Jireh – Part 4

Review

Genesis 22: 2-3 (ESV): ² He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” ³ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Genesis 22: 4 (ESV): ⁴ On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.

Genesis 22: 5 (ESV): ⁵ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”

Hebrews 11:17–19 (ESV): ¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, ¹⁸ of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” ¹⁹ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

[Vivian Hubbard, Prophetic Worship: Releasing the Presence of God, Dallas: 1999, pp.34-35]

• “Praise requires sacrifice” (p.34)
  • “The sacrifice of joy: Ps. 27:6” (p.34)
  • “The sacrifice of a broken spirit: Ps. 51:16-17″ (p.34)
  • “The sacrifice of righteousness: Ps. 4:5; 51:19” (p.34)
  • “The sacrifice of thanksgiving: Ps. 107:22; 116:17” (p.34)
  • “The sacrifice of praise: Jer. 17:26; 33:11; Hos. 14:2; Heb. 13:15” (p.35)
  • “The sacrifice of our bodies, a living sacrifice: Rom. 12:1” (p.35)
  • “The sacrifice of doing good/fellowship/unity (koinoia): Heb. 13:6” (p.35)
• “Ralph Martin offers an excellent example statement on sacrifice. He shows us that every worshipper is actively involved in the act of sacrifice” (p.35):
  • “ ‘The theological code word for man’s offering to God is ‘sacrifice’ The worshipper is not a passive, motionless recipient, but an active participant, called upon to ‘make an offering.’” (p. 35)
  • Matthew 6:21 (ESV): ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
    • To give up your treasure is to offer your heart.
• “Our sacrifice cannot be “perfected” by our efforts, nor can we influence God to grant our requests or perform in a prescribed manner.” (p. 35)

1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV): ²⁷ But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Psalm 139:7–8 (ESV): ⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!]

Genesis 22:6–14 (ESV): ⁶ And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. ⁷ And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. ⁹ When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹² He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” ¹³ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

© Joshua D. Smith, Ph.D., 2024