WHAT ABRAHAM WOULD HAVE LOST?
TOPIC: WHAT ABRAHAM WOULD HAVE LOST?
TEXT: GENESIS 22:1-19
MEMORY VERSE: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel,
ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth
of the LORD hath spoken it.” – Isaiah 1:19-20
Let’s look at what father Abraham would have lost if he did not yield or hearken to the voice of God. The Bible says, obedient is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22). There are grave consequences for all our actions and inactions and significant rewards for all our complete obedience to God. What would have happened if Abraham did not yield unto God in willing to sacrifice his only son?
(1) He would not have been blessed – even though Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold (Genesis 13:2); he would not have been truly blessed (Genesis 22:17, 18). Abraham’s name by now would have been forgotten because earthly riches and divine blessings are two different things; having divinely blessed means having an eternal legacy, one may be rich and not blessed but any man that is blessed by God will definitely be rich (Proverbs 10:22).
God’s riches come with peace, joy and happiness. God blessings bring no death – they do not kill (Ephesians 1:3). Helping us to see our need for Christ and growing in spiritual understanding of the gospel is one of the greatest blessings God can bestow on any believer. Out of love, He sometimes does this through circumstances that take away the desired of earthly blessings we are prone to seek, replacing them with the greater blessing of knowing Him more. Divine blessing is not tied to riches and wealth, but also being partaker of the Kingdom to come. Not every wealthy person is blessed by God. No matter what we receive or don’t receive in the temporal form, we have been given every blessing through the complete work of Christ – His righteousness, resources, privilege, position, and power. But he often works these spiritual blessings into our lives through circumstances that most people would not consider to be blessings.
(2)Abraham would have missed established Covenant of God between him and Him and his seeds; he wouldn’t have been referred to today as Father of Faith. He would have died with his generation and not becoming a reference point in this world and the world to come.
(3)He would have missed the plan of God. If Abraham had measured up to God’s standard of righteousness, there wouldn’t be any other test at all. All the time God looks at the heart and not outward appearance. We wouldn’t be making reference to him as we do today, God would have gotten another substitute.
If you do not want to be replaced in the plan of God, obey Him completely and patiently wait for Him to reward you accordingly. No matter what God want you to do for Him, yield to Him in total obedience and reference to His words. You will never regret it.
Word Affirmation: “A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time." - Isaiah 60:22 (Don't just say it, mean it!)
“There are grave consequences for all our actions and inactions and significant rewards for all our complete obedience to God.”
MIND THIS