As-Salaam-Alaikum to our Muslim brothers and sisters, 00:00:41.53\00:00:45.96 Shalom to our Hebrew cousins, 00:00:45.99\00:00:48.23 and welcome to our Christian friends. 00:00:48.26\00:00:51.10 We're happy today that you're joining 00:00:51.13\00:00:53.18 us on "The Descendants of Abraham." 00:00:53.21\00:00:55.58 And in today's program we're going to draw closer 00:00:55.61\00:00:59.23 to father Abraham as he faces the test the ultimate test, 00:00:59.26\00:01:03.99 test of all test of his faith, his faith in the Creator God. 00:01:04.02\00:01:08.11 And today I'm going to have Brother Manoukian, 00:01:08.14\00:01:11.28 Steven Manoukian join me as we discuss 00:01:11.31\00:01:14.61 this very, very important lesson that is not only 00:01:14.64\00:01:19.70 for father Abraham but it is for us today. 00:01:19.74\00:01:22.28 Abraham at this point he was 120 years old, 00:01:22.31\00:01:26.26 even in his generation this was old. 00:01:26.29\00:01:28.89 And he was looking forward to his retirement. 00:01:28.92\00:01:32.27 He was wealthy, he had honor among friends 00:01:32.30\00:01:36.14 and neighbors where he lived. 00:01:36.17\00:01:37.51 He was living in Beersheba at this time. 00:01:37.54\00:01:40.40 And his life was filled with the blessings of God. 00:01:40.43\00:01:43.88 I mean, you know, at this point 00:01:43.91\00:01:45.98 he needed nothing else and he was at the best time 00:01:46.01\00:01:50.50 of his life, wasn't he? 00:01:50.53\00:01:52.34 That's true. He thought probably, 00:01:52.37\00:01:55.40 you know, the life trials were pretty much over 00:01:55.43\00:01:57.68 and he settled down in Beersheba and he was doing well. 00:01:57.71\00:02:01.83 And then the ultimate test came and he was facing 00:02:01.86\00:02:05.20 a much larger test than probably he would have ever faced before. 00:02:05.23\00:02:10.12 Actually, I believe it's one of the greatest acts 00:02:10.15\00:02:12.64 of obedience in recorded history. 00:02:12.67\00:02:14.67 Let's take a look at that, that scripture verse, okay. 00:02:14.70\00:02:19.04 It's in Genesis 22:1-2. 00:02:19.07\00:02:22.60 And we'll take a look at that now. 00:02:22.63\00:02:24.92 "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, 00:02:24.95\00:02:30.42 and said to him, "Abraham!" 00:02:30.45\00:02:33.61 And he said, "Here I am." 00:02:33.64\00:02:36.54 And He God said, "Now take your son, 00:02:36.57\00:02:39.82 your only son Isaac, whom you love, 00:02:39.85\00:02:43.20 and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there 00:02:43.23\00:02:46.90 as a burnt offering on one of the mountains 00:02:46.93\00:02:50.82 of which I shall tell you." 00:02:50.85\00:02:56.76 Brother Manoukian, you have children. 00:02:56.80\00:03:00.24 I do. What if God 00:03:00.27\00:03:03.28 came to you today with that command, 00:03:03.31\00:03:07.17 how would you feel? 00:03:07.20\00:03:09.13 I don't know what my response would be but I would 00:03:09.16\00:03:12.39 probably be doubtful and angry. 00:03:12.42\00:03:17.34 I cannot imagine taking 00:03:17.37\00:03:19.41 my little daughter and sacrificing her. 00:03:19.44\00:03:23.66 It's just too much to bear as a parent. 00:03:23.69\00:03:26.67 It's just extremely hard. 00:03:26.70\00:03:28.69 And that's what happened here. 00:03:28.72\00:03:32.50 Lord, coming to Abraham 00:03:32.53\00:03:33.78 and asking him to sacrifice his only loved child. 00:03:33.81\00:03:39.98 I cannot imagine that it's beyond me actually. 00:03:40.01\00:03:43.36 It is, isn't it for us. 00:03:43.39\00:03:44.92 But, you know, do you think Abraham would have questioned, 00:03:44.95\00:03:49.26 is this from God or is this from Satan. 00:03:49.29\00:03:53.46 You know, what--this request, 00:03:53.49\00:03:55.52 do you think he at anytime questioned this command. 00:03:55.55\00:03:59.52 Probably he would have questioned it. 00:03:59.55\00:04:02.70 See, we've got to understand 00:04:02.73\00:04:04.02 that God is the author of life and God is love. 00:04:04.05\00:04:08.56 And so whatever God proposes everything 00:04:08.59\00:04:11.10 that He does is to give life to human beings. 