're having a member uh class. 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:35.360 So if you would like to become a member uh of Redemption Church Denver, you can come to that class. 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:39.040 And uh uh yeah, that's the first step in becoming a member. 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:41.040 All right, a lot of announcements. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:43.759 Let's uh talk about sacrificing children. 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:50.720 I didn't laugh, you laughed. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:58.959 Holy Father, we praise you for uh uh your rain, which comes down and uh waters everything that it touches. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:07.920 Lord, you say that your word is just like the rain, that it it it never falls without accomplishing precisely what you intend it to. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:17.040 Lord, we pray that today we would see the glorious story of your son in the word that we're looking at today. 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:30.720 Lord, we pray that we would understand with a new sense of reality and new sense of depth uh what it means that you have this gratuitous love for us, this overflowing love for us. 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:36.000 Lord, we pray that we would see that take place uh in the story today. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:37.759 We lift this up in Jesus' name. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:38.639 Amen. 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:43.839 So this is our last sermon in Genesis for the year. 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:48.480 Uh, the first half of the year, we've been spending time in the book of Genesis. 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:51.040 We did the first 10 chapters at the beginning of 2020. 00:06:51.199 --> 00:07:00.480 We're doing about the second ten uh this, or a little further than the second ten this uh year, and then we'll be back in Genesis at the beginning of next year. 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:03.279 Uh, but this is our last time in Genesis for this year. 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:05.279 Next week we're starting our summer series. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:08.639 We'll be going through Ephesians, which I'm really looking forward to. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:10.319 Um, that'll be wonderful. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:18.000 But uh this is the climactic moment in the story of Abraham's tests of faith. 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:29.360 Throughout the whole year, we've seen Abraham given a promise from the Lord, and then we've seen this test of faith continue through all sorts of different circumstances for him. 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:35.600 And today, after the child of promise has been born, we see the ultimate test of faith. 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:37.680 And that's what we're gonna look at today. 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:53.040 Now, I want to look at it through this lens, through this one premise, which is that the story of Jesus is the central and ultimate story in all of creation. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:08:00.560 The story of Christ is the ultimate story in all of creation. 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:04.240 Now, how can that be? 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:06.160 That's the claim of Christianity, right? 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:09.759 It's non-controversial to say at church on Sunday morning. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:17.279 But if I were to say that, uh, you know, if I were to shout it in a college classroom, then it would be extremely controversial. 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:35.440 Because we would think, how can you make that claim that Jesus, this particular person who lived this particular life in the Middle East 2,000 years ago, how can all events of history find their culmination there? 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:42.639 How can this be the ultimate story beyond which no other story can be told? 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:48.399 It's the final story, meaning all other stories arc towards the story of Jesus. 00:08:48.639 --> 00:09:13.759 It's the story through which all other stories in meaning meaning all of your life stories and all other stories that we tell amongst ourselves in creation, they either find their foil in the story of Christ, so they respond or react to the story of Christ, or they point towards the story of Christ, drawing on its themes. 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:17.840 It is the central and ultimate story. 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:29.679 Today we see a picture of how that can be in this ultimate test of faith for Abraham and Isaac. 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:37.200 We're going to see the sacrifice, then we're going to see the rescue, and then we're going to see the substitute. 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:45.679 And after looking at all of that, we'll be able to understand how it is that the story of Christ is the ultimate story. 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:47.840 All right, ready? 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:51.200 We've set a high bar for Memorial Day weekend and it's rainy. 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:53.519 Go get another cup of coffee if you need. 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:57.039 Uh we'll start with the sacrifice. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:59.759 Genesis 22, 1 through 2. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:06.639 Says, after these things, God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham, and he said, Here I am. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:22.320 He said, Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:39.120 Abraham has been tested throughout this whole story, but he's been tested in this particular way, where God has given him a promise, and then God has told him to trust God for a particular outcome. 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:41.519 This test is different. 