Sermon Direct Link
5/10/26
Rev. Clint Smith
After a lifetime of ups and downs, sinful failures and faithful obedience, wise choices and foolish mistakes, Abraham had walked with God for nearly 40 years. God first called Abraham at age 75, and Isaac was born when Abraham was 100. Just when Abraham could have celebrated God’s miraculous provision, God led him into an intense test of faith and devotion. Spiritual tests are real.
Abraham had become so accustomed to hearing God’s voice that when God called him, he immediately responded, “Here I am. I am ready to listen and obey.”
God gave Abraham explicit instructions that, humanly speaking, seemed impossible to understand and devastating to carry out. In love, Abraham moved forward in faith, strengthened by God’s proven faithfulness throughout the years. Abraham was called a friend of God, and that friendship was revealed through his willingness to trust God even when the command made no sense to him.
Abraham prepared for the journey God had commanded him to take. He gathered everything needed for worship on Mount Moriah. On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place where, as far as he knew, his son would die.
Isaac, likely around fifteen years old, noticed something was missing and asked his father, “We have the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
With faithful and loyal confidence, Abraham answered, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”
When they arrived at the place God had appointed, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, bound Isaac, and laid him on the altar. Just as Abraham was about to offer the sacrifice, the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven by name. Abraham immediately responded, “Here I am. I am ready to listen and obey.”
God stopped the sacrifice because Abraham demonstrated his faithful fear, love, and obedience to Him. By the providence of God, a ram was caught in the thicket nearby. Abraham took the ram and offered it as the sacrifice in place of his son. Abraham called that place Jehovah-Jireh, meaning, “The LORD Will Provide.”