00:04:11.13\00:04:14.48 And of course, Satan is the author of death. 00:04:14.51\00:04:17.77 And here he is, the Lord coming to him and saying take your son 00:04:17.80\00:04:23.73 and sacrifice your son, which was very, 00:04:23.76\00:04:27.69 the opposite of God's character. 00:04:27.72\00:04:30.86 So yes, I believe that probably he was in a lot of doubt 00:04:30.89\00:04:37.69 and he wasn't probably, he wasn't sure 00:04:37.72\00:04:39.42 what was happening there. 00:04:39.45\00:04:41.13 We also got to understand that during those time, 00:04:41.16\00:04:44.84 the heathen sacrificed people. 00:04:44.87\00:04:47.75 They had human sacrifices. 00:04:47.78\00:04:50.29 And here the Lord who is the author of life 00:04:50.32\00:04:53.23 and detested that human sacrifices 00:04:53.26\00:04:55.69 that these heathen nations did. 00:04:55.72\00:04:58.45 He was asking Abraham to do the same thing. 00:04:58.48\00:05:01.78 And so I believe that probably, yes, 00:05:01.81\00:05:04.25 Abraham was struggling 00:05:04.28\00:05:05.31 with what the Lord had requested from him. 00:05:05.34\00:05:07.53 Right, because when he was living in Ur, 00:05:07.56\00:05:11.27 God called him out of that, right, out of all of the pagan, 00:05:11.30\00:05:16.07 paganism that was going on, which child sacrifice 00:05:16.10\00:05:19.04 was part of that and the idolatry 00:05:19.07\00:05:21.41 and called Abraham. 00:05:21.44\00:05:22.85 And at that time he obeyed and he came out and left Ur, 00:05:22.88\00:05:27.02 to go into this foreign land and left everyone behind. 00:05:27.05\00:05:30.71 And now it's seemed like he was saying well 00:05:30.74\00:05:34.86 take part of that religion. 00:05:34.89\00:05:38.25 Yeah, exactly. And that couldn't 00:05:38.28\00:05:40.55 have been easy for him. 00:05:40.58\00:05:44.99 What do you think or how do you think he felt. 00:05:45.02\00:05:49.23 Do you think, you know, sometimes we read about this 00:05:49.26\00:05:52.38 and we think that God gave him the command and he said, 00:05:52.41\00:05:57.15 okay, and he took Isaac and he went and tried to, 00:05:57.18\00:06:02.67 you know, obey and slay his son. 00:06:02.70\00:06:06.83 And that's it but they had to have been 00:06:06.86\00:06:11.52 lot of pain there, didn't there? 00:06:11.55\00:06:13.59 Definitely, when we read the scripture 00:06:13.62\00:06:16.57 what happens is we see the story is flowing 00:06:16.60\00:06:21.35 and the emotion element probably isn't revealed as it should be. 00:06:21.38\00:06:27.37 And so I believe there was a lot of emotions 00:06:27.40\00:06:31.25 involved in this whole process. 00:06:31.28\00:06:33.90 And it's not as simple as we think it is. 00:06:33.93\00:06:38.95 Isaac was supposed to be the promised son, right. 00:06:38.98\00:06:43.57 The son of the blessing. Yes. 00:06:43.60\00:06:47.56 Why would God then ask Abraham to kill him? 00:06:47.59\00:06:54.71 Why do you think He would ask him 00:06:54.74\00:06:57.31 that--what would Abraham be thinking at that time? 00:06:57.34\00:07:01.61 I think what the Lord was trying to do is test Abraham 00:07:01.64\00:07:06.40 to the limit, that his priority was God. 00:07:06.43\00:07:11.41 And God came first in his life and of course, 00:07:11.44\00:07:15.05 there was his son Isaac as well. 00:07:15.08\00:07:18.30 So it was a test between Isaac and God. 00:07:18.33\00:07:21.76 And we know what happened as a result of story. 00:07:21.79\00:07:26.73 You know, it is clear in the Bible 00:07:26.76\00:07:28.24 what Abraham had to choose or what he chose. 00:07:28.27\00:07:30.99 Right and I mean when God tested him by asking him to come out, 00:07:31.02\00:07:38.13 leave his relatives, leave his land, leave everything 00:07:38.16\00:07:40.86 behind him and come to this foreign land. 00:07:40.89\00:07:43.17 And that land had to be where the Canaanites dwelled, right. 00:07:43.20\00:07:46.81 It was to Canaan. 