Points

When I read the text, I must admit I was daunted. It is a hard text, so I thought own it.

1. One of the commentaries I read acknowledge how hard the text was for him as a Christian.
Unfortunately, he could not get past it, sometimes I feel that way. Rather than saying it’s too
hard we need to acknowledge the difficulties we are having and keep at it.
2. I read many commentaries that justified Gods actions. The intention of God. The problem is,
we see the outcome of God’s actions, but in this text the only intention from God we have is
the testing (or knowing) of Abraham. So, saying that we know what God is doing/aiming for
here outside of what is revealed is speculation and I feel in a sermon that should be avoided.
3. God is creator and sovereign over us. To us Biblical terms from Genesis he has dominion over
us. He can do with us what he pleases for his own means. This is a scary thought, that we are
the play things of a being that we cannot fully understand. Luther struggled with this until he
realized the grace that is offered. Remember that God has limited himself for our sake, look
to the rainbow and the cross.
4. The last point that I thought about for the sermon is the element of grace that I found but
didn’t notice in any other text or cometary, so hopeful it’s valid. I suggest that there are 3
characters there as Isaac watches in terror as his father lifts a clever, the 3rd character, God,
speaks and tells Abraham to stop.

Despite the horror of a situation, no matter how bad things are, the Triune God is there with us. We
know he suffers with us, the Bible tells us so, look to Christ to see. And we know that the triune God
is with us because of our baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit.

God has asked Abraham to do a horrific thing, yet doesn’t abandon him to do it alone, he is there
with him. It is this point that would develop and focus on in the sermon. God is with us in all
situations horrible and unthinkable.