�The Lord Provides� Adult Sunday School Lesson
International Sunday School Lesson
For Sunday December 18, 2011
Purpose: To know that when we place our complete trust in God, God will provide what we need
Scripture Text: Genesis 22:1-2, 6-14 (NRSV)
Genesis 22:1-2
(1)After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, �Abraham!� And he said, �Here I am.� (2)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 that I shall show you.�
Genesis 22: 6-14
(6)Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. (7)Isaac said to his father Abraham, �Father!� And he said, �Here I am, my son.� He said, �The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?� (8)Abraham said, �God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.� So the two of them walked on together. (9)When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. (10)Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. (11)But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, �Abraham, Abraham!� And he said, �Here I am.� (12)He said, �Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.� (13)And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. (14)So Abraham called that place �The LORD will provide�; as it is said to this day, �On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.�
My Thoughts by Burgess Walter
As I read this text, I ask myself, am I ready to have my faith tested by God? And I cannot help but wonder, if tested, would I pass or fail? Nothing in the preceding verses or chapters give us any reason to think Abraham was anything but faithful. God has finally provided an heir that is both from Sarah and Abraham, truly a miracle that Abraham and Sarah are very much aware. The long awaited son has arrived, a gift from God, now God was asking the unthinkable.
At the time and place of this original writing, in the land of Canaan, human sacrifice was often used in the worship of their gods. Many theologians look at this story as a condemnation of such practices, and this is what separated Abraham's faith and practices from the rest of the world at that time. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that God devised the sacrifice of His only Son as a means of redemption for all of humankind. God was not asking Abraham to do anything that He was not willing to do himself.
So where did God send Abraham to perform this awful cruel deed? In 2nd Chronicles 3:1 we read: "Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had designated, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite". Many believe that this is the present day location of the �Temple Mount,� in Jerusalem not far from Mount Calvary where the crucifixion took place.
In the 5th verse, that was skipped, in our text we get a sense of Abraham's faith, 22:5 "Then Abraham said to his young men, �Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.� Abraham was trusting God to provide a way out of sacrificing his only son, he didn't know how God would do it but he was confident enough to tell his two young men, �We will come back.�
In the same way we are given a way out of our own �condemnation,� Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit". And in Romans 5:8, it says, "But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us". Our redemption is provided in the same way as Isaac's, by faith. God's only son whom He loved, became our �Ram caught in the thicket by its horns� or my translation would be �a Lamb caught by thorns,� God always provides a way out, there are times when our faith cannot see the �Ram in the thicket� but remember we need to expect God to work a miracle, just as Abraham was tying his son Isaac to a pile of wood, he was still looking for God to provide that sacrifice. Keep watching and listening for God to respond in times of need, 2 Corinthians 12:9a �And He said to me, �My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.�
When God becomes all we have, He is all we need. 1st Peter 5:7 says, Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
As you study this text, take a moment and think of what Mary was asked to do, she was in the same situation as Abraham when Jesus was on the cross.
What did Abraham name this place? What does this say to us today? (v. 14)
Because of the events that occurred on the hill where Isaac was almost sacrificed, Abraham called that place "Je�hovah-jireh" (Gen. 22:14) - literally, "the Lord provides." He explained, "In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." "The Lord would see . . . the needs of those who came before Him, and would meet their needs. Thus in providing for them He would be 'seen'" (Walvoord and Zuck).
While God has not called upon any of us to make the kind of sacrifice Abraham was asked to make, He has nonetheless called all of us to sacrificial service (Rom. 12:1-2).
Before long we will enter a new calendar year. That is a good time to evaluate our giving and our living. While recognizing that works can never secure our salvation (Eph. 2:8-9), we must acknowledge that works are part of our response to God's grace (Eph. 2:10; James 2:14-26). Do our works in any sense represent a sacrifice on our part? If we claim to have been justified by the kind of faith that justified Abraham (Rom. 4), we must, like him, be obedient servants.
PRACTICAL POINTS
1.God tests us to prove our faith, but He never tempts us to do evil (Gen. 22:1-2; James 1:13).
2.Full and quick obedience is the proper response to God�s clear direction (Gen. 22:6).
3.Faith trusts God to provide even when we cannot see how He will provide (vs. 7-8).
4.True faith holds nothing back from God (vs. 9-10).
5.God intervenes at the right time and in the right way to vindicate His people and His own character (vs. 11-12).
6.God provides what we need when we need it (vs. 13-14).
CONCLUSION - Moments of Decision
Abraham faced moments of decision, and so will we. Such a moment may be a lucrative job offer that can compromise our ability to keep faith commitments. It may be a chance to advance ourselves at the expense of others. It may be starting a friendship for short-term happiness that we know will bring long-term trouble. Whether through money, prestige, or relationship, it is God�s good pleasure to test our faith.