00:07:46.84\00:07:48.30 And so he obeyed God without questioning all this time. 00:07:48.33\00:07:53.17 Yes. Why this test. 00:07:53.20\00:07:55.57 I mean why this one. 00:07:55.60\00:07:57.24 Didn't he-- wasn't he obedient all along. 00:07:57.27\00:07:59.25 He was obedient if you look at the story. 00:07:59.28\00:08:02.51 The Lord came to him and asked him to leave Haran, 00:08:02.54\00:08:04.55 he left Haran, he went to Canaan 00:08:04.58\00:08:07.70 and he was dwelling in Beersheba. 00:08:07.73\00:08:09.52 At the same time we also-- he had been obedient 00:08:09.55\00:08:12.82 to the Lord throughout this whole time. 00:08:12.85\00:08:15.32 But this was like the ultimate test in my opinion. 00:08:15.35\00:08:18.08 It was an ultimate test. 00:08:18.11\00:08:19.93 The only son through whom is the descendants 00:08:19.96\00:08:23.60 had been promised was to be sacrificed. 00:08:23.63\00:08:26.49 It was the greatest test in the test of obedience. 00:08:26.52\00:08:30.46 And do you think because sometimes I wondered, 00:08:30.49\00:08:34.07 did this test come to him because of what him and Hagar 00:08:34.10\00:08:41.95 did regarding trying to get involved in the son of promise. 00:08:41.98\00:08:47.33 And Ishmael, you know, was the result of that. 00:08:47.36\00:08:53.57 And so in a way he failed there, didn't he? 00:08:53.60\00:08:57.19 He did, we know from the story, 00:08:57.22\00:09:00.96 you know, he had mistrusted God at a certain point. 00:09:00.99\00:09:05.60 And had of course gone with Hagar 00:09:05.63\00:09:09.55 and then Ishmael was born as a result of that. 00:09:09.58\00:09:12.85 And there was a bit of mistrust but it seems that the Lord 00:09:12.88\00:09:16.51 came back to the-in fact came back 00:09:16.54\00:09:18.64 to Abraham to try him again. 00:09:18.67\00:09:21.17 And this time he did not failed. 00:09:21.20\00:09:23.75 This time he did not failed and this time 00:09:23.78\00:09:25.29 it is the ultimate test, isn't it? 00:09:25.32\00:09:29.06 You know, when we read about this part, 00:09:29.09\00:09:33.71 this part of Abraham's life and we look into 00:09:33.74\00:09:38.04 the Book of Genesis the book of the beginnings, 00:09:38.07\00:09:40.71 you know, and read about what happened here. 00:09:40.74\00:09:45.09 It doesn't tell us anywhere when we read the story 00:09:45.12\00:09:48.25 that Abraham talked to Sarah his wife about Isaac, 00:09:48.28\00:09:54.88 about the sacrifice of Isaac, does it? 00:09:54.91\00:09:57.79 No, the Bible does not mention Abraham talking to Sarah. 00:09:57.82\00:10:02.26 I believe the mother-instinct would have come in there 00:10:02.29\00:10:05.14 and she would have resisted Abraham going or leaving. 00:10:05.17\00:10:08.97 I'm sure there would have been a battle 00:10:09.00\00:10:10.64 between Sarah and Abraham. 00:10:10.67\00:10:12.65 After so many of years of waiting, 00:10:12.68\00:10:14.64 here was the promised son, and all he was going to do now 00:10:14.67\00:10:17.23 is take him sacrifice him. 00:10:17.26\00:10:19.00 So I think Abraham was trying to avoid that. 00:10:19.03\00:10:23.85 So he did not even shared with Sarah. 00:10:23.88\00:10:26.10 I think so. I think so because 00:10:26.13\00:10:27.67 it doesn't mention anything about Sarah 00:10:27.70\00:10:29.74 and Sarah's involvement in this and probably. 00:10:29.77\00:10:31.97 That's true. Probably she would 00:10:32.00\00:10:33.32 have gotten in the way of that. 00:10:33.35\00:10:37.67 Let's, you know, I think at that time 00:10:37.70\00:10:40.10 do you think Abraham had to hold on to something. 00:10:40.13\00:10:44.95 He had to have, you know, you talk about 00:10:44.98\00:10:47.24 he had the relationship he knew God's voice, right. 00:10:47.27\00:10:50.38 He had that relationship 00:10:50.41\00:10:52.83 with the Creator God in the beginning. 