Genesis 22:3-18 (KJV) "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. {4} Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. {5} And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. {6} And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. {7} And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? {8} And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. {9} And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. {10} And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. {11} And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. {12} And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. {13} And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. {14} And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. {15} And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, {16} And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: {17} That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; {18} And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."

There are many great men and women listed in our Bible. There are great prophets, great kings, great judges: Moses, who alone received the commandments of God in the holy mountain. David, the warrior King, who was unashamed to dance for God in the streets. Peter, who betrayed Jesus yet repented and became the chief Apostle in Jerusalem. Paul, who persecuted the Church of Christ, knocked down on Damascus Road, he became by the Grace of God the Apostle to the gentile believers. Deborah the judge who led Israel in defeating the Canaanites. Mary Magdalene, a devoted follower of Jesus, and the first to see the empty tomb and our risen Savior on that wonderful Resurrection Sunday.

Yet, of all those mentioned in the Scripture - and I only mention a few - none but Abraham ever received the title "Friend of God". James tells us:

James 2:22-23 (KJV) "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? {23} And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God."

When the Ammonites came against Israel to destroy her, King Jehoshaphat prayed and said to our Creator:

2 Chronicles 20:7 (KJV) "Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?"

Abraham was the "Friend of God". What made Abraham the "Friend of God"? Did he reach some stage of sinlessness, some form of perfection that we who are of the household of faith cannot reach?

Genesis 22:3-6 (KJV) "And Abraham rose up early<1> in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up<2>, and went unto the place of which God had told him. {4} Then on the third day Abraham lifted up<3> his eyes, and saw the place afar off. {5} And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship<4>, and come again to you. {6} And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together."

<1> Hiphil Imperfect shakam {pronounced shaw-kam’}, made an early start.
<2> Qal Imperfect quwm {pronounced koom}, stood up, steeled himself, fortified himself, set his shoulders (implied).
<3> Qal Imperfect nasa’ {pronounced naw-saw’}, lifted or bore up, to set, to focus on in a determined manner.
<4> Hithpael Imperfect shachah {pronounced shaw-khaw’}, to bow down or prostrate oneself.

This is not the same Abraham that God called to salvation in Genesis 12:1. The Bible emphasizes that Abraham has changed, has grown spiritually since his initial contact with our God. In Genesis 12:1 Abraham is called "Abram", which means "father", a name that is prophetic at this time, for Abram has no children when God calls him our of Ur of the Chaldees. When God told Abram to leave his home and follow him, Abram immediately obeyed. Though he obeyed he was still, however, just a baby believer. He was a child in his faith who needed to grow as a believer. This is so evident in his outward actions.

A person can claim to be great in the faith, full of God the Holy Spirit, trusting in His every word. But what a person claims will always be evidenced by what they outwardly do. I have quoted this before, and I quote it again:

Faith alone saves, but a faith that is alone cannot save.

Abram, newly called to salvation by Jesus, a believer who answered "yes" to the call of the Spirit, was justified by faith in Christ. Though he was an elderly man he was still young as a believer. This is evidenced by his actions with Sarai as he passed through Egypt (Genesis 12:12), claiming that she was his sister in order to protect his own life. This was a cowardly act, an act that Abraham would commit again (Genesis 20:2), but Abram had not yet learned how to rely on our Father. Abram went to battle to save his nephew Lot from the King of Elam, trusting in God, and soundly defeated this enemy. Abram spiritually grew from that encounter and, following this blessing, the Bible says:

Genesis 15:6 (KJV) "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness."

Here's what makes a person a friend of God. Here's the root of Divine friendship. Not works, not ritualism, but believing in God no matter what your senses tell you. If a person were to come to me and I said to that person, "You're my friend", and that person responded "I don't believe that", then we couldn't be friends. Friends believe in one another. Friends grow closer together, day by day, month by month, year by year. Friends share a common relationship with one another, a sense of familiarity, a trust in the bond of friendship.

Abraham would make other mistakes in judgment, other sins that would be offensive to both God and man. He would allow Sarai to talk him into having a child through his slave Hagar. Though Ishmael, the result of that faithless union, would be greatly blessed, Abraham's act continues to haunt the nation Israel even today, as the descendant of Ishmael would become the various Arab nations that continue to ally themselves against God's people.

