Opening from Genesis 22:15 to 18, this message draws a line between the Abraham of Genesis 12 and the Abraham of Genesis 22, showing that the blessing given after the offering of Isaac was for the man Abraham had become through years of testing, not a repeat of the earlier promise. It teaches that God tests before He fulfills, that the final test is usually the one that requires self denial, and that true possession only comes after a complete separation from country, kindred, and identity
Scripture Reference
And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed …
Key Points: Becoming the Man the Promise Is For
- The Abraham who receives this blessing in Genesis 22 is not the same man who was first called in Genesis 12; the promise here is for the man he had become through years of proven obedience, not simply repeated to the man he started as.
- God tests a person before fulfilling a promise made to them, illustrated by Saul, who was chosen by God as king yet lost the kingdom because his heart proved unfit for what he had been given.
- The final test is usually the one that requires denying what is most dear, shown in Abraham being asked to offer Isaac, the very son who was his only testimony of God’s faithfulness after decades of waiting.
- Trials and temptation are what prove love for God, not comfort or ease; James 1:12 and the account of Job show that steadfastness under testing, not the absence of testing, is what marks real devotion.
- Redemption always has two parts, coming out and going in, with a journey of testing in between; not every gate a believer passes is meant to be possessed, some, like Egypt, are only meant to be overcome and left behind.
- A personal testimony of financial provision during a university funding crisis is shared as evidence that consistent, persistent prayer can move the hand of God even when a situation looks impossible.