00:10:52.86\00:10:58.57 We got to understand something here. 00:10:58.60\00:11:00.64 As I mentioned a bit earlier on, Abraham on one side knew 00:11:00.67\00:11:07.75 that God was the God of love and the author of life. 00:11:07.78\00:11:11.27 And here he was being tested by God to go and sacrifice his son. 00:11:11.30\00:11:18.49 I believe that it was his strong relationship with the Lord, 00:11:18.52\00:11:22.13 with God that strengthened his faith 00:11:22.16\00:11:25.02 to go and to go on that journey. 00:11:25.05\00:11:29.03 And I believe that it was his experience previously 00:11:29.06\00:11:31.64 with the Lord, with the Lord coming to him and telling him 00:11:31.67\00:11:34.24 to leave Haran and going to the Promised Land 00:11:34.27\00:11:37.21 that he had been promised. 00:11:37.24\00:11:38.90 He had heard the voice of God, he knew he was the Lord 00:11:38.93\00:11:42.38 and he was sure of it. Okay. 00:11:42.41\00:11:44.97 And so that is why he went I believe, 00:11:45.00\00:11:46.78 with the journey that he was going to go on. 00:11:46.81\00:11:49.82 Yeah, you know, let's take a look 00:11:49.86\00:11:52.31 at another scripture here from from the Genesis 15:5 00:11:52.34\00:12:00.28 and the scripture is here. 00:12:00.31\00:12:02.82 And it says, "Then He brought him 00:12:02.85\00:12:04.95 outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, 00:12:04.98\00:12:08.24 and count the stars if you are able to number them." 00:12:08.27\00:12:12.17 And he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 00:12:12.20\00:12:19.46 Do you think Abraham had to remember that promise, 00:12:19.49\00:12:22.65 that promise was made to him 50 years 00:12:22.68\00:12:25.69 before this time of God asking him to sacrifice Isaac, right. 00:12:25.72\00:12:30.53 It's true. Approximately that. 00:12:30.56\00:12:33.62 Do you think that he had to hold on to that promise 00:12:33.65\00:12:39.39 because again just like you said in the beginning, 00:12:39.42\00:12:42.70 I wouldn't do it. 00:12:42.73\00:12:44.80 I would not take a knife and put it in my daughter or my son. 00:12:44.83\00:12:49.82 I know I couldn't do that. 00:12:49.85\00:12:52.40 You know, and at least not today 00:12:52.43\00:12:55.95 but then again we have high insight. 00:12:55.98\00:12:59.00 We have so many stories that the patriarchs left for us. 00:12:59.03\00:13:05.00 Yeah. To show us who God 00:13:05.03\00:13:06.78 is but at the same time at that time, 00:13:06.81\00:13:08.97 Abraham didn't have the Torah. 00:13:09.01\00:13:12.69 He didn't have any scriptures, he didn't have anything except 00:13:12.72\00:13:16.75 his relationship with the Creator God. 00:13:16.78\00:13:20.55 Here is one point here, we also got to remember 00:13:20.58\00:13:23.13 is that every time that the Lord promises something to Abraham, 00:13:23.16\00:13:27.10 He delivered it. The Lord came 00:13:27.13\00:13:30.95 to Abraham and Sarah and said, of course, 00:13:30.98\00:13:33.31 you're going to have a child. 00:13:33.34\00:13:34.91 And out of your child there is going to be a descendant. 00:13:34.94\00:13:36.68 Now they weren't young when the Lord made that promise. 00:13:36.71\00:13:39.17 True. And here lo and behold, 00:13:39.20\00:13:41.74 at a very ripe age, Sarah bears a child, a son, 00:13:41.77\00:13:45.68 and Abraham is really ripe in age as well. 00:13:45.71\00:13:48.41 And there, the Lord delivered His promise. 00:13:48.44\00:13:51.32 That's right. And that I think gave him 00:13:51.35\00:13:53.25 the power and the boost to trust in the Lord 00:13:53.28\00:13:55.45 and put his faith fully in the Lord. 00:13:55.48\00:13:59.11 True, at the same time when God was asking him to do now 00:13:59.15\00:14:03.58 wasn't really, he wasn't giving him, 00:14:03.61\00:14:06.21 he wasn't saying that if you do this I will do. 00:14:06.24\00:14:09.41 He just says, take your son, your only son 00:14:09.44\00:14:12.53 and go and sacrifice him and take his life, 00:14:12.56\00:14:17.04 offer him as a burnt offering. 00:14:17.07\00:14:19.14 There was no promise as such there at that time, was there? 00:14:19.17\00:14:24.98 No, he took it by faith, I believe. 00:14:25.01\00:14:27.88 He took it by faith. 