Yet Abraham (his name was changed by God in Genesis 17:5) would continue to grow as a believer. He would focus on God our Savior, on our Lord's wants and desires. God gave Abraham opportunities to serve, just as He gives us all opportunities to serve. Abraham's life was full of ups and downs, just as our lives are full of ups and downs. Abraham's life was full of tests, trials put before him by Jesus who wanted to be his friend. Some tests Abraham failed, but even in failure, it appears that he learned from them. Some tests Abraham passed with flying colors, relying on his relationship with Jesus our Savior to overcome the trials.

Here was the greatest trial of all.

Abraham was, at this point in his life, well over 100 years old. He was 100 years old when Isaac, his only son, was born (Genesis 21:5). Isaac is now a young boy, strong enough to carry a bundle of wood, so I would venture a guess that he was at least in his teenage years. This was the child that Abraham waited 100 years to have. This was the beginning of the promise of God, the first of what would one day become the nation Israel. Though all of us who have children consider our babies to be precious, Isaac was more than life to Abraham. God told Abraham, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and offer him up as a sacrifice." Abraham loved this boy, this the Lord knew. But the Lord also knew that, though He had promised to bless Abraham mightily, He could not bless Abraham until the old man had the capacity to be blessed.

The relationship that exists between the believer and the Savior is one of devoted love. Our Lord Jesus loves us with an infinite love. We are the apple of His eye, His cherished Bride, a people that He died for, that He shed His very blood for. Our Creator wants us to return love to Him. He wants us to love Him with the same intensity that He loves us. Often we do not receive the blessings of our God because we have proven by our actions in this life that - if we were greatly blessed - then we would turn from loving God and begin to love the blessing instead. Our God will not give us a blessing, nor allow us to keep a blessing received, if we prove by our actions that we will turn from loving God to loving the Blessing. The Blessing cannot become an idol, a thing to be worshipped. God demands our exclusive love.

So here was Abraham's test. God was in essence saying, "I have given you a son, Abraham. You love that son, and you say that you love Me. Who do you love more? Do you love the Giver more than the Gift? Do you love Isaac more than you love Me? Show Me your love, Abraham. Take your child, the child whom you love, and offer him up as a burnt offering. Prove to Me that I am your greatest Love."

We see the growth of Abraham in our Genesis text. He responded to our Lord's request by rising up early in the morning. His actions were deliberate. Abraham not only rose up early, but he rose up, that is, steeled himself, focused himself on the trip. This was not a pleasant task that he was about to accomplish, but he had set his mind on doing it. Jesus wants it, so I will do it. I can do all things through Christ Jesus Who strengthens me.

In verse 6 we do not know what Abraham was thinking as he started toward the place of sacrifice. We do know that he placed the wood of the sacrifice. on Isaac...

(I tell you that this is a wonderful prophetic image of the day when our Lord Jesus would have the wood of the sacrifice., the Cross, put on His shoulders, as He bled and suffered on His way to Calvary. Just as Isaac carried the means of his own death, Jesus carried the means of His death for us. Isaac carried his burden because he loved Abraham his father; Jesus carried His burden because He loves the Father, and because He loves us, and gave Himself for us. What a beautiful parallel our precious Bible has given us!)

The King James text tells us that Abraham "took the fire in his hand" as he prepared to go to the place of sacrifice. The New International Version says, "he himself carried the fire", but I like the King James text much better. He took the fire in his hand. This was not an easy thing that Abraham was going to have to do, but because God required it, because his Friend said do it, he was going to do it. To kill the child that he had waited 100 years to have - this was exactly like taking fire in your hands. It was a burning, frightening, terrible thing, but it was a thing that had to be done. Abraham's Friend asked him to do it.

Application: You cannot be a friend of God unless you do what God says. If you have an earthly friend who asks you for a favor, asks you to do something for them, asks you to sacrifice. a little of your time and a little of yourself for that person - and you refuse to do as that friend asks - then frankly, my Beloved, you will not have a friend very long. Friends share things. Friends give and take from one another. Listen to what my Friend Jesus says:

John 15:13-15 (KJV) "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. {14} Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. {15} Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."