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:52.080 This is one in which Abraham is being pressed not just to trust God for a particular outcome, to see a particular event come to pass. 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:56.960 This is a test in which God says, Do you trust me? 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:07.279 God is saying, Do you trust me beyond the outcome, beyond what blessings I may bring into your life? 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:10.000 Do you trust me? 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:14.080 It is an intimate type of ask. 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:32.159 This is the highest level of relational pressure or relational closeness that we could see, experienced, where no longer is Abraham saying, the question isn't just, will you trust that the Lord will make this come to pass? 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:35.519 He's saying, Do you trust me? 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:38.879 Do you trust God in Himself? 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:51.200 And the command that God makes this test take place in is both shocking and descriptive of the emotional weight of it. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:57.279 This is not some cold command of a detached God, because listen to the very language of it. 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:05.600 He says, take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love. 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:14.879 Do you see how God is not just saying, this is not the command of a God to sacrifice a child, saying, like, I love child sacrifice. 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:16.399 You know, this is my thing. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:21.279 This is not like the beginning of, what was that Mel Gibson movie where they with like the Mayans? 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:22.639 Apocalypto. 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:23.759 This is not like apocalypto. 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:25.440 It's different than apocalypto. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:27.200 Thanks, Catherine. 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:38.159 This is God saying, uh this is God understanding the emotional weight of the command that he is laying out. 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:39.120 Do you do you see that? 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:50.960 He's saying, take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and sacrifice him to me as a burnt offering. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:13:13.200 Now, if you do a word search, which I did, and if you go into the Bible software that I use and you click on the word love, uh, or you go and you type in love in scripture and you look for the first occurrence of the word love in scripture. 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:18.399 You know, we're we're two years of preaching in Genesis, we're 22 chapters in. 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.240 Do you think we've heard the word love yet? 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:21.919 Raise your hand if you do. 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:23.440 Nice, okay. 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:27.200 Some people that was so innocent and sweet that you voted for that. 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:33.519 Because, like, I must this, you know, I'm obviously leading you down a trail to trap you. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:40.159 This is the first occurrence of love in all of Scripture. 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:56.320 The first time that love is mentioned in Scripture is in the context of a father towards his son, or the son will be sacrificed. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:00.720 Do you need to hear that again? 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:12.639 The first time that love is mentioned in scripture is in the context of the love of a father towards his son who will be sacrificed. 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:21.919 This is definitional of love in scripture. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:26.320 So this is no cold ask of the Lord. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:40.000 The word love was reserved by God in his word until he could describe it in this way: the love of a father towards his son who will be sacrificed. 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:48.960 Abraham also in this text is given the precise location of where the burnt offering is to take place. 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:50.720 And it's in the land of Moriah. 00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:54.720 It's about a three days' journey away from where Abraham is. 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:59.919 And uh God says, it will be on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:02.159 Abraham should be used to that at this point. 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:04.159 This is the way that God works, right? 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:06.639 Abraham's whole story is go. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:07.840 It's like where? 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:09.120 Generally over here. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:10.879 I'll tell you when you're close. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:14.879 That is the way that God has led Abraham completely through this story. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:16.960 We're familiar with it at this point. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:20.159 So Abraham sets his heart. 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:34.480 Abraham rose early in the morning, this uh verse three, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac, and he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:41.039 And we've seen that when Abraham has something difficult to do, he typically rises early in the morning and faces it resolutely. 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:47.279 You know, I I uh uh in my line of work, it it doesn't look like rising early in the morning, thank God. 