00:14:27.91\00:14:29.18 Just being that's where the obedient comes in, right. 00:14:29.21\00:14:32.32 Exactly. I think Abraham probably was thinking, 00:14:32.35\00:14:35.52 I'm going to take my son and I'm going to sacrifice him 00:14:35.55\00:14:39.14 just as the Lord had asked me. 00:14:39.17\00:14:41.50 But if I sacrifice my son, the Lord had the power 00:14:41.53\00:14:45.75 to resurrect him from the dead. 00:14:45.78\00:14:47.75 And so probably he was-- he I believed 00:14:47.78\00:14:50.78 he was going with that faith. 00:14:50.81\00:14:53.00 That even if he had to sacrifice his son, 00:14:53.03\00:14:55.07 he was going to be resurrected and the Lord 00:14:55.10\00:14:57.33 could have done that. 00:14:57.36\00:14:58.76 And that is why he went ahead with his journey. 00:14:58.79\00:15:01.91 So you think that he believed that the Lord 00:15:01.94\00:15:07.19 would have raised Isaac back 00:15:07.22\00:15:10.73 from the dead and given him back to. 00:15:10.76\00:15:13.49 I do believe that he believed in that but it wasn't easy. 00:15:13.52\00:15:18.89 A lot of times as we think that is easy. 00:15:18.92\00:15:22.12 But he should have really 00:15:22.15\00:15:24.21 really struggled in the meantime. 00:15:24.24\00:15:27.36 We've got to also keep in mind 00:15:27.39\00:15:28.55 that there was a three days journey 00:15:28.58\00:15:29.98 from Beersheba all the way to Mount Moriah. 00:15:30.01\00:15:31.91 Right. During that three days, 00:15:31.94\00:15:34.33 I'm sure Abraham was negotiating and struggling with the Lord 00:15:34.36\00:15:39.78 just as he was trying to negotiate with the Lord 00:15:39.81\00:15:42.73 with regards to Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:15:42.76\00:15:45.48 Yeah, I believe that, and you know 00:15:45.51\00:15:48.53 we talk about the three day journey. 00:15:48.56\00:15:50.26 But what about that night, I'm sure he prayed, 00:15:50.29\00:15:54.40 he prayed to the Creator God begging Him 00:15:54.43\00:15:58.50 for maybe confirmation, maybe clarity, you know. 00:15:58.53\00:16:02.49 And then he had to go to his son 00:16:02.52\00:16:07.62 until his son-- pack your things, we're leaving. 00:16:07.65\00:16:14.38 And yet he doesn't tell him why yet. 00:16:14.41\00:16:19.72 We just have to go and make an offering. 00:16:19.75\00:16:22.65 We have to go, you know, and Isaac 00:16:22.68\00:16:24.85 is used to go and making offerings and sacrifices 00:16:24.88\00:16:27.77 with this father but Abraham had to hold that in his heart. 00:16:27.80\00:16:33.15 Yes. When he is saying 00:16:33.18\00:16:35.61 to his son, let's go to Moriah. 00:16:35.64\00:16:41.21 He had to go and get him. 00:16:41.24\00:16:43.20 What do you think must have been going on in his soul 00:16:43.23\00:16:49.07 at that time as a father 00:16:49.10\00:16:51.12 and you can't tell your child what it is. 00:16:51.15\00:16:54.18 I personally would be torn apart. 00:16:54.21\00:16:57.91 I would probably want to runaway 00:16:57.94\00:16:59.43 from home and not heed to the Lord, voice of the Lord. 00:16:59.46\00:17:04.44 It must have been a very tough situation for him. 00:17:04.47\00:17:09.47 And yet sometimes we tend to think that it, 00:17:09.50\00:17:13.96 oh, it must have been easy. 00:17:13.99\00:17:15.51 He had relationship and we can just, 00:17:15.54\00:17:17.69 he can just take the son and be obedient and move on. 00:17:17.72\00:17:22.22 But that's not the case. 00:17:22.25\00:17:24.54 It's true. When you read the Bible it's presenting facts 00:17:24.57\00:17:28.88 and so the emotions aren't, don't often come through. 00:17:28.91\00:17:32.98 But there I believe there was a lot of emotions 00:17:33.01\00:17:35.86 going on there. There had to be. 00:17:35.89\00:17:37.48 Yeah. I think so there had to be. 00:17:37.51\00:17:39.53 You talk about the three day journey to Moriah. 