Genesis 22

Obedience in Action

By Nick Bibile

22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 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 of which I shall tell you.”

 Now Isaac is probably a teenager. God told Abraham to take his only son whom he loved to mount Moriah and to offer him as an offering. Here God tested Abrahm’s faith. What is the test? Is Abraham going to love Isaac or God more than Isaac? It’s easy to say but can you practice what you believe? Yes, beloved, this is the test.

Let us look at what really happened. Abraham and Son went together, he built an altar, he bound his son and laid his son upon the altar as the victim. Then he takes his knife and just about to slay his son when God stopped him. Here we see God was content as God saw that Abraham loved God more than his son.  Abraham in his heart fulfilled the commandment. He cheerfully obeyed God without any complaining or questioning of this matter. Beloved this is truly great obedience of faith.

It was really doing what God commanded, this is true faith. True faith and actions follow. It was not talking about it but really doing it. We must not say we love God but give up all for him, including our loved ones for the sake of our beloved Savior. We cannot be just pretenders, when the true trial comes then we cannot be just talkers but need to be true to God in action.  Here we see obedience in action

Think of Isaac, he was loved by Abraham. Abraham’s hand took care of him, loved him,  yet he must die by his father’s own hand. I am sure his heart was breaking but like the father, Isaac’s soul obeyed. What a son of obedience to the father. Children obey your godly parents.

“ABRAHAM called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh,” or “Jehovah will

see it,” or “Jehovah will provide”  Yes my friend Jesus “Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad;”

Yes my friend, 2000 years later Lord did provide a sacrifice in Mt Calvary.

Our Father God himself sent his Son to be a sacrifice, but this time there was no stopping the sacrifice, the Father loved the Son and the Son loved the Father, the Son cheerfully obeyed the Father even dying for filthy sinners like us on the cross. This episode of Abraham and Isaac points to the ultimate sacrifice of our Savior.

The atonement was the gift of the Father; but it was the work of the Son.

What is his active obedience? His active obedience is fulfilling the law of God. How can a man become righteous before God? Righteousness can be obtained by obeying all of the law of God.

There was the active obedience of Christ in his  whole life to God; he fulfilled all of the law where we have violated. Then there

was the passive obedience of Christ as he cheerfully endured all suffering,  sacrificed his life to the believing sinner.

"Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law
 and obey it with all my heart." Psalm 119:34

Determine to PRACTICE whatever you read. Christians
should be walking Bibles, living the truths written. The
Word is not only a guide to knowledge, but a guide to
obedience. A holy reading of God’s Word, results in our
fleeing from sins, and practicing the duties commanded.

"I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I
 might obey Your word." Psalm 119:101