Father’s Day

Fatherhood is the model chosen by God to reflect His love for His people. It is a role intended to be an intimate and practical representation of His love within the very fabric of family community, and to His bride, the Church. Through the Abrahamic covenant, God foreshadows the sacrifice He was willing to make by putting Abraham to the test. This sacrifice is a prophetic representation of the ultimate sacrifice made by God the Father, through His only Son, Jesus.

Read Genesis 22:1-19

Discuss

1. Have each person share: Which part of the reading stands out for you? Why?
2. Around 25 years elapsed between the time Abraham was promised a son and the fulfilment of this promise. When Isaac was old enough to walk, talk, reason, and carry wood, God tested Abraham (the language used also means, ‘to prove’). You may think 25 years was test enough. Has God ever put you through a test with something that was very special to you? Tell the group what you learned from that experience.
3. Read Hebrews 11:17-19. Scripture clearly indicates that Abraham was confident he would return with his son, Isaac, alive. Do you think Abraham understood why his absolute obedience was necessary? Has there been times when you have not understood God’s ‘why’, but you trusted anyway? Share your understanding of how and why this was important to your faith walk.
4. The unique experience that Abraham and Isaac went through almost 2000 years before Christ is recognised by scholars as a ‘type’ for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross:The narrative includes the first mention of love in Scripture;Solomon’s temple was built on Mt Moriah, where atonement sacrifices were made for the nation of Israel;Isaac was Abraham’s only promised son;The narrative includes the use of a donkey;The narrative includes a three-day journey;The replacement sacrifice is supplied by God.
5. How does this meticulous planning by God strengthen your faith? What do you think God’s plan is for your life? Can you trust Him to work it out?
6. After Abraham heard the Lord tell him to stop, Scripture makes a point of saying that Abraham looked up (verse 13). Today we have the written Word of God, yet it is still important for us to look up. Why is this so? What do you see (by faith) when you look up?
7. Read James 2:21-24. God demonstrated that the whole world would be blessed by Abraham’s obedience. Discuss how your obedience to God’s word can be a blessing to those around you.

Respond

Life is a test and each day brings opportunity to trust Jesus, even when we don’t fully understand the ‘why’ or the ramifications. Name one thing you will be trusting God with this week, even if you don’t fully understand.