00:17:39.56\00:17:43.30 You know, we read that God said to him. 00:17:43.33\00:17:46.33 God said to Abraham, you know, 00:17:46.36\00:17:49.40 take your son whom you love and go to the land of Moriah 00:17:49.43\00:17:54.68 and offer him there as a burnt offering 00:17:54.71\00:17:56.34 of which I shall tell you. 00:17:56.37\00:17:58.54 At that time God didn't tell him where, 00:17:58.57\00:18:02.64 right, just with the land. True. 00:18:02.67\00:18:04.23 Even the journey from Beersheba to all the way 00:18:04.26\00:18:06.18 to Jerusalem or Mount Moriah 00:18:06.21\00:18:09.16 I should say, was a act of faith. 00:18:09.19\00:18:13.62 Because Lord isn't going to go reveal to him 00:18:13.65\00:18:14.85 where he was going to sacrifice his son. 00:18:14.88\00:18:16.81 That's right. Just like when he left Ur, right. 00:18:16.84\00:18:19.68 Exactly. You're going to go, 00:18:19.71\00:18:21.79 but we don't where. 00:18:21.82\00:18:24.73 So, you know, you're saying that he had 00:18:24.76\00:18:28.38 the relationship with God. 00:18:28.41\00:18:29.81 He knew his voice, he was sure and even 00:18:29.84\00:18:34.89 so when he got to Moriah, God must have given him 00:18:34.92\00:18:39.24 some sign that's the mountain, that's where you go. 00:18:39.27\00:18:42.24 Do you think that even that conformation, 00:18:42.27\00:18:46.97 even the confirmation, that yes, this is God, 00:18:47.00\00:18:49.97 would have taken away the pain. 00:18:50.00\00:18:54.33 I really doubt that. 00:18:54.36\00:18:56.60 The mere fact taking a knife into your hand 00:18:56.63\00:18:59.74 and sacrificing your child is not an easy task. 00:18:59.77\00:19:03.05 It's not an easy thing and that pain and I think 00:19:03.08\00:19:05.35 that's what sometimes we need to realize that when God 00:19:05.38\00:19:09.45 asks us to do something, it's not always pleasant 00:19:09.48\00:19:14.87 but we have to be obedient to anyone. 00:19:14.90\00:19:16.83 We have to, we have to listen. 00:19:16.86\00:19:20.35 Let's take a look at Genesis 22:7-8, and it says 00:19:20.38\00:19:27.95 "But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, 00:19:27.98\00:19:30.90 "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." 00:19:30.93\00:19:34.77 And he, Isaac said, "Look, the fire and the wood, 00:19:34.80\00:19:38.74 but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 00:19:38.77\00:19:42.07 And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself 00:19:42.10\00:19:46.37 the lamb for a burnt offering." 00:19:46.40\00:19:48.56 And the two of them went together. 00:19:48.59\00:19:52.94 What do you think about that? 00:19:52.97\00:19:54.11 Here is Isaac looking around and saying, 00:19:54.14\00:19:57.38 "Father Abba, daddy, here's the wood, 00:19:57.41\00:20:01.64 here's the fire, where is the offering?" 00:20:01.67\00:20:05.64 He wasn't sure probably what's happening there. 00:20:05.67\00:20:08.49 And he was beginning to ask, dad where is the lamb 00:20:08.52\00:20:11.93 or the ram that you want me to sacrifice, it wasn't there. 00:20:11.96\00:20:15.58 So he wasn't sure what was going on as well. 00:20:15.61\00:20:18.52 Right, Isaac wasn't sure but Abraham knew. 00:20:18.55\00:20:21.16 Abraham knew and he hadn't told Isaac that. 00:20:21.19\00:20:23.63 He hadn't told Isaac but here it is your son now comes, 00:20:23.66\00:20:26.48 he says daddy, Abba, where is the offering? 00:20:26.51\00:20:30.53 Where is the lamb? 00:20:30.56\00:20:31.63 What are you feeling? 00:20:31.66\00:20:34.45 You can't, you can't say anything yet. 00:20:34.48\00:20:37.11 Yeah, it must have been very hard. 00:20:37.14\00:20:39.52 I mean the mere fact that he had not mentioned it to Isaac, 00:20:39.55\00:20:43.23 I believe he was struggling with it. 00:20:43.26\00:20:45.14 Right. He was struggling 00:20:45.17\00:20:46.44 with him going and sacrificing his son. 00:20:46.47\00:20:49.85 And then we read that Abraham bound him 00:20:49.88\00:20:57.54 and built the altar and laid him on the wood. 00:20:57.57\00:21:01.85 Yes. How old 00:21:01.88\00:21:06.11 was Isaac about that time. 00:21:06.14\00:21:07.78 About I think, believe 20 years old. 00:21:07.81\00:21:09.88 Twenty years