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:50.480 Um normally it looks like, oh, I've got to make this phone call. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:57.440 Okay, just dial and then hold it up, you know, before you get a second chance, which is a pro tip, by the way. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:04.879 Uh Abraham sets himself resolutely in the direction towards obedience to God's command. 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:08.240 Okay, we have to stop and ask this question. 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:09.200 Why? 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:11.519 Why? 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:18.399 You know, he can look at Isaac, the child of promise, and he knows the character of God. 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:21.919 This is a God who will prohibit child sacrifice later. 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:26.080 You know, they won't be like the Moabites who practice child sacrifice. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:29.600 Why does Abraham resolutely obey? 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:34.960 Why does he not stop and say, this is an absurd request, God? 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:37.200 This is out of line with your character. 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:49.039 When he saw that God was going to destroy Sodom, he they there's like 30 verses of intercession where Abraham says, What if there's five people that are righteous? 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:53.039 What if there's two people that are, you know, what if there's ten, you remember? 00:16:53.279 --> 00:17:00.639 And then he intercedes for this wicked city, his own son. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:05.759 Why doesn't he say, God, this is absurd? 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:09.359 Okay, a couple of reasons. 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:14.319 One, because of who Isaac is. 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:20.000 Isaac is the child of promise. 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:31.119 And so Abraham has an understanding and a concept of Isaac, which says he doesn't belong to me. 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:38.480 This child is totally from the Lord and belongs to the Lord. 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:44.079 And it is the Lord who decides what will happen to this child. 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:48.559 So reason one is who Isaac is himself. 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:52.079 That's pretty unsatisfying, isn't it? 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:52.960 Yeah. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:54.880 Okay, here's reason number two. 00:17:55.359 --> 00:18:02.559 To ask why Abraham followed through is to grasp the whole essence of the story. 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:08.960 Because what God is doing is he's this is why this is an ultimate test. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:22.559 He's laying on one side, he's putting everything that is reasonable and understandable and good, which is not sacrificing Isaac. 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:33.279 And so all that your own reason and self-understanding would lead to, he God lays on one side of the options that he's giving. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:37.440 And then on the other side, God sets one thing. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.440 God said. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:44.559 So this is what Abraham is weighing. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:52.240 All that he could understand by his own understanding, all that he could reasonably conclude and deduce is on one side. 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:56.240 And then on the other side, all he has is God said. 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:01.440 This is why this is an ultimate test. 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.680 It's an ultimate picture. 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:11.359 All that's reasonable compared to God is God. 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:14.880 This is what God said. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:31.920 But then we start to see this glimpse of an understanding of God that Abraham has that allows him to see God said as weighing more than anything else that he could reason or imagine. 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:50.079 When they get to the base of the mountain in Moriah, Abraham sets out, uh, and he leaves behind two of the servants that he brought with him, and he says this in verse 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey. 00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:55.279 I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you. 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:56.799 Did you hear it? 00:19:57.599 --> 00:19:59.759 I and the boy will go over there and worship. 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:04.319 Remember, sacrifice the boy, and will come again to you. 00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:08.559 It means both of them intend to come back. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:11.039 How can that be? 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:14.640 Let me explain to you how uh sacrifice works. 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:18.960 One go, two go in, one comes out. 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:44.079 So, how is it that God said weighs so much more than all that is reasonable, to the point where Abraham is able to say something in the very moment, you know, in the moment to say, we're both gonna be coming back here even after I obey God and walk up the mountain and sacrifice him. 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:46.960 We're both coming back here. 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:51.839 It's because Abraham knows who God is. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:56.480 And this is not a cold obedience. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:21:09.920 Abraham does not hear this command of the Lord and think God has changed and has therefore abandoned the hope that he has called me to for this child of promise, Isaac. 