Isaac on the Altar (17 of 34)
Series: Genesis
Jerry Vines
Genesis 22
Life is a series of tests. I couldn't help but think as I looked over this magnificent group of graduating seniors, that their life is going to be a series of tests. As they move along in various ways and under various circumstances, they will find that their lives will be tested.
Abraham is the great man of faith in the Bible. We have already seen that his life is a series of tests as well. When you come to chapter 22,verse 1, you are immediately alerted that what you read here is going to be a test. It says specifically, ''After these things God did tempt Abraham.'' Does that sound a little contradictory to you to what we find in James 1, verse 13? It says there, ''Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man.''
That verse specifically says that God does not tempt people. Yet, when you read Genesis 22, verse 1, it says that God did tempt Abraham. Let me give you a couple of statements that have been very valuable to me in understanding this through the years. First of all, Satan tempts us to bring out the worse in us. God tests us to bring out the best in us. God never tempts us to sin, but Satan does. Satan tempts us to sin in order to bring out the worse in us. God puts us to the test in order to bring out the best in us. So Abraham has had a series of test in his faith.
The first test was when the Lord told him to follow Him into a land that He would tell him later. He passed that test of faith, going to a land he had never been before. Then there was the test between himself and his nephew Lot when there was a disagreement. He had the test of whether he would put his own desire first or yield to the desires of his nephew. He passed that test. Then when the battle came and the kings and Abraham went and he faced that test of battle. He passed that test. When the kings offered Abraham material things he re ...
Series: Genesis
Jerry Vines
Genesis 22
Life is a series of tests. I couldn't help but think as I looked over this magnificent group of graduating seniors, that their life is going to be a series of tests. As they move along in various ways and under various circumstances, they will find that their lives will be tested.
Abraham is the great man of faith in the Bible. We have already seen that his life is a series of tests as well. When you come to chapter 22,verse 1, you are immediately alerted that what you read here is going to be a test. It says specifically, ''After these things God did tempt Abraham.'' Does that sound a little contradictory to you to what we find in James 1, verse 13? It says there, ''Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man.''
That verse specifically says that God does not tempt people. Yet, when you read Genesis 22, verse 1, it says that God did tempt Abraham. Let me give you a couple of statements that have been very valuable to me in understanding this through the years. First of all, Satan tempts us to bring out the worse in us. God tests us to bring out the best in us. God never tempts us to sin, but Satan does. Satan tempts us to sin in order to bring out the worse in us. God puts us to the test in order to bring out the best in us. So Abraham has had a series of test in his faith.
The first test was when the Lord told him to follow Him into a land that He would tell him later. He passed that test of faith, going to a land he had never been before. Then there was the test between himself and his nephew Lot when there was a disagreement. He had the test of whether he would put his own desire first or yield to the desires of his nephew. He passed that test. Then when the battle came and the kings and Abraham went and he faced that test of battle. He passed that test. When the kings offered Abraham material things he re ...
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