KIDS OF THE KINGDOM // LESSON 11
God Tests Abraham
1. REVIEW
- God and Abraham obviously have a really special relationship going on, and they’ve been through so much together!
- Let’s look back to all that God has done for Abraham!
- God led Abraham and his entire family out of their homeland and into a foreign land by His Word, even though Abraham didn't immediately obey.
- God listened to Abraham’s prayers when Abraham was so concerned about his cousin, Lot, even though Abraham wasn't supposed to bring Lot along, to begin with!
- God provided for Abraham’s son, Ishmael I, even though Abraham had this child with Hagar because He didn't trust God’s Word.
- God kept His promise to give Abraham and Sarah a son, Isaac, even though they both doubted God and tried to take matters into their own hands.
- There are consequences for being disobedient, but God’s mercy and kindness are even greater than our sin! His goodness outshines our imperfections every time!
2. MEMORY VERSE
- Let’s go ahead and hit our memory verse for this week! We’re going to need it!
- Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
- Oftentimes, we try to follow God with our understanding (heads) instead of our obedience (hearts)! We were made to follow God with our hearts! We don’t always understand with our heads why God asks us to do what He asks us to do. Honestly, we rarely understand why God asks the things that He does for us.
- If God told us exactly why He was asking and how it would all come together, we wouldn't need faith!
- Remember faith is the way we connect to God. Faith is our trust in our relationship with God, even though lots of life with God is unseen and invisible. Just because you can’t see it doesn't mean it isn't real!
- 2 Corinthians 4:18 tells us that the unseen stuff is actually the most real stuff! “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
- Let’s say our memory verse once more before we explore more of Abraham’s story.
- Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
3. INTRO– GOD TESTS US
- Have you ever taken a really hard test? Maybe it was a math test, a tryout for a sport, or a trivia game with your friends?
- Sure, we’ve all had hard tests, but have you ever thought about why we take tests in school?
- Testing shows that things are true. When we test things, they go from being abstract and in our minds to being real.
- There are times in life when God tests His children.
- When God tests us, it’s not because He is mad at us! His tests grow us, form us, and help us be in line with all God has for us!
- What kind of tests does God give us?
- Sometimes God tests us with a difficult new task: He might ask you to do something that makes no sense or that you cannot do in your own strength!
- Sometimes God tests us with a major change: Think about Abraham at the beginning of the story! God told him to change his entire life, but He didn't tell Abraham where they were going!
- Sometimes God’s tests look like a delayed promise: Think about how many promises God gave Abraham about a new land, having a nation come from him, and having a son with Sarah! These promises took a really long time to come to pass!
- His tests also could look like an unsolved problem, losing something you really cared about, or going through pain
- Each of these tests teaches us to lean into God, depend on Him, wait on Him, and say “yes” even when we don't have answers
- Through all of these examples of tests from God, it all comes back to trust His heart and His Word. No matter what circumstances may look like, we must believe that God’s Word is true, and He is always working well!
- Have you ever experienced one of these hard circumstances? Did you know that you can lean into God and ask Him for help in these times? He never wants you to go through difficult things alone!
4. INTRO– WHY DOES GOD TEST US?
- When God tests us, it doesn't feel totally easy– otherwise, it wouldn't be a test!
- Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Jesus “learned obedience from what He suffered”
- By choosing to love God in the middle of hard circumstances, we learn how to trade what we want for ourselves for what God wants for us!
- Tests help us to mature and live more aware of our union with Jesus! And that’s the point of this whole life! To experience the fullness of life with Jesus!
- Remember that nothing we do makes us right with God– only Jesus does that for us cross! Jesus covers us in His blood and draws us near to God– nothing could ever change that once you receive the life of Jesus in your heart!
- Through every test, Jesus promises that He is “the author and perfecter of our faith”-- this means that God is responsible for growing you and taking care of your heart!
- Every part of the journey is important, and God is Fathering us through every single step of it.
- Now that we have an understanding of why tests are so important in our walks with God, let’s look at another test God gives Abraham– this one will be the biggest one yet!
5. A COSTLY COMMAND
- When Isaac was a young boy, Abraham probably began teaching him about the kind nature of the Living God.
- Isaac probably learned about the importance of sacrifices to God, the promises God had given his dad, the fact that the promises included his own life, and that God was super trustworthy!
