This transcript was auto-generated
In the latter part of the 1960s, many people rebelled against the establishment. Do you remember those days? If you do, you are showing your age. People rebelled against what they called the establishment, but that was not their only target. Some wanted to change the whole system.
One of the interesting things that happened during that time was something called the Jesus movement one of its famous protagonist was an evangelist named Arthur Blessitt, who in the late sixties and early 70 carried a cross across most of the countries in the world telling people about Jesus. He kind of looked like Jesus with his long flowing hair. In around 72 he travelled across Ireland, and it was during that time as an 11-year boy I heard him speak and I gave my heart to the Lord. He looked radically different to most of the Christian’s I knew at that time. Although Arthur looked counter cultural, he was at heart a Bible believing evangelist, not by any means as radical as some of the people who were part of that movement. Some of the people in the extremes of the Jesus movement wanted to remove all forms of evaluation prior to appointment as Christian leaders. They said they wanted the Christian life to be free from tests’ or evaluation of those with leadership titles. But others pointed out that as a Christian believer you are tested every time you open your mouth. As a church leader or a pastor, you are graded every time you speak or preach. People grade us all the time.
Have you ever wondered if God test you and if he does, how does He do that? I believe he does, and that testing is a normal part of our Christian experience. I think I understand what teacher giving a test looks like, but what do I mean when I say that God gives us a test? What are God test like? Why does he test us, and how do I prepare for his tests? Do I have to do to pass his tests and what do I get if I pass? How would you like the answer to all of those questions? Well, the answers to all those questions are contained within the 22nd chapter of Genesis.
Let me simply start by saying that in this passage God gives Abraham a revelation in the first part of the passage. Then Abraham responds to that revelation, and that takes us down to verse 10. God then responds to him, in the rest of the chapter and the chapter sort of divides along those lines. Let’s begin by looking at verse one.
Sometime later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
(Genesis 22: 1)
We’ll stop right there, that’s the theme of this chapter. God will test Abraham, that is what the author Moses is telling us up front. We know from the narrative that there is going to be a test, but what is important is knowing that Abraham probably did not know that at this point he was being tested. So, while the author is telling us it’s a test, the Lord did not tell Abraham it was a test, at least not at this point. The question rises, why did the Lord test Abraham well?
This passage does give too much info in this regard, but the New Testament elsewhere refers to this story and tells us what’s going on. How would you like the Biblical explanation of this passage? We will do that in the next episode when we keep one finger in Genesis Chapter 22 and another in James chapter 2.