Faith, Trials, and Divine Empathy in Obedience
Summary
When God wanted to understand the human experience, He became a man, as Hebrews 4 tells us, so He could sympathize with our weaknesses. This divine empathy is mirrored in our lives when God places us in trials that seem nonsensical. These trials are not just tests of faith but opportunities for God to feel our love when we choose Him over things we cherish. God's promises manifest in two ways: the recorded promises in Scripture and the applied promises in our lives. The Holy Spirit takes the principles from the Bible and applies them uniquely to our situations.
The story of Abraham offering Isaac is a profound example of faith and obedience amidst contradictions. God promised Abraham a great nation through Isaac, yet He asked Abraham to sacrifice him. This request presented theological, biblical, emotional, and spiritual contradictions. Despite these, Abraham's faith was unwavering. He believed that even if he sacrificed Isaac, God could raise him from the dead to fulfill His promise. This faith was rooted in Abraham's past experiences with God, which served as stones of remembrance for new challenges.
Abraham's obedience led to a divine revelation. When he was about to sacrifice Isaac, God intervened, providing a ram as a substitute. This act of obedience and faith led to God reaffirming His promise to Abraham, now with an oath. The distinction between God's promise and His oath is significant. The time between the promise and its fulfillment is a period of preparation for both the promise and the recipient. This waiting period is crucial for developing trust and reliance on God.
Key Takeaways:
- Trials are opportunities for God to feel our love. When we choose God over our cherished possessions or desires, it demonstrates our love and reverence for Him. This choice is not just about verbal declarations but about heartfelt actions that align with our faith. [10:16]
- Faith involves trusting God amidst contradictions. Abraham's story teaches us that faith often requires us to trust God even when His instructions seem to contradict His promises. This trust is built on past experiences with God, which serve as reminders of His faithfulness. [06:11]
- Obedience precedes revelation. Abraham's willingness to obey God, even in a seemingly impossible situation, led to the revelation of God's provision. Often, the solutions to our problems are revealed only after we have demonstrated obedience. [11:08]
- The distinction between God's promise and His oath. God's promises may take time to fulfill, and the period between the promise and its fulfillment is a time of preparation. This waiting period is essential for developing a deeper relationship with God and understanding His timing. [14:59]
- God's empathy through experience. God desires to experience our love through our trials, just as He experienced humanity by becoming a man. This experiential knowledge is different from mere informational knowledge and is crucial for a deeper relationship with God. [09:59]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:08] - God's Empathy Through Experience
[00:24] - Trials as Expressions of Love
[00:41] - Recorded and Applied Promises
[00:56] - Abraham's Test of Faith
[01:30] - Theological and Biblical Contradictions
[03:57] - Emotional and Spiritual Contradictions
[05:15] - Abraham's Unwavering Faith
[06:11] - Remembering Past Experiences
[07:08] - God's Provision Revealed
[08:34] - The Doctrine of Omniscience
[09:59] - Experiencing God's Love
[11:08] - Obedience and Revelation
[12:45] - God's Oath and Promise
[14:59] - The Waiting Period of Faith
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 22:1-14
2. Hebrews 4:15
3. Hebrews 11:17-19
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Observation Questions:
1. What was the specific test that God gave to Abraham in Genesis 22, and how did Abraham respond to it? [01:30]
2. According to Hebrews 11:17-19, what was Abraham's reasoning for his willingness to sacrifice Isaac?
3. How does Hebrews 4:15 describe Jesus' ability to empathize with human weaknesses, and why is this significant in the context of the sermon? [00:08]
4. What were the different types of contradictions Abraham faced when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, as mentioned in the sermon? [02:22]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the story of Abraham and Isaac illustrate the concept of faith amidst contradictions, and what does this teach about trusting God's promises? [06:11]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that trials are opportunities for God to feel our love, and how does this relate to the concept of divine empathy? [09:59]
3. What is the significance of the distinction between God's promise and His oath, and how does this affect the believer's understanding of waiting on God's timing? [14:59]
4. How does the sermon explain the role of past experiences with God in building faith for current challenges? [06:11]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a trial that seemed nonsensical. How did you respond, and what did you learn about your faith and relationship with God through that experience? [09:59]
2. Abraham's faith was rooted in his past experiences with God. What are some "stones of remembrance" in your life that you can rely on when facing new challenges? [06:11]
3. The sermon emphasizes choosing God over cherished possessions or desires. Identify something in your life that you might be holding onto more tightly than your relationship with God. How can you begin to prioritize God in that area? [10:16]
4. How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's promises, especially when His instructions seem to contradict your understanding or expectations? [06:11]
5. The sermon discusses the waiting period between God's promise and its fulfillment. How can you use this time to prepare yourself and deepen your relationship with God? [14:59]
6. Consider the concept of divine empathy as God experiencing our love through trials. How can this perspective change the way you view and respond to difficult situations in your life? [09:59]
7. Abraham's obedience led to a revelation of God's provision. Is there an area in your life where you need to step out in obedience, trusting that God will provide? What steps can you take this week to act on that obedience? [11:08]
Devotional
Day 1: Trials as Expressions of Love
When faced with trials, believers have the opportunity to demonstrate their love for God by choosing Him over their cherished possessions or desires. These trials are not merely tests of faith but are moments where God can experience our love through our actions. It is through these heartfelt actions, rather than just verbal declarations, that we show our reverence and commitment to God. This choice reflects a deep, personal relationship with God, where our love is expressed through obedience and trust. [10:16]
Isaiah 48:10-11 (ESV): "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another."
Reflection: Think of a current trial you are facing. How can you choose to express your love for God through this situation today?
Day 2: Trusting God Amidst Contradictions
Faith often requires trusting God even when His instructions seem to contradict His promises. Abraham's story exemplifies this, as he was asked to sacrifice Isaac despite God's promise of a great nation through him. This trust is built on past experiences with God, which serve as reminders of His faithfulness. By remembering how God has been faithful in the past, believers can find the strength to trust Him in the present, even when circumstances seem contradictory. [06:11]
Hebrews 11:17-19 (ESV): "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, of whom it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.' He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back."
Reflection: Recall a time when God's instructions seemed to contradict His promises in your life. How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience today?
Day 3: Obedience Precedes Revelation
Abraham's willingness to obey God, even in a seemingly impossible situation, led to the revelation of God's provision. Often, the solutions to our problems are revealed only after we have demonstrated obedience. This principle teaches that obedience is not just about following commands but is a pathway to experiencing God's provision and revelation in our lives. By trusting and obeying God, believers open themselves to divine insights and solutions that they might not have seen otherwise. [11:08]
1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV): "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'"
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you need to step out in obedience to God? What might be holding you back, and how can you take a step of faith today?
Day 4: The Waiting Period of Faith
The distinction between God's promise and His oath highlights the importance of the waiting period between the promise and its fulfillment. This time is crucial for developing trust and reliance on God. It is a period of preparation for both the promise and the recipient, allowing believers to deepen their relationship with God and understand His timing. This waiting period is not passive but is an active time of growth and trust-building. [14:59]
Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV): "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."
Reflection: Consider a promise from God that you are waiting to see fulfilled. How can you use this waiting period to grow in your faith and trust in God's timing?
Day 5: God's Empathy Through Experience
God desires to experience our love through our trials, just as He experienced humanity by becoming a man. This divine empathy is not just informational but experiential, allowing for a deeper relationship with God. By placing us in situations where we must choose Him, God experiences our love and commitment firsthand. This experiential knowledge is crucial for a relationship that goes beyond mere knowledge to one that is deeply personal and transformative. [09:59]
Hebrews 4:15 (ESV): "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."
Reflection: How can you allow God to experience your love through your actions today, especially in the midst of challenges or trials?