- God knew that Abraham trusted Him, but God gave Abraham a very difficult test so that Abraham could experience the truth that he loved God more than he loved his promised son, Isaac.
- One day, God called out to Abraham. Abraham quickly responded “Here I am”; Abraham was aware of God, ready to hear His voice, and willing to trust God no matter what!
- Genesis 22:2 says “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.”
- Abraham? Killing his promised son? Because God said so? What in the WORLD just happened?
6. COSTLY OBEDIENCE
- Can you imagine how Abraham felt? This was God’s promise to him! Abraham had waited for years for a child with his wife, Sarah! And so many promises from God depended on this son.
- Not only that, but Abraham knew that ungodly nations offered their children to idols– he definitely didn't want to be like them! He knew that God values life more than anything else.
- Abraham’s mind must have been racing— would he trust in God with all his heart or lean on his own understanding? Would he choose life with God or choose to go his own way?
- It seems that after all these years of experiences with God’s goodness, Abraham finally learned that God is trustworthy.
- He decided he would trust in the Promise Maker instead of trusting in the promise.
- Let’s read Genesis 22:3 “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. On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 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.”
- This scripture is the first time we see the word worship, or bow down, in the entire Bible!!
- Abraham said “Then we will come back to you” doesn't mean Abraham knew it was only a test; the Bible tells us that “Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead”-- by this point, Abraham knew God’s nature so personally! He knew that he could trust God’s Word and God’s heart.
- Back to the story! Genesis 22: 6-8 “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, 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?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.”
- Isaac didn't know what was going on, but he knew that he was safe with His good father no matter what! We get to be confident in God in this way! Do you have places in your heart where you feel like you need answers?
- Did you know that God’s nearness to you is actually more powerful than an answer? Let His union with you strengthen your heart about hard circumstances!
7. PROVIDED SACRIFICE
- Genesis 22:9-12 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,
- It seems like Isaac obeyed his father without a fight. He must have trusted his father, knowing that his father only had good intentions for his beloved son.
- Does this remind you of anyone else that was willing to be bound and sacrificed if it meant ultimate good? Here's a hint 1
- 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. “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.”
- Abraham was actually planning to kill Isacc. His will was 100% surrendered to what God wanted. We often have to surrender our wills before we truly discern God’s heart on a matter.
- Genesis 22:13-14 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. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide.
- This ram reminds us a lot of Jesus– Jesus came and died so that we wouldn't have to die! Instead, we get to share life with God!!
- God encouraged Abraham and celebrated his obedience to him! He promised Abraham that because Abraham gave God his whole heart and life, he would have too many descendants to count!
8. SUMMARY
- God gave Abraham a test.
- What was the test? God called Abraham to sacrifice his promised son.
- Was God’s test fair? Yes! God always does what will bring Him the most glory and what’s best for us–God is perfect about doing the best thing!
- Did Abraham pass the test? Yes! God saw that Abraham was willing to trust and obey Him with every part of his life TRUST, OBEY
- It’s a good thing Abraham did not try to understand what God was doing before fully following God’s commandment – he chose to trust in his heart instead of leaning on his understanding.
- Have you ever tried to figure out why God was asking you to do something instead of simply trusting Him?
- Instead of doing this, we can receive the power of God and ask Him to help us do the thing He is asking us to do.
- How can we trust God today?
- First and foremost, we trust Jesus with our entire lives! We let Him become our savior.
- After we receive Him as our savior, we trust Him with our lives here on earth. Let Him lead you by His Word and by His Spirit— you’ll know when God leads you to change something!
- When He does start to change parts of your world, He promises to be with you and to help you.
9. DECLARATIONS
- It’s important to declare out loud what is true about God! It helps our hearts come into line with what our minds understand! Say these things to God from your heart with me!
- God, You are trustworthy! I can trust you, even when I don’t understand what you’re doing.
- I am safe to obey Your Word and Your Spirit as You lead me– just because I don’t understand doesn't mean I’m not safe.
- You test me to strengthen my awareness of union with Jesus!
- How I experience these tests doesn't earn or change your love for me. You love me 100%, no matter what.
- When circumstances are hard, I can lean into You and receive Your strength!
- God, I want to trust You as Abraham trusted You. He obeyed Your directions, trusted Your Word, and didn't doubt the goodness of Your heart! Help me to do the same!
We are including Sara's notes for complete transparency for parents.
