Many people are familiar with the story of Abraham and Isaac. Genesis 22:1-5: 

1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now 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 and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” 

It sometimes horrifies us to think how God could require human sacrifice. Yet, the point of this story is to show God testing Abraham’s faith and loyalty; nothing more. Genesis 6-12:

We may never know if God would have allowed Abraham to follow through and kill his son, Isaac. Fortunately, we have the privilege of knowing how this story ends. 

One of the areas of focus for this story is looking at what the Bible has to say about love and where it originated. In today’s society, we throw around the word “love” rather loosely. It is not so much a Christianized idea and because of this, love can often be associated with “tolerance,” “affirmation,” and “acceptance.” Even within the walls of progressive Christianity, there is a connection with a worldview of love. This makes us wonder; Where did love originate?

William McDonald, author and former president of Emmaus Bible College, stated “the first occurrence of a word in the Bible often sets the pattern for its usage throughout Scripture.” The Hebrew word for “love,” אָהַב (˒âhab, aw-hab,) was first used in Genesis 22:2: 

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Issac, whom you love…

We know from reading Genesis 21 that Isaac was almost a miracle child for Abraham and Sarah, because of their older age. There was likely a lot of hope for them that through their offspring, their lineage would continue. Therefore, we are left wondering why God would require Abraham to give up his only son when He knew how important this child was to them. And, on top of that, let’s not forget the request to kill Isaac.

Within the context of defining love, we look at Abraham’s love for his child. Warren Wiersbe, author of With the Word Bible Commentary, explains that this was a test of love: 

Abraham loved his son, but he loved God more. Isaac was God’s gift to Abraham, but the gift had to become a sacrifice to God. If the gift becomes more important than the Giver, it becomes an idol.   

We have no evidence that Abraham told God outright, “I love you,” but we know from this text that Abraham passed the test which proved to God, through action and obedience, that God meant more to him than anything. He may have ever realized that if it were not for God, he wouldn’t have Isaac. Furthermore, his actions exemplify the love that a parent has for their children. Later in Genesis 25, we see Isaac with his children, Esau and Jacob. 

27 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 

As parents, we rarely show favoritism to our children. However, Isaac showed favoritism toward Esau, the older twin brother of Jacob. We see this continue to Genesis 27: 

1 Now it came to pass when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My Son.” And he answered him, “Here I am.” 2 Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver, and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” 

The same word “love” is used in this scripture but its meaning is different. We all have a favorite food that we love. It might be apple pie, chocolate cake, or cookies. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, maybe you love mashed potatoes, turkey, and green bean casserole. Whatever it is, most of us have a love for food. Even in the Bible, we find that people had a love for certain foods. 

Another kind of love is romantic or sexual love. We see an example of this in Genesis 29:30 (NKJV):   

30 Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

This time, love is interpreted to mean love between two people. In this example, we are given a biblical model of romance and sexual love between a man and a woman. This kind of love is one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. In today’s society, many try to minimize the significance of this blessing by forcing the acceptance of other types of sexual and romantic love upon us. Unfortunately, this has been one of the reasons romantic and sexual love are often disregarded with couples refusing to commit to the marriage vows or even breaking marriage vows in time. 

Looking at the origin of love is an exciting journey. God allowed humankind to develop feelings of certain things. All these various kinds of love, whether it be romantic love or love for certain foods, it was all placed within the boundaries that always put God first. Even for Abraham, it was to put God first. Some might even read Genesis and say that love toward God was implied, but that’s not always explained. Jumping into the book of Exodus 20:4-6, we see an example of this (NKJV): 

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

We see another example of loving God in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NKJV): 

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

While there are many other examples of loving God throughout the Bible, another example, this time stated by our Lord Jesus Christ, is in Mark 12:28-30 and Matthew 22:34-40. Matthew 12:28-30 reads: 

28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” 29  Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

The origin of love is encompassed within the boundaries of the Kingdom of God. Its purpose is to love God and to put God first. By doing this, we can be sure that everything else will fall into place. When the world tries to redefine the meaning of love and sexuality the results will always end in heartache. Even for those who indulge in the love of food, it still brings all kinds of problems, including health issues, obesity, addiction, etc. However, the biggest difference with food is that we need food to survive. I don’t think God intended for us to not have a favorite food, but food cannot become one’s God. 

People can love their families and should love their families. But people who do not love God do not always know how to love their families. Or to turn it around, people who do not love their families cannot love God. This is not to say that people do not get hurt by their families, and sometimes we have to forgive people but remain distant. And in many cases, we have to love people at a distance.