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:14.559 No, Abraham understands God is unchanging. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:26.480 So what he has promised for Isaac will come to pass, even if I walk up this mountain and burn him on wood, we will walk back down together. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:27.119 Why? 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:30.160 Because God's promises stand. 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:33.200 But how can that be? 00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:35.440 It's completely unreasonable. 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:37.519 It makes no sense. 00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:41.200 Well, God said. 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:47.359 This isn't like some this isn't like a friend, you know. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:51.119 This is God who said this. 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:57.039 We get a little insight in Hebrews into what was happening in Abraham's imagination at this point. 00:21:57.119 --> 00:22:13.599 And in verse 19, it says of Abraham it Chapter 11, 19 of Hebrews says of Abraham, he considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:40.640 Abraham trusted the promises of God so much, trusted the character of God so much that at the point of deepest impossibility, which is death itself, for God to be able to fulfill his promise, Abraham began to imagine something he had never witnessed, never heard of, or seen before. 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:44.559 He began to imagine resurrection. 00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:52.960 That God was able to raise from the dead his son. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:57.119 Such are the promises of God. 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:03.279 Now listen closely to the way that this story unfolds. 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:04.640 Listen closely. 00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:08.400 I was going to explain this part, but I'm just going to read it. 00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:16.079 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, laid it on Isaac, his son. 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:20.799 He took in his hand the fire and the knife. 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:23.759 So they went, both of them together. 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:28.640 And Isaac said to his father, Abraham, my father. 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:32.240 And he said, Here I am, my son. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:38.640 He said, Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:46.079 Abraham said, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. 00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:49.839 So they went, both of them together. 00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:54.720 Do you see the shape of Abraham's trust in God? 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:59.759 This is not a cold trust in a distant deity. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:04.960 It's easy for us to trust in God's power. 00:24:05.759 --> 00:24:10.480 We can do that with detached philosophical ideas. 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:16.480 We can trust in the concept of an omnipotent being. 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:21.759 But that's not the type of trust that Abraham is demonstrating here. 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:32.559 Abraham is saying, God is, yes, all powerful, can even accomplish resurrection, and he's good. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:37.359 His promises for our goodness will last. 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:42.000 Do you see how different that is? 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:49.279 So the son places the wood on his back and walks up the hill. 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:59.519 The father bearing the wrath assures the son that it will be provided, and the father and the son walk in agreement towards the sacrifice together. 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:03.759 Now the rescue. 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:07.359 Genesis 22, verses 10 to 11. 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:09.599 You'll just see 11 and 12 up there. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:14.799 Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:21.359 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham. 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:22.799 He said, Here I am. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:26.319 He said, Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:33.200 For now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. 00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:44.160 Now the it's such a masterwork of storytelling because the uh the details, uh time slows down when you're reading it because the details get more and more amplified. 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:49.599 It they spend some time building the altar, and then it zooms in on Abraham's hand. 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:50.960 Did you notice that? 00:25:51.119 --> 00:25:55.359 You know, Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:26:02.319 They're bringing you right to this particular moment where the commitment is made. 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:08.160 You see the willing of the sacrifices made in the hand of Abraham. 00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:14.079 And then the angel of the Lord cries out, Abraham, Abraham, twice, like, stop, stop. 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:18.240 Derek Kidner, this wonderful expositor of scripture. 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:21.200 I wish I could write a sentence like he can. 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:30.480 He says this the exact moment of intervention rings the last drop of meaning from the experience. 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:36.240 On the human side, the ultimate sacrifice is faced and willed. 00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:42.720 On the divine side, not a vestige of harm is permitted. 