We are His friends if we do what He commands we do. We do what Jesus asks because we love Him, and because we know that He is our Friend, a Great Friend Who has our best in mind. Jesus revealed and continues to reveal great truths from the Word of God to His friends. These truths are not revealed so that we can have great knowledge. They are revealed so that we can grow in our friendship with God and with one another.

Genesis 22:7-8 (KJV) "And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? {8} And Abraham said, My son, God will provide<1> himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together."

<1> ra’ah {pronounced raw-aw’}, Qal Imperfect, will reveal for Himself.

I can see in my mind's eye Isaac, now a young man, looking perplexed at his father. On his shoulders was the wood for the burnt offering, and in his father's hands was the fire that would burn the sacrifice. As he looked perhaps he thought that his father had forgotten one important thing ... where was the lamb? "Father, where is the Lamb?" Abraham answered the only way that a friend of God could answer. As Abraham's son trusted his father to do the right thing, Abraham trusted God our Father to do the right thing. His reply was, "God will provide Himself a lamb". That's the way the Authorized Version puts it. The New International Version relates, "God himself will provide the lamb ...". Though I prefer the reading of the King James, both versions show Abraham's total reliance on His Friend, our great God. Abraham did not just say he relied on God, he did rely on God for that which mattered.

What was in Abraham's mind as he said these words to Isaac? Though the narrative of Genesis doesn't reveal what he was thinking, God reveals Abraham's mind in His written Word, in the book of Hebrews. We are told in ...

Hebrews 11:17-19 (KJV) "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. {18} Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: {19} Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure<2>."

In verse 19 we are told by our Creator what Abraham thought. It says "Accounting that God ...". Accounting is the Aorist Middle Participle of logizomai {pronounced log-id’-zom-ahee}, which means "to take into account, to reckon". Abraham, as he moved toward the place of sacrifice. with Isaac, thought back over all that God had promised him. The Lord came to Abraham and promised him a direct descendent. He promised that Abraham would have a child through Sarah, and this child would be named Isaac. God promised that Abraham would have many heirs, many descendant through this one special child. Had God lied up to this point? No! God had done exactly as He said He would do. When Abraham was well past childbearing years, God still gave him a child. When Sarah was well past childbearing years, our Lord opened her womb. God had not lied, nor would He lie. What He promised, that He did. Abraham knew that His Friend resurrected both his and Sarah's bodies and made them reproductively fertile once more. If God told Abraham to sacrifice. his only child, since God promised that Abraham's lineage would come through Isaac, Abraham knew that God would resurrect Isaac from the dead.

Look at the last few words of our Hebrews text, because here is a great truth that God wants you to know. In Old Testament times God often used ceremonies to teach about the coming of Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord. All throughout the Mosaic Law, sacrifice. after sacrifice. showed that "without blood there is no remission of sin":

Hebrews 9:22 (KJV) "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

God used the ceremonies of the Law to teach Israel, Abraham's seed under Moses, that Jesus Christ was one day coming to suffer and die for the sins of the world. Jesus, the Son of God, a Lamb without spot or blemish, would one day carry the Cross on His shoulders, the means of His own death, just as Isaac carried the wood for the burnt offering on his shoulders. Jesus Christ, God the Son and the Son of God, would willingly lay down His life because the Father asked Him to, because He loves us with an infinite love, because we could not pay for our sins ourselves. Just as Jesus laid down willingly on the altar of the Cross, Isaac, in a beautiful illustration, as our Hebrews 11 text tells us, a <2>parabole {pronounced par-ab-ol-ay’}, on Old Testament teaching, would lay down his life because Abraham his father asked him to do so.

It is no accident nor coincidence that the sacrifice. of Isaac in the Old Testament is a wonderful parable, an illustration of what Christ would do for us in the New Testament. God the Father planned the offering of Isaac and, using this offering, taught Abraham about the coming of Jesus Christ. He taught Abraham that Jesus, God the Son and the Son of God, would come in the flesh as a direct descendent of Isaac. God the Father taught Abraham that, just as He asked Abraham to sacrifice. Isaac, He would place God the Son on an undeserved Cross for us. God the Father further taught Abraham His friend that Christ would die for our sins, but rise again on the third day, and sit forever on the right hand of Glory triumphant! Abraham knew that God would resurrect Isaac from the dead, because he knew what God was teaching him about Jesus. If Jesus in the flesh would one day come from the line of Isaac, Isaac would not remain dead. Abraham trusted his Friend, trusted God, and this trust made him a Friend of God.

