The Place

1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 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.” 3 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. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 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.” 6 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, 7 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?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “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.” 13 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. 14 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.”

Many pray to get great faith. Others volunteer at church to get great faith. Still others are faithful with the giving of tithe and offerings in hopes of getting great faith. However, I have learned that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of the Lord. Faith is built by being obedient to the Word we hear. Faith becomes great when we obey without the Word without question.

Abraham heard the Word of the Lord and he obeyed without question. The Word was for him to sacrifice his only son (the one he loves) at a place he would later find. He had the instructions: prepare to sacrifice, go in obedience, look for the place, sacrifice. God was specific. He said that He would show him the place. Imagine being told to sacrifice your child (the one you love).

1. God has a place for your sacrifice

God said that we need to bring the whole tithe and offering to His house so that there is food in His house

Don’t think that you can sacrifice wherever you want

God has a place for your sacrifice

There are 4 types of soil, Mt 13:4-9 “4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. 9 Let anyone who has ears listen.””

There is only one place that produces a crop

2. Be careful no to sacrifice in the wrong place

I had a person tell me once that the reason they only give an offering at church is because they give the tithe to the parents to help them. Although, this sound good; it is not good. Give your parents because that is your duty as a son/daughter. Give God what belongs to God.

You know what is worse than not tithing or sacrificing…sowing in the wrong place

Don’t sacrifice in the wrong place

There is no benefit to sacrificing in the wrong place

If Abraham had sacrificed Isaac in the wrong mountain He would not have experienced the provision

Throwing seed along the path is just throwing seed away—no crop will come of it

You want lasting fruit—the right soil (the right place)

You can sow in the rocky place (on the rocks) and get a quick return but it will not last because the soil is not deep and the fruit does not have roots

Grow roots in the place where God has you (Get involved, make the vision your own, own it)

You can sow on thorny soil (to impress haters) and the fruit will be choked and die

Get to the place that God has for your sacrifice

When you sacrifice in a place that place has special meaning and you can stay

3. Those willing to sacrifice the precious will see provision

No only can you sacrifice in the wrong place and get nothing

You can also sacrifice the wrong thing and get nothing

God did not tell Abraham to sacrifice one of his sons (if so, Abraham may have picked a servant or even Ishmael)

Don’t sacrifice what you can, sacrifice what you are commanded

You are in the place of sacrifice

Bring the right sacrifice

Isaac asked Abraham about the sacrifice because he recognized the preparations

He said, Gen 22:7 “7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?””

Isaac had the wrong sacrifice in mind

Don’t let others determine what you will sacrifice

A sacrifice has to bring a tear to your eye

God told Abraham the sacrifice was Abraham’s precious

What God blessed Abraham with was now being required of him

As long as you are in control God cannot act on your behalf

Give your blessings to God, He knows how to increase them

Through Isaac the promise was fulfilled—Abraham would be the father of many

4. God provides in the place where He places you

Abraham’s faith never wavered

He told his son, “God will provide”

He told his servants, Gen 22:5 “Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.””

He was certain that he was coming back with his son

He did not know what God was going to do but he was certain his son would be with him

The author of Hebrews writes, Heb 11:17-19 “17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, 18 the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. 19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.”

Gen 22:9 “9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.”

You have to be in the place that God tells you

You will never be able to out-give God

He will make it rain for you

Abraham was willing, Isaac was willing

But God

You will experience situations that require all of you But God will step in

God has a but when you are ready to offer the precious

In the place there is provision

In the place there are miracles

In the place there is joy

5. Mountain top experiences require great sacrifice

Getting this type of faith requires great trials

Here is what Paul writes, 2 Cor 4:17-18 “17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Don’t let the temporary keep you from your reward

This trial will pass

This too shall pass

You will be better because of the place

You will see miracles because you are in the place

Whatever you are holding on to, let it go, give it to God

God can do better than you

Give your family to God

Give your marriage to God

Give your spouse to God

Give your children to God

Give your health to God

Give your finances to God

Give your future to God

Watch Him return it with double

Zech 9:12 “Return to a stronghold, you prisoners who have hope; today I declare that I will restore double to you.”

Zechariah 9:12 (NIV)

12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

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