00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:46.400 Do you see the meaning in this moment? 00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:53.519 We see the will is demonstrated by Abraham to sacrifice. 00:26:53.759 --> 00:27:04.400 He picks up God said, and then not a vestige of harm is permitted by God, who intervenes perfectly in the last moment. 00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:12.640 And it is not only that God spares Isaac, but a substitute is provided. 00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:15.359 Genesis 22, verse 13. 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:22.960 Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:30.720 And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:40.319 Abraham was right when he was talking to Isaac on the way up, when he said, God will provide the sacrifice. 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:44.160 He sees a ram caught in a thicket behind him. 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:46.319 He takes the ram and sacrifices it. 00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:51.680 And listen to this word, instead of his son. 00:27:52.240 --> 00:28:00.319 Now this will be a pattern of sacrifice where the animal is sacrificed instead of the people of God. 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:03.599 For centuries, this pattern will take place. 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:18.000 God will codify it into law as a practice for the Jewish people, where they will go into the tabernacle and they will sacrifice an animal for the sins of the people instead of the people being sacrificed. 00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:23.119 This pattern will be built into the fabric of Jewish culture. 00:28:24.079 --> 00:28:27.519 That the ram is sacrificed instead of the sun. 00:28:27.680 --> 00:28:30.240 Now listen to this, Genesis 22, 14. 00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:35.279 So Abraham called the name of that place, the Lord will provide. 00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:42.000 And it is said to this day, on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. 00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:46.559 Moses is writing this centuries later. 00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:55.519 Says, it is said to this day, on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. 00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:01.200 That phrase should be famous. 00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:06.400 That should be one of the most famous phrases in Scripture. 00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:12.559 On the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:19.759 Now let's return to this question that we started with. 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:28.960 How can it be that all of history counts down to the event of Christ? 00:29:29.759 --> 00:29:37.200 And how can it be that the rest of history counts up from the events of Christ? 00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:59.519 If you were to walk into a village in the middle of China who had never heard the name of Jesus, how could it be that you could stand there and say all of history arcs towards the person of Christ because there is no other story that is as ultimate as this? 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:03.599 They would say, well, that means it's a mythology. 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:10.720 This is something that you develop psychologically and lay over the world to give it some understanding and some framework. 00:30:10.880 --> 00:30:14.240 We would say, no, it happened. 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:16.799 It happened. 00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:28.880 There are about a thousand different threads you could pick up in this story of Isaac to lead us to this understanding of Jesus, but let's pick up one based on this phrase. 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:35.200 This phrase, on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:46.640 Now, the place that Abraham was sent by God to sacrifice Isaac was a place called Moriah. 00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:54.799 And Moriah is next mentioned in Scripture, not until 1 Chronicles. 00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:58.559 And it's mentioned later in 2 Chronicles. 00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:04.480 Now, that means that the rest of Genesis takes place. 00:31:04.559 --> 00:31:06.480 There's the famine and the whole Joseph thing. 00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:11.599 The twelve sons of Jacob are born, they're named the nation of Israel. 00:31:11.759 --> 00:31:13.839 The Exodus happens and they're freed. 00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:25.200 That means that the tabernacle system is set up where God lives in a tent among his people, and the sacrificial system is of worship is uh implemented there. 00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:39.440 And that means that the nations split and well, they wander around in the wilderness and they go into the promised land, and then they're finally brought together as a nation after this terrible civil war under Saul. 00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:42.960 They're brought together as a nation under King David. 00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:52.000 And it's this wonderful, glorious moment where for the first time they are one nation under King David. 00:31:52.640 --> 00:32:00.319 And David has has this wonderful reign, but at the end of his reign, he commits this particular sin. 00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:02.880 Not the Bathsheba thing. 00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:04.240 That was earlier. 00:32:04.480 --> 00:32:11.599 But even after the Bathsheba thing, David says, I'm going to take a census of my army. 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:19.839 And it was sinful because it was a way that David was saying, I am going to trust in my army. 00:32:20.400 --> 00:32:23.440 I'm not going to trust in the Lord. 00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:28.960 Joab, his second highest in command, takes the census unwillingly. 00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:30.160 He's really disappointed. 00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:36.960 And God comes to David and says, I'll give you three options for your punishment. 