Quotes
when God wanted to know what it feels like to be human guess what he did he became a man Hebrews 4 says so that he could sympathize with our infirmity so he could feel it so guess why God put you in a trial that doesn't make sense cuz he wants to feel your love he don't just want to hear it he wants to feel it and what makes him feel it when you choose him over something you already love [00:00:03]
God's promises come at two levels there are the recorded promises in his word and then there are the apply promises in our experience that's where he takes a principle or precept from the word but applies it to your unique situation it's when the Holy Spirit lifts the print off the Bible and says this is for you [00:00:30]
this test is unique because it involved a series of contradictions a contradiction is When God says one thing and appears to be doing another number one there was a theological contradiction you see God had promised way back in Genesis chter 12 that he was going to make a great nation out of Abraham and it would come through the son of Sarah whose name was Isaac God had made a promise but here in Genesis chapter 22 God tells Abraham to kill the promise [00:02:36]
Abraham offered up Isaac and he considered that God was able to raise him from the dead in order to keep his promise did you hear that the reason he got up early is because he had such confidence in God that even if it didn't make sense and even if he killed his son God would get him up out the grave you have to learn to remember what God did yesterday for the new stuff you dealing with today [00:05:48]
the angel of the Lord verse 11 Jesus in the Old Testament called to him from heaven and said Abraham ABR watch it when God calls your name twice and he said here I am this is the second time he said that I'm here I'm submitted to you do not stretch out your hand against the lad and do nothing to him for now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son your only son from me [00:07:52]
now I know that you fear me because you've not withheld your son your only son from me the problem is those three words now I know so now I want to give you a tidbit of theology the doctrine of omniscience refers to God's all knowingness omnicient means to know all there is nothing God does not know anything that can be known God already knows God knows everything actual God knows everything potential but he does not know everything experiential [00:08:41]
when God wanted to know what it feels like to be human guess what he did he became a man Hebrews 4 says so that he could sympathize with our infirmity so he could feel it so guess why God puts you in a trial that doesn't make sense cuz he wants to feel your love he don't just want to hear it he don't just want to hear discussions about it he wants to feel it and what makes him feel it when you choose him over something you already love [00:09:41]
Abraham raised up his eyes looked verse 13 and behold there was a ram caught in the thicket now this is the quietest Ram in history if a ram is caught in a Thicket it's trying to wiggle it's trying to to get out the thicket he does not see the solution until the obedience occurs okay see a lot of us looking for the ram when we haven't finished the obedience so God is keeping the ram quiet the solution was already there it just wasn't revealed until after God felt them [00:10:48]
the Lord will provide that's one of the big names of god Jehovah Gyra you you've heard it you sung it that's Jehovah's Gyra it is said to this day in the Mount of the Lord it will be provided the Greek word Gyra means to pree it means to pree so God provides when he precedes he needs to preed so that you can see him provide so if you don't give him something to see right then you may not see what he can provide [00:11:35]
God made a promise to Abraham way back in Genesis CH 12 same promise but he doesn't swear by it until Genesis 22 the passage we're reading today between Genesis 12 and Genesis 22 when he swears by something he said are dozens of years it took him 25 years from the time he supposed to have Isaac till the time he actually had Isaac Isaac is a teenager now so we've got decades that have gone by when nothing has happen happened about the promise [00:13:49]
there are those who feel like God has said something in his word or said something to you years ago and nothing has happened yet that is because you must understand between God's promise and God's oath is space in that space between what he says he's going to do and when he's actually going to do it is a time when he's get getting the promise ready for you and he's getting you ready for the promise [00:14:31]
when God wanted to know what it feels like to be human guess what he did he became a man Hebrews 4 says so that he could sympathize with our infirmity so he could feel it so guess why God put you in a trial that doesn't make sense cuz he wants to feel your love he don't just want to hear it he wants to feel it and what makes him feel it when you choose him over something you already love [00:00:03]
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