old, a very strong young man. 00:21:09.91\00:21:12.31 Abraham is an old 120 year old man. 00:21:12.34\00:21:15.62 That's true. Why didn't Isaac take off? 00:21:15.65\00:21:19.55 Well, if you look at it, there Abraham builds the altar, 00:21:19.58\00:21:24.98 there's you have this young man 00:21:25.01\00:21:27.19 who is alone with this older man. 00:21:27.23\00:21:30.20 All he had to do is just run and take off. 00:21:30.23\00:21:34.24 That's all he had to do. 00:21:34.27\00:21:36.31 Because the servants left them at a certain spot, 00:21:36.34\00:21:39.02 they moved forward and they came to the place of sacrifice, 00:21:39.05\00:21:42.88 he was bound and all Isaac had to do was just runaway 00:21:42.91\00:21:47.63 but he doesn't do that. 00:21:47.66\00:21:48.93 I believe that he also had faith 00:21:48.96\00:21:52.04 that the Lord was going to provide. 00:21:52.07\00:21:54.78 That Isaac had that faith. 00:21:54.81\00:21:56.23 Exactly. And, you know, 00:21:56.26\00:21:57.88 I think that's true because we read this story 00:21:57.91\00:22:00.98 and we say Abraham was the father of faith. 00:22:01.01\00:22:03.65 Well his son Isaac also had to have that faith. 00:22:03.68\00:22:07.24 He could have overpowered his father, 00:22:07.27\00:22:09.03 he could have done anything but he must, 00:22:09.06\00:22:11.82 he must have believed in the God of Abraham. 00:22:11.85\00:22:16.56 Exactly. Also and submitted 00:22:16.59\00:22:21.87 to his father, as his father submits to the Creator God. 00:22:21.90\00:22:25.54 Exactly, here I believe we see the faith 00:22:25.57\00:22:27.80 of Abraham as well as Isaac. 00:22:27.83\00:22:30.55 Lot of times we don't look at Isaacs's faith here. 00:22:30.58\00:22:33.71 But Isaac had very strong faith 00:22:33.74\00:22:35.82 I believed because he could have runaway. 00:22:35.85\00:22:37.70 That's right, that's right. 00:22:37.73\00:22:39.53 Let's take a look at one more-- couple of more verses 00:22:39.56\00:22:43.38 here in Genesis 22:11-13. 00:22:43.41\00:22:47.97 And that says, "But the Angel of the Lord 00:22:48.00\00:22:50.17 called to him from heaven and said, 00:22:50.20\00:22:52.19 "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 00:22:52.22\00:22:56.65 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, 00:22:56.68\00:22:59.45 or do anything to him; for now I know 00:22:59.48\00:23:01.79 that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld 00:23:01.82\00:23:05.13 your son, your only son, from me. 00:23:05.16\00:23:08.56 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, 00:23:08.59\00:23:11.05 and there behind him was a ram 00:23:11.08\00:23:13.32 caught in a thicket by its horns. 00:23:13.35\00:23:15.68 So Abraham went and took the ram, 00:23:15.71\00:23:18.11 and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 00:23:18.14\00:23:22.24 And Abraham called the name 00:23:22.27\00:23:24.31 of the place The Lord-Will-Provide." 00:23:24.34\00:23:28.52 There's a lot being said in there, isn't there? 00:23:28.55\00:23:31.73 True, there is a lot in that little passage. 00:23:31.76\00:23:37.03 So Abraham has got the knife 00:23:37.06\00:23:38.92 and he is about to slay his son Isaac. 00:23:38.95\00:23:43.69 And right the last second the Creator 00:23:43.72\00:23:48.64 waited before he said no. 00:23:48.67\00:23:50.95 Yes, that's exactly what happened. 00:23:50.98\00:23:53.65 I mean, it was a last minute thing, 00:23:53.68\00:23:55.97 the Lord spoke to him. 00:23:56.00\00:23:58.25 And Lord had to speak to him because and then he looked back 00:23:58.28\00:24:00.98 and there was the ram that was provided for sacrifice 00:24:01.01\00:24:04.61 and it was the ultimate test to the last second. 00:24:04.64\00:24:10.08 To the last second and both 00:24:10.11\00:24:12.06 Abraham and Isaac passed that test. 00:24:12.09\00:24:15.17 True. They both passed 00:24:15.20\00:24:17.61 that test. They both did. 00:24:17.64\00:24:18.90 And they must have been so relieved and thankful to God. 00:24:18.93\00:24:23.87 That's true. 00:24:23.90\00:24:25.10 For providing and He did provide. 