Do not suppose that I just made up the fact that God was using Isaac and this sacrifice. to teach Abraham about the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus, when He came in the flesh, testified that our Father Abraham knew about His earthly ministry. Jesus, our Great God and Savior, told the Pharisees that persecuted Him:

John 8:56 (KJV) "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad<3>."

Abraham REJOICED to see Jesus' day. Not only that, but he SAW Jesus' day, and he was glad {<3>chairo {pronounced khah’-ee-ro}, Aorist Passive Indicative, was overwhelmed with joy}. Abraham saw Jesus' day when he trusted God and offered up his only son Isaac as a burnt offering.

Application: If you expect to be blessed in your walk with God, you must be willing to trust God with everything you hold precious. A halfhearted walk with God will not bring anything but a halfway blessing. Abraham offered up his only child Isaac when God told him to do so. Abraham trusted God, and the Father used this as a teaching opportunity to show Abraham the coming of Christ. Surrender on Abraham's part brought wonderful blessing and contentment.

Compare Abraham's surrender to the exodus generation of Israel. These people left Egypt under the caring hand of God, saved by God, yet refused to trust God. When they came to the Promised Land - a land promised them by God Who cannot lie - they refused to go in and take the land. Because of their evil heart of unbelief they, all but Joshua and Caleb, died during forty years wandering in the desert. Failure to trust God led to disaster.

As the song says,

Trust and Obey;
For there's no other way;
To be happy in Jesus;
But to trust and obey!

Genesis 22:9-13 (KJV) "And they came to the place which God had told<1> him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. {10} And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife<2> to slay<3> his son. {11} And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. {12} And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. {13} And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."

<1> ‘amar {pronounced aw-mar’}, Qal Perfect, had told, had commanded.
<2> ma’akeleth {pronounced mah-ak-eh’-leth}, knife.
<3> shachat {pronounced shaw-khat’}, Qal Infinitive, to sacrifice. as if an animal, to kill ceremonially.

Finally, Beloved of God, the person who will be a friend of God must make a conscious, deliberate decision to work with God in what He has called us to do. We are all ready to follow God in His will when that will is pleasant, easy, and uplifting. There is not a person here who wouldn't follow God if He said, "I will give you great riches, great lands, great fame". Yet the person who follows God merely for gain in this life can never be counted as His friend. The Friend of God must follow Him in the hard things as well as the easy. The Friend of God must be willing to, if so directed, surrender that which he most cherishes for our Lord and Savior.

I can imagine the agony of Abraham as he laid out the wood for the offering. Consider also Isaac his son. We cannot know, for certain, what age Isaac was, but we do know that he was a strong young man - strong enough to carry sufficient wood to burn an offering to God. We read this Scripture before:

John 8:56 (KJV) "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."

And noted that God used this event to prophetically teach Abraham about the coming of Messiah, Jesus Christ. If this moment was a parable of the sacrifice. of Christ then Isaac would have been about 33 years old when he obediently followed his father to the alter where he would be offered. Isaac could have resisted Abraham, could have fought the old man off, but he willingly laid down on the altar and allowed his father to tie him down. Isaac trusted his father, and Abraham had faith in and trusted God.

Galatians 3:8-9 (KJV) "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. {9} So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."

The gospel of salvation through the sacrifice. of Christ Jesus our Lord was preached to Abraham long before the Law was given to Israel. Abraham saw, through the sacrifice. that he was about to perform, that terrible time when Christ would be lifted up, bloody, torn, shamed and burdened with sin - for us. As Abraham lifted the knife over Isaac, God used Abraham to represent each one of us who would drive the nails into Jesus. Blessing would only come when Abraham's descendent, Abraham's eventual descendent through Isaac was sacrificed - for us.

