Rhema Ehiemere - Daddy, What Are You Doing?

There will definitely be times when we don’t understand what God is doing. These are times when we do all the right things but seemingly get all the wrong results. We have to understand that God may not always explain Himself but He will always reveal Himself. When we go through seasons of uncertainty and unclarity, we must learn to trust God and have faith in Him. In Genesis 22, Abraham believed God and submitted to His instructions to sacrifice his son even when it didn’t make sense. However, God was not interested in Isaac’s life; God was interested in Abraham’s heart. True worship is submitting to God’s will regardless of the inconvenience. God is seeking true heartfelt worshippers and even when we don’t understand what our Heavenly Father is doing, we can still trust His heart and ultimate plan.

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Bibles, we’re going to be looking at Genesis 22 from verse 1 through verse 13. I’m here to thank and praise you. Thank you so much! Come on, can you celebrate? Praise to you! Amen! Amen! Can you celebrate them well? Like they—Amen! Amen! My assignment this morning is from Genesis 22, from verse 1 through verse 13. I’m going to use the NIV version. Just before I start, look at your neighbor and tell them, «How are you doing?» What did they say? Are you sitting beside the mean label? Did they respond? They didn’t say anything? Some of you need to change your gestures. Okay, Genesis 22, have a look at 22:1 through verse 3. This is the story of God testing Abraham and telling him to sacrifice his son. It is a popular verse, a popular story, and a chapter. I’m going to run through it; I might skip some verses, but I’m going to use the New International Version. Here goes the reading of God’s word. Sometime later, God tested Abraham. Somebody say «test.» Test! And he said to Abraham, «Abraham!» «Here I am, ” he replied. Then God said, „Take your son, your only son.“ I have a problem with that because we already have Ishmael. „Your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on the mountain I will show you.“ For some of us, there will be no verse 3 because you’re not even going to respond to God; you’re going to miscall voicemail! I rebuke you, devil. Get behind you, Satan! Early the next morning—not just the next morning, but early. This is not just obedience; this is insane obedience. Why would you even wake up early? What was he eager to do? I mean, he would have been okay if it said the next day, like, 11:55 p.m. Early! Like every detail, this man is dedicated! Early the next morning, Abraham got up, loaded his donkey, and took with him two of his servants. Everybody say „servants.“ And his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, „Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship.“ Somebody say „worship.“ Worship! And then we will come back to you. Hey! God did not say you were going to come back; that was not the plan. This is Abraham’s own version; he says, „We will come back.“ So Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. Now, a picture of Jesus carrying the cross, and he himself carried the fire and the knife as the two of them went on together. I’m not even going to try to create suspense because you know the story already, and that’s why I’m going to insert concepts and thoughts that will drive my message. As the two of them went on together, Isaac says, „Dad?“ „Yes, my son?“ „The fire is here and the wood is here, but where is the lamb for the offering?“ And Abraham said, „That’s an interesting question. The lamb is actually—no, but God himself will provide the lamb.“ Or has God already provided the lamb for the burnt offering? And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God told them, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac. I call him ISO, so this is the part that I don’t understand because Isaac was about 14 years old. I don’t care what word God gave you; you’re not binding me. You will bind yourself and sacrifice yourself. We’ll figure it out. This is the fact—I don’t even know who is worse, Abraham or Isaac! Like seriously! He did not argue; he laid him on the altar on top of the wood. He reached out his hand and took the knife. This man is going crazy to slay his son! How many people have sons or kids or children? How many people can do half of this? Somebody’s like, „I just remembered something!“ That’s why I’m laughing because I’m so protective of my kids that even when they are wrong in school and the principal calls? No! They cannot be wrong; it doesn’t happen in our family. We are usually right! So I send the email, and that’s why I include the doctor. I never use „doctor“ until I’m referring to the principal. I went to school for my doctorate just so that when I’m emailing their principal, I’m like, „This is from Dr.—“ I’m serious! I’m just being honest. That’s like some of you are like me! Come on! How many parents are like me? See all you liars! Jesus understands! Most of you—like some of you not even going to send that email; you’re going to go to the school like, „Hey!“ Oh, that’s why you—oh, I’m better! Okay, okay, let’s go back, let’s go back. This is a whole picture in my mind. I want to say something, but I’m on camera, so I’m not going to say it. Okay, where am I? He reached out his knife to slay his son, but the angel of the Lord, which is a Christophany here—the appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament—reached out from heaven and said, „Abraham! Abraham!“ It’s interesting that…