Genesis 22:1-14

 

How I approach the Bible is based on my belief in the divine inspiration of the Bible.

 

How I understand the Bible is based on my conclusions through diligent interpretation of the Bible.

 

The law of mention...first, further, full, final.

 

“The law of first mention,”  basically says that wherever you find a doctrine, a word or a theme mentioned in the Bible for the first time, that passage can be understood to set the tone for understanding it throughout all of the Bible.

 

In Genesis 22 there are three “first mention” words.

 

1.  Worship - Genesis 22:5.

 

This is the first mention of the word “worship” in the Bible.  It is not to be assumed by this that others before Abraham had never worshiped.  Surely, Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah worshiped.  The Bible tells us they built altars, the offered sacrifices, they preached - all expression of what people do when they worship.

 

But the word “worship” does not appear in the Bible until Abraham was

called to bring his son to God in sacrifice.  Abraham declared to his

two young servants that what he was about to do was “worship.”  Now,

look this over.

* There was no assembly of people gathers in some building, yet Abraham said

    it was worship.

* There was no music, no singing, no choir, no soloist.

* There was no money given.

* There was no prayer offered.

 

Definition:  “Worship” is to attribute worth to an object.  Worship is

the “worthship” of the one you worship.  Abraham was attributing worth to God - that God was deserving of anything Abraham could do to His honor.

 

More than 50 years ago, A. W. Tozer said that the “missing jewel” of the

church was worship.  

 

In many churches worship is being...

...re-thought.  Churches are mired in tradition.  Ill: The lady who cooked great

    hams...she cut off both ends...“To fit the pan.”

...re-fitted.  It is moving to connect worship to our day.  Unlike

    how most people represent it, worship among Baptists has never be               

    “always the same.”  There have been changes from generation to generation.

                                - No buildings...meeting houses.

                                - Men on one side, women on the other.

                                - Congregational music was at first rejected.

                                - Song books opposed. 1691.  Benjamin Keach.

                                - No piano.  No organ.  Instruments?

                                - Choirs not allowed.

                                - Sound equipment.

                                - Sound tracks.

                                - Hymns or choruses.  Traditional or contemporary?

                                - Books or Media screen.

...re-discovered.  

 

What can be learn about “worship” from the first mention in the Bible.

Let’s let Abraham speak.

 

There is nothing causal about worship.  Sadly, people today worship

their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.

 

There is nothing convenient about worship.  There was nothing easy about

what God called Abraham to do. 

Genesis 22:3…

•  He had to get up early.
•  He had to carry some items with him.
•  He had to inconvenience two other young men.
•  He had to take a three day walking trip.

               

2.  Obeyed - Genesis 22:18.

 

Again, this is the first mention of the word “obey.”  

 

“And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because

thou hast obeyed my voice.”

 

Look at this obedience in Genesis 22:1-2.

 

Abraham did not think this up as a way to honor God.  This was God’s idea.  Worship is God’s idea.  It is not something your pastor thought up to complicate your already busy weekend.  Worship is born in the heart of God.

 

If you take Abraham’s obedience out of this story, what you have is not

worship.  You have premeditated murder.  If Abraham is simply going to

the mountain to kill his son, there is nothing godly about it.  Child sacrifice is the most heinous act recorded in the Old Testament.  But in response to an Almighty God who has instructed Abraham in the act of worship, it becomes holy ground to all who understand what real worship requires.

 

The worship of God and the will of God and the work of God are always

grounded in and guided by the Word of God.

 

Worship-obedience...

..does not hesitate.  Abraham did not say, “Later, Lord.”  No, after        

   receiving his order in verses 1 &2 he sets out in obedience in verse 3.  Real

    obedience does not hesitate.  “Here I am,” v. 1.

...does not negotiate.  Abraham did not say, “Lord, how about one of my servants instead of my son.”  Abraham had negotiated with God before when he prayed for Sodom (Genesis 18).  But not here.

