THE PROMISE LAND BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME DSc. D.D
4 Excerpts from Chapter 1
Excerpt 4
The Significance Of God’s Test
God wanted to prove Abraham, and He said to him, “… Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offier him there for a burnt offiering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Genesis 22:2).
It is possible for God to test you, though He will never tempt anyone with evil (James 1:13). At this time Abraham had the son of promise by the name Isaac. Abraham obeyed God, and took Isaac up to the mountains of Moriah. When they got there he bound the boy, and put him on the wood, and was ready to slay him when God spoke out of heaven, calling out to Abraham to stop. God said, now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me” (verse 12), and provided a ram for him for the sacrifice.
God saved the boy and the Bible declares that in the mind of Justice, Abraham actually offered his son and got him back in a figure representing the resurrection of Christ.
Hebrews 11: 17-19: “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offiered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offiered 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.”
Do you know that in the same way Abraham was willing to give his only son, his best to God, God gave His best, His Son Jesus for the world (John 3:16). The mountains of Moriah upon which God told Abraham to offer his son up, are the same mountains upon which the Lord Jesus was crucified for the sins of the world. That is how significant God‟s test of Abraham was.
There are some things that God may ask you to give as an act of faith. Some people will proclaim their willingness to do anything for God, that is, until He actually asks them to do it. Some will make pledges and will not fulfill them. And when a preacher talks about money they turn around to say, “I don‟t like preachers who talk about money.” Well in case you don‟t know, Jesus talked about money. God talked a lot about money in the Bible.
As a result of Abraham‟s obedience, God said to him, “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offiered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,” (Hebrews 11:16-17).
Isaac was the son of his old age; he was not an adopted son. Unlike a lot of people, Abraham was not trying to give second best, or give a worthless thing. It is only this type of giving that receives a reward. Abraham trusted God. And God said, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice”.(Genesis22:18).
SCRIPTURES FOR MEDITATION
A-SCRIPTURE-TWO-WEEKS
WEEKS 1&2
Hebrews 11:17-18
17 By faith Abraham, when He was tried, offered up Isaac: and He that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
WEEKS 3&4
Hebrews 11:19
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also He received him in a figure.