00:24:25.13\00:24:28.54 In verse 18 of that same chapter 00:24:28.57\00:24:33.69 Genesis 22:18, that promise was repeated 00:24:33.72\00:24:40.21 after Abraham and Isaac were faithful. 00:24:40.24\00:24:42.77 It says, "In your seed 00:24:42.80\00:24:44.56 all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 00:24:44.59\00:24:47.51 because you have obeyed My voice." 00:24:47.54\00:24:51.12 All the nations of the earth shall be blessed 00:24:51.15\00:24:54.51 because you've obeyed My voice. 00:24:54.54\00:24:56.44 So again, God repeated that promise. 00:24:56.47\00:24:59.59 True. Do you think 00:24:59.62\00:25:02.41 that all of heaven were witnessing this awesome scene? 00:25:02.44\00:25:06.29 They had to have been witnessing this awesome scene. 00:25:06.32\00:25:09.19 Not only testing the faith of Abraham 00:25:09.22\00:25:11.71 but the submission of the son. 00:25:11.74\00:25:14.36 That's true. Heaven must have been watching and looking 00:25:14.39\00:25:20.16 at this man who was just going to go sacrifice his son, 00:25:20.19\00:25:23.95 100% depending on the Lord. 00:25:23.98\00:25:29.62 And I believe heaven was pleased 00:25:29.65\00:25:32.24 whether his by his obedience, by his faith in God. 00:25:32.27\00:25:35.23 Today we touched on father Abraham 00:25:35.26\00:25:38.81 and the sacrifice of his son 00:25:38.84\00:25:41.46 that the Creator God asked him to do. 00:25:41.49\00:25:44.10 Does not mean that our Creator God 00:25:44.13\00:25:48.23 believes in human sacrifice 00:25:48.26\00:25:50.07 and the sacrifice of children in taking their lives. 00:25:50.10\00:25:54.42 I would like to say absolutely not. 00:25:54.45\00:25:57.67 No, He does not. 00:25:57.70\00:25:59.64 This was a test of faith of father Abraham 00:25:59.67\00:26:03.69 but I believe that God would never have allowed 00:26:03.72\00:26:07.88 him to take Isaac's life. 00:26:07.91\00:26:10.27 And, you know, he didn't have to find out, 00:26:10.30\00:26:13.72 we didn't have to find out because God 00:26:13.75\00:26:15.95 stepped in at the right moment and says, stop. 00:26:15.98\00:26:20.12 That is proof enough that He never would have done, 00:26:20.15\00:26:23.37 and He just wanted to see and test Abraham's faith 00:26:23.40\00:26:27.02 that was so important. 00:26:27.05\00:26:31.70 If you would like more information 00:26:31.73\00:26:33.16 on the God of Abraham, the Creator God 00:26:33.19\00:26:36.07 and or you have any questions about this program 00:26:36.10\00:26:39.47 or any of the programs that we have done. 00:26:39.50\00:26:42.01 Please, write to us. 00:26:42.04\00:26:44.83 Go to the website www.descendantsofabraham.org. 00:26:44.86\00:26:51.15 All correspondence is kept confidential. 00:26:51.18\00:26:54.19 We will never give your name, or your contact information. 00:26:54.22\00:26:58.26 Please contact us. 00:26:58.29\00:26:59.82 Tell us if you're enjoying the program. 00:26:59.85\00:27:01.37 If you have any questions, we have material 00:27:01.40\00:27:04.95 we can send to you. 00:27:04.98\00:27:06.32 We will answer all questions as best as we can. 00:27:06.35\00:27:11.57 And if we don't have the answer, 00:27:11.60\00:27:14.09 we'll find out and get it to you. 00:27:14.12\00:27:16.68 Please contact us. God bless you. 00:27:16.71\00:27:19.36 When you get to the Descendants of Abraham, 00:27:21.01\00:27:23.37 you can be sure that you're lighting the way for all 00:27:23.40\00:27:26.42 in search of the Creator God and His message of love 00:27:26.45\00:27:30.05 and forgiveness to all nations. 00:27:30.08\00:27:32.13 Thank you for your support and for your prayers. 00:27:32.16\00:27:35.15 All contributions are tax deductible. 00:27:35.18\00:27:38.01 Please visit us online today at www.descendantsofabraham.org 00:27:38.04\00:27:43.62 or write to us at the address you see listed on your screen. 00:27:43.65\00:27:47.22 All correspondence will be kept confidential. 00:27:47.25\00:27:49.66