00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:41.759 It can be war with your enemies. 00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:57.839 And David says, I would rather be tossed into the hands of the Lord, he's merciful, than into any of my enemies. 00:32:58.000 --> 00:32:59.920 So three days of pestilence. 00:33:00.160 --> 00:33:07.440 In three days, 70,000 of Israel are struck down by the angel of the Lord. 00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:20.240 And then as the angel of the Lord is approaching Jerusalem, the text says, God saw and he stopped the angel of the Lord and said, It is enough. 00:33:20.640 --> 00:33:25.680 And David walks out and he's rushing out to intercede for his nation. 00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:28.799 And he says, God, why are you punishing the nation? 00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:30.160 Just punish me. 00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:31.920 Punish me instead. 00:33:32.079 --> 00:33:33.599 Let me stand in its place. 00:33:34.079 --> 00:33:44.799 And the he said it says he sees the angel of the Lord in between heaven and earth with his sword drawn over Jerusalem. 00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:48.960 It's one of those things that like if you if you see it once, you remember. 00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:58.079 And it stopped at this uh farmer's this poor farmer. 00:33:58.319 --> 00:33:59.680 His name was Ornan. 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:04.160 And at the threshing floor of Ornan, the angel of the Lord stops. 00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:06.799 Ornan's four sons run and hide. 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:14.960 And David is commanded by God to set up an altar and make a sacrifice there. 00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:20.159 So he tells Ornan, I'm gonna buy this land from you, and I'm going to set up an altar and make a sacrifice. 00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:21.840 And Ornan says, just take it. 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:23.039 You don't need to buy it from me. 00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:24.639 Like this isn't enough. 00:34:25.440 --> 00:34:27.679 It's been a pretty big day. 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:32.719 And David says, I won't offer to the Lord something that costs me nothing. 00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:41.039 So he pays this exorbitant amount, like more than Amazon paid for MGM, which was silly. 00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:44.079 $8 billion for like a dead production company. 00:34:47.119 --> 00:34:54.320 He pays like that type of money for this random threshing floor, the threshing floor of Ornon. 00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:58.880 And he makes a sacrifice to the Lord at that threshing floor. 00:34:59.039 --> 00:35:04.239 And it says, the angel of the Lord sheathed his sword. 00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:15.920 This is at the base of Mount Moriah, where the wrath of God was stopped. 00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:25.760 Where he built that altar to the Lord, God instructed David, this is where you will build the temple. 00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:40.320 And Solomon at the threshing floor of Ornan, at the base of Mount Moriah, builds the temple right where the wrath of God stopped. 00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:49.760 And for hundreds of years, animals are sacrificed in that temple instead of the people of God. 00:35:51.599 --> 00:36:00.079 Now, that temple stands, they're exiled, they come back, the temple's reconstructed in the same place. 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:08.079 And just outside of that temple, there is a mountain. 00:36:09.519 --> 00:36:13.039 It was called Mount Moriah in Old Testament times. 00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:23.360 In New Testament language, it's called Calvary, just outside the temple in Jerusalem, where the wrath of God stopped. 00:36:24.880 --> 00:36:33.519 Jesus, the Son of God, would walk up that mountain with the wood on his back. 00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:43.360 His father would have the knife in his hand and would say, There is a joy set before you. 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:49.679 And they would get to the top of the mountain, and the son would be sacrificed. 00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:54.480 There would be no substitute for Jesus. 00:36:55.679 --> 00:37:03.840 He would cry out, My Father, and Jesus would hear silence at Mount Moriah. 00:37:05.679 --> 00:37:10.480 Look behind Jesus, there was no ram that would stand in his place. 00:37:11.360 --> 00:37:14.480 Instead, Jesus would be sacrificed. 00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:17.039 Why is that? 00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:30.400 The true promised son would not receive a substitute because he is the substitute. 00:37:33.039 --> 00:37:36.880 He is the substitute for us. 00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:41.760 This is the ultimate story. 00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:54.800 He would die, he would be buried, three days later, he would rise again because death itself would be defeated by him. 00:37:57.679 --> 00:38:06.800 God said to Abraham, I know that you fear me, because you have not withheld your son, your only son. 00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:36.400 Jesus, the true child of promise, would say, For God, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 00:38:38.719 --> 00:38:43.039 On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided. 00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:48.000 This is the ultimate story. 00:38:50.639 --> 00:38:52.639 This is the ultimate story. 00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:55.119 You know? 00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:02.639 Marvel movies? 00:39:06.800 --> 00:39:08.880 Oh I forgot his name again. 00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:09.920 What's the with the rings? 00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:10.400 Thanos. 00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:11.360 Thanos. 00:39:12.159 --> 00:39:15.599