 

So, Abraham, what are we to learn about this connection between worship and obedience?

 

Worship is not a feeling, an emotion, a thought process.  Worship is an activity that involves a response.

 

Worship-obedience is personal.  Look at verse 5 again.  Abraham did not take the two young men with him and Isaac.  Why?  Because worship is personal.  Groups do not worship as a groups.  Groups worship individually.  Don’t expect someone else to do for you what only you can do.  People say, “Well, I can’t sing, or give a lot of money, or teach a class.”  No, but everyone of us can worship.

 

Worship-obedience is not passive.  In worship people are not spectator, but participators!  Do you know what happens when you take a “spectator” attitude in worship?  You quickly move from spectator to critic.

 

Ill:  I look to watch NBA basketball on television.  You could describe it as 10 men on a court desperately needing rest, watched by thousands who desperately need some exercise.  When you are not “in the game” it is easy to sit back and watch and then when something doesn’t go right the next thing you do is criticize.  “Why did the coach make that call?  Why didn’t that player make that easy shot?  And the refs, they are pitiful.  And the President of the league, he couldn’t manage a Dairy Queen.”

 

Worship-obedience is pivotal.  This is what missing in worship today.  People are simply watching others worship and then they leave with an empty feeling and something is wrong with the church.

v. 16  “Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only

            son.”

v. 17  “That in blessing I will bless thee...”

 

John 13:17  “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

 

We want the blessings of an Abraham but we don’t want the obedience of

Abraham.

 

Now, there is a third “first mention” in Genesis 22.

 

3.  Love - Genesis 22:2.

 

This is the first mention of “love” in the Bible.  You might notice that this “love” is not about how much Abraham loved God, but about how much Abraham loved Isaac.

 

Do you remember why Abraham loved Isaac so much?

                - Isaac was the fulfillment to God’s promise.

                - Isaac was born in Abraham’s and Sarah’s old age (100 and 90).

                - Isaac’ name means “laughter.”   Abraham laughed.  Sarah laughed.         

Their friends laughed.  We laugh, Genesis 21:6.

 

I just pointed out that this “love” in verse 5 is not about how much Abraham loved God, but about how much Abraham loved Isaac.  But wait.  This does tell us how much Abraham loved God because he was willing and ready to offer his most precious possession to God.  This boy meant everything to Abraham.  But God meant more! Real worship is about love.

                * The greatest commandment is to “love God.”

                * “Lovest thou me?” Jesus said to Peter.

                * The church at Ephesus was corrected because they had “left their          first love.”

               

For years Abraham had to wait for the Son he didn’t have.

Now, Abraham had to give up the Son he did have.

 

Worship-love is willing to sacrifice.  Now, there is a word we don’t hear much about - do we?  We say we love God, but there is little sacrifice.  Every now and then we are inconvenienced, but that’s not the same as sacrifice.  In our day worship has to be fun or its out!

 

How could Abraham ever think of sacrificing Isaac?  You may have overlooked it in verse 5.  “And I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.”  You have to go all the way over to Hebrews 11:17-19 to find out what Abraham was thinking.   “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”

 

A boy wrote his girl friend a letter.  “I love you.  I’d walk across a burning desert.  I’d swim the deepest ocean.  I’d climb the highest mountain.  P.S. See you Saturday if it doesn’t rain.”

 

Worshiping with left-overs is not worship at all. ...Left over time....Left over energy (late Saturday night)....Left over money.

 

We are called to worship on the first day, giving God our firstfruits,

seeking Him first in all things.

 

Worship-love is giving our best.

 

•  Love, v. 2...The fruit of worship
•  Worship, v. 5
•  Obey, v. 18….The foundation of worship

 

You do know that this is one of the many precious and poignant pictures

of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.

                - Abraham, the Father.

                - Isaac, the offering of His only Son.

                - The ram, the substitute.