How many people know who Abraham is?
Where was Abraham from? (Canaan)
Genesis 9:18 "The Sons of Noah who came out of the arc were Shem, Ham, Japath (Ham was the father of Canan)"
Genesis 9:25-27 "Noah said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." He also said, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be slave of Shem. May God extend Japaheth's territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may canaan be the slave of Japheth."
Canaan was a nation God knew would became wicked. In Deuteronomy 20:17 it says " completely destroy them - the Hittits, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jubusites - as the lord your God commanded you.
Abraham was a descendant of Shem and he lived in Canaan. At this time Canaan was already corrupt and was full of sin and Idolatry. Among this Abraham found favor with the Lord.
Genesis 12:1-3 read
Did Abraham listen to God?
What did he do that was not listen to God?
(Did not trust God to take care of him and his wife Instead he denied Sarah was his wife 2 times. Gained wealth by letting his wife marry and be with someone else. Let his wife tell him to have a child with her maid, instead of waiting on God. Let his wife tell him to send Hagar his Concubines and his son Ishmael away. Which is still a battle today and maybe the reason God wanted Canaan destroyed.)
What did he do that was listen to God? (Was first mention to give a tenth, willing to give his son Isaac)
Genesis 22:1-18 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac,and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altarthere and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven,“Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
In Matthew 1:1-17 Linage of Jesus starts at Abraham. Luke 3:23-38 Goes thru Abraham to Adam. Jesus was the blessing that the God was talking about.
Did Abraham deserve to be blessed? (Yes or No it is only be Gods grace)
Conclusion: Even though we go through up and downs and sometimes are completely against Gods desire for us. God is faithful and wants to bless us. Because Abraham learned form his mistakes and did not hold back his son but obeyed God. God blessed him and gave Abraham's decedents the power to conquer their enemy's. Abraham was spared by God and did not have to sacrifice his son. God however "did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). What are you holding back from God?
Are we that different from Abraham? We still have fears, Jealousy and want to do things our way instead of listening to God. Yet God does not change because of our sin and disobedience. He does not take away blessing or his plan for us. He still gave Abraham his son, and he will still deliver his promises and plans to us. We are Decedents of Abraham since Jesus is our king and we are his people and heirs to the kingdom of Heaven.