The Bible has something to say about love in just about every book. Sometimes, people struggle with studying their Bible because they think they need to read the book starting with Genesis, all the way through. It can be really helpful and rewarding to do a word study, and in this case, take a word (like love) and identify where and how that word is used in the Bible. One can gain a great deal of spiritual understanding just by reviewing that word and seeing how it repeats itself, what different versions of the word are used, and how it unfolds through the scriptures. Love is certainly a gift from God and true love is from God. We can seek out love throughout the Bible and every time we find God, we will also find love.  

Title: Formerly “The Origin of Love” | Sermon: October 8, 2023, Shubert Christian Church, Shubert, Nebraska

One of the major characters in the Bible that many would call a patriarch is Abram, better known as Abraham. Like many Bible characters who lived before the time of King David (before 1040 BC), it is hard to know much about these patriarchs. We not only lack what is referred to as reliable historical information but there also isn’t any archaeological evidence that proves the existence of Abraham. Along with Moses, we believe that Abraham lived because the Bible tells us so, in Genesis 12 (NKJV): 

1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and though shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

Genesis 12 begins a new division in the book of Genesis. The first eleven chapters are called “primeval history.” These chapters convey the story of the first years of the world’s existence and are usually divided into three main parts: the creation and fall of humankind (chapters 1-6); the Flood (chapters 6-9); and the Flood to Abraham (chapters 9-11). The last chapters of Genesis are known as “patriarchal history.” Pastor Bob Deffinbaugh writes:

While the effect of man’s sin has become increasingly widespread, the fulfillment of the promise of God in Genesis 3:15 has become more selective. The Redeemer was to come from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), the from the descendants of Seth, then Noah, and now Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). 

Theologically, Genesis chapter 12 is one of the key Old Testament passages, for it contains what has been called the Abrahamic Covenant. This covenant is the thread which ties the rest of the Old Testament together. It is critical to a correct understanding of Bible prophecy.

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin also has an interesting observation about Abraham and writes: 

The Torah nowhere explains why God chooses Abraham for this mission, though Jewish tradition claims it is because he is the first monotheist since the time of Noah. A Jewish legend teaches that Abraham’s father, Terakh, owned an idol shop. One day, while his father was away and Abraham was in charge of the store, he smashed all the idols but the biggest with an ax, and then put the ax in the remaining idol’s hand. To his outraged father’s question as to what had happened, Abraham explained that the large idol became upset at the other idols and destroyed them. 

“You know these idols can’t move,” Terakh shouted.

“If they can’t save themselves,” Abraham answered, “then we are superior to them. So why should we worship them?” 

Because this rabbinic tale is taught to almost all children in Jewish schools, many Jews mistakenly believe that it is in the Torah itself.

As we continue reviewing the text, Yahweh speaks to Abram, and his words are: 

1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. (NIV)

What does it mean for Abram to leave his country? In some ways, we can imagine what it would be like telling a young man or woman, “Now is the time for you to go and pursue a college education.” Depending on what field of study one chooses, and how badly one wants to leave their parents, some students might pick a college several states away. 

But Abram is not a young man going off to college. He is 75 years old. This is a different culture compared to what we know. 75-year-old people are usually not thinking about leaving home, unless, of course, it is a nursing home. Many 75-year-olds we know are enjoying a peaceful lifestyle living in their retirement communities, not thinking of taking off and leaving their family behind. Yet, here we have Abram faced with this task, as Yahweh continues:

2 I shall make a great nation, I shall bless you and make your name famous; you are to be a blessing! 3 I shall bless those who bless you, and shall curse those who curse you, and all clans on earth will bless themselves by you. (NIV)

Abram surely knew that what was promised to him was not going to be something that he would live to see in its entirety or even his lifetime. But it did not matter because the promise was enough for Abram to step out and obey. Abram was willing to take that risk. 

How are we doing when it comes to taking risks? Our culture teaches us that once we’ve reached 75 it’s time to settle down, not get up and start out on a whole new journey. But the Christian faith is a new journey. Nowhere in the Bible does it mention “retired Christians.” Yet some have that attitude. 

Some may try to justify being a retired Christian. They might stop being involved in church activities or not participate in the gospel message. But the Bible doesn’t give a pass. Christians continue to live by faith and take risks as they are led by God. 

Abram took a risk by leaving his homeland to journey off into unfamiliar territory. Jesus Christ also took many risks, as he continued to preach the message and help the sick while going to Jerusalem where he’d be crucified. Let’s consider modeling our lives after Abram (and Jesus) who are risk takers. Let each of us ask ourselves; what risks does God have for me to take today? 

Title: Taking a Risk | Sermon: February 28, 1999 First Christian Church, LaJunta, Colorado

Sources:

• Bob Deffinbaugh. May 12, 2004. “12. The Call of Abram (Genesis 11:31-12:9).” Bible.org.

• Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Literacy (New York:  William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1991, 30.