We must remain alert to the significance of such moments of decision. Abraham�s story ends happily. He passes the test, receives God�s blessing, and becomes a model to us all. Yet not all such stories end happily. In the moment of decision, some decide to lean on their own strength and understanding�people like Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30) and the 10 fearful spies (Numbers 13:26-32).
Such moments of testing are helpful indicators of where we truly are in our faith. Abraham had been growing in his faith for years. That growth began with his decision to pack everything and head to the unknown. It was tested on a smaller scale with famine and local conflicts. Sometimes Abraham passed, other times he slipped up, but he never allowed his mistakes to consume him. Likewise, we do not pass our faith tests by cramming overnight the day before the exam. We pass because God has matured our faith through countless acts of faithfulness along life�s journey.
PRAYER - Lord God, we call on You to be in our life what You have been for our forefathers and foremothers of the faith. Give us the faith to trust in Your provision and to stand in the midst of testing. Please forgive us when we fail, and continue to test us in our faith that we may grow in strength and in witness. In Jesus� name we pray, amen.
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER - Expect God to test your faith.
WILL THE COURAGEOUS TRIBULATION SAINTS SUFFER THE WRATH OF GOD??
God has always allowed His people to suffer tribulation and trials because they purify and perfect their faith and will gain countless eternal rewards when Jesus Christ is *REVEALED. There are over 40,000 saints martyred every year and the main culprit is no longer just Islam and the RC Church. Millions of saints were martyred by the Communist atheist countries after 1917 in Russia and after 1948 in China and then in North Korea and Vietnam. Many more millions were killed by Japan 1937-1945 and by the Fascists in Italy and Germany 1922-1945. Romans 8:35-37: �Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?... For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!� I Peter 1:6-8:���In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is *REVEALED.��
I Peter 2:20b,21: �But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow IN HIS STEPS.� I Peter 4:12,13: �Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But REJOICE that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is *REVEALED!� Rev 2:10: Jesus says, �Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the Crown of Life.� Read other persecution verses: Matthew 5:10-12; Romans 5:3; Heb 13:35-40; 2 Tim 3:12; 2 Cor 1:7-10; I Thess 3:3,4; Phil 1:29; Phil 3:10; Rev 12:11; Rev 13:9,10 & Rev 14:13.
������ The courageous and faithful Tribulation saints will *NOT* be hurt by God�s *WRATH* as shown in Rev 14:9-11; 15:1,7; 16:1,19; or in any of the 7 trumpet or 7 bowl plagues as explained in Rev 9:4,20,21 and Rev 16:2,4-6,9,10,21; or in any of the plagues of God�s 2 witnesses as per Rev 11:6,10; or in *ETERNAL HELL*: Rev 14:9-11: �If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he will drink of the wine of God�s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of *HIS WRATH*.� He will be tormented with burning sulfur and the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever.�
The pre-tribs often confuse the wrath of God with the persecution from the anti-christ. They are not the same thing. The wrath of God is intended for the ungodly and will be poured upon them and them only. The Lord knows His target and He never misses. Jesus warned in Matthew 10:28, �And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.�
In Rev 18:1-24 we read about the plagues that will destroy the headquarters of 666 during the Great Tribulation. This evil city on 7 hills {See Rev 17:9} is called �Babylon� which Peter implied was the nickname for Rome in 2 Peter 5:13. In Rev 18:4 a voice from Heaven will order God's saints to stay away from Babylon {Rome-That great seaport-Rev 18:17-19} so that they will not participate in her sins or be hurt by God's wrath which will completely destroy Rome with many horrific plagues. There are 260 verses from Revelation chapters 6 thru 20 and 128 of these verses or 49% tell of the wrath of God to unbelievers, 666, his False Prophet and Rome. However, not even one of these verses tells of any wrath of God toward His courageous Tribulation saints. Even pre-tribbers and mid-tribbers reluctantly agree that believers during the Great Tribulation will be exempt from the wrath of God.
WILL THE COURAGEOUS TRIBULATION SAINTS SUFFER THE WRATH OF GOD??
God has always allowed His people to suffer tribulation and trials because they purify and perfect their faith and will gain countless eternal rewards when Jesus Christ is *REVEALED. There are over 40,000 saints martyred every year and the main culprit is no longer just Islam and the RC Church. Millions of saints were martyred by the Communist atheist countries after 1917 in Russia and after 1948 in China and then in North Korea and Vietnam. Many more millions were killed by Japan 1937-1945 and by the Fascists in Italy and Germany 1922-1945. Romans 8:35-37: �Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?... For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!� I Peter 1:6-8: �In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is *REVEALED.�
