A Father’s Provisional Trust

Genesis 22:1-2 (NASB)
¹  Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
²  He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

1.     Life Will Test Your Trust In God

Genesis 22:1-2 (NASB)
¹  Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
²  He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

Genesis 22:3-6 (NASB)

³  So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

⁴  On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance.

⁵  Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you."

⁶  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. So the two of them walked on together.

2.     God Can Grow Your Trust Of Him

Genesis 22:7-8 (NASB)

⁷  Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

⁸  Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

Hebrews 11:8 (NASB)

⁸  By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Genesis 12:4 (NASB)

⁴  So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Hebrews 11:9-10 (NASB)

⁹  By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

¹⁰  for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 

Genesis 16:3 (NASB)

³  After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 

Hebrews 11:11-12 (NASB)

¹¹  By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.

¹²  Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.

 Genesis 21:5 (NASB)

⁵  Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 

Genesis 17:5-6 (NASB)
⁵  "No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
⁶  "I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.

3.     Trust Always In God’s Provision

Genesis 22:9-14 (NASB)

⁹  Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

¹⁰  Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay 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 stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

¹³  Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.

¹⁴  Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided."

4.     Time Will Prove God’s Trustworthiness

Genesis 22:15-19 (NASB)

¹⁵  Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven,

¹⁶  and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son,

¹⁷  indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.

¹⁸  "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

¹⁹  So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba. 

Hebrews 11:17-19 (NASB)

¹⁷  By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

¹⁸  it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED."

¹⁹  He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. 

John 3:16 (NASB)

¹⁶ "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.