As Abraham moved to do as God asked, his determination is evident in the fact that the angel of God had to call his name twice to stop him from killing his son. Here the parable ended. Abraham saw Christ's day, and God saw Abraham's heart. There was no need for Isaac to suffer and die. Isaac could not be a proper atonement for sin. Though he was a young man, a good young man, he was not sinless as our Savior Christ is. Only the sinless Lamb of God could die for the sins of the world.

God Himself had to supply the Lamb.

God Himself did supply the Lamb, Christ Jesus our Savior.

Application: When Abraham surrendered his will to the Will of God, he received a blessing, an immeasurable blessing. Our God is a God of blessing, but so few believers ever discover how much God wants to bless us. We draw back at the edge of the Promised Land, fearful because the inhabitants of the land look like giants and we are so small. When God tells us that He will take the promise from us because of unbelief, then and only then do we want to go forward - but then it is too late. We must go when God says go, we must do when God says do. Because Abraham had faith in God and, because of this faith, followed the direction of God's Will, his name is magnified even today.

Romans 4:15-17 (KJV) "Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. {16} Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, {17} (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."

God raised up a chosen nation, Israel, through His faithful servant Abraham. God brought salvation to many nations through the sacrifice. of His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Both Israel and we who are the saved Gentiles are the fruit of Abraham's faithfulness and God's provision. If you surrender your life to God today you, too, can not only receive a blessing, but you can be a blessing, to all that you come in contact with.

Genesis 22:14-18 (KJV) "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. {15} And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, {16} And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: {17} That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; {18} And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."

Romans 4:2-3 (KJV) "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. {3} For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

Before Abraham could be a Friend of God he had to be a believer in God. He had to be justified or declared innocent by faith in God's provision of salvation. Our text tells us, "in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed". Notice the phrase, "in thy seed". God sent the Messiah, Jesus Christ, eternal God and eternal Son of God, to earth through the lineage of Abraham. The genealogy of Matthew tells us:

Matthew 1:2-17 (KJV) "Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; {3} And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; {4} And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; {5} And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; {6} And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; {7} And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; {8} And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; {9} And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; {10} And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; {11} And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: {12} And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; {13} And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; {14} And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; {15} And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; {16} And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. {17} So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations."

According to Scripture there are forty-two generations, an unbroken line of succession between Abraham and Christ our Savior. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God's Promise to Abraham, "in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed". God gave Abraham a son when neither he nor Sarah were capable of producing a son. God brought Christ to earth through unlikely line of Isaac, Abraham's only begotten son.

There has always only been one Way by which a person could stand before God clean. There is only one Way that anyone, whether man or woman, boy or girl, can become righteous enough to be admitted to the presense of God. That Way is only found in Jesus Christ. You may debate many things about the Bible, but one thing you cannot debate is the method of salvation that the Bible teaches. As Jesus said:

John 14:6 (KJV) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, today is the day that you must accept Him. There is no other Way to God, precious one, no other Way.

Preached To The Saints At Rock Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Lexington, Tennessee

Margin Notes: Introduction James 2:22-23 (KJV) "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? {23} And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." 2 Chronicles 20:7 (KJV) "Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?" 1. A Friend of God Grows In His Relationship With Jesus (Gen 22:3-6) Genesis 15:6 (KJV) "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." John 15:13-15 (KJV) "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. {14} Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. {15} Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." 2. A Friend of God Relies On God (Gen 22:7-8) Hebrews 11:17-19 (KJV) "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. {18} Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: {19} Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure<2>." Hebrews 9:22 (KJV) "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." John 15:13-15 (KJV) "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. {14} Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. {15} Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." Trust and Obey; For there's no other way; To be happy in Jesus; But to trust and obey! 3. A Friend of God Works With God (Gen 22:9-13) John 8:56 (KJV) "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." Galatians 3:8-9 (KJV) "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. {9} So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." Romans 4:15-17 (KJV) "Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. {16} Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, {17} (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were." Closing (Gen 22:14-18) Romans 4:2-3 (KJV) "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. {3} For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." Matthew 1:2-17 (KJV) "Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; {3} And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; {4} And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; {5} And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; {6} And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; {7} And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; {8} And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; {9} And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; {10} And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; {11} And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: {12} And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; {13} And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; {14} And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; {15} And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; {16} And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. {17} So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations." John 14:6 (KJV) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."