The ULTIMATE TEST of ABRAHAM'S FAITH
In obedience Abram had journeyed into Canaan as Yahweh God had told him to do.
He and his wife Sarai, all their servants and all their possessions and with them also Lot, his brother's son. The childless Abram - 75 years of age when he set foot in Canaan, still thought Lot to be his heir.
A MEETING place of PRAISE - PRAYER AND PEACE:
Abram had built three altars to Yahweh God, (PRAISE, PRAYER, and PEACE).
All of these ALTARS represented a PLACE of MEETING - between Abram and his God - the ALTAR ITSELF representing prophetically, YAHSHUA MESSIAH HIMSELF as our ALTAR - the PLACE where we GO in PRAISE and PRAYER and where we find PEACE.
Hebrews 3:10 tells us that "We HAVE AN ALTAR ... :13 Let us then GO FORTH from ALL that would PREVENT us (OUT of the world and the worldliness - the sinfulness) to HIM OUTSIDE the CAMP at CALVARY ..."
OUR ALTAR is YAHSHUA HIMSELF:
No altars is ever needed anymore, for our ALTAR is YAHSHUA Himself ... and it is to HIM and THROUGH Him that we ENTER the HEAVENLY THRONEROOM to be with the Father (in prayer) - PRAISING Him, WORSHIPING Him, and to BE WITH Him.
After Abram and Lot had separated, Abram MOVED his tent and DWELT AMONG the TEREBINTH trees of MAMRE, at HEBRON.
Lot on the other hand, had moved his tent right next to Sodom and Gomorrah, and then he and his family DWELLED IN Sodom and/or Gomorrah.
The WAR of the KINGS:
The Babylonian kings made war on the Sodomite kings:
Whilst Lot was living in Sodom and/or Gomorrah, the kings AMRAPHEL (who was another name for NIMROD) of SHINAR, ARIOCH of ELLASAR, CHEDORLAOMER of Elam and TIDAL of GOIIM (all of them from the 'state' of Babylonia) - made WAR on the SODOMITE KINGS BERA of SODOM, BIRSHA of GOMORRAH, SHINAB of ADMAH, SHEMEBER of ZEBOIIM, and ZOAR, the KING of BELA and the SODOMITE kings joined together as allies in the Valley of Siddim, which is now the Dead Sea of Salt. (Gen. 14:1-3)
They had served the Babylonian king CHEDORLAOMER for twelve years. But now they had REBELLED against him and in the FOURTEENTH YEAR Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him ATTACKED and SUBDUED first the REPHAIM in ASHTEROTH-KARNAIM, the ZUZIM in HAM, and the EMIM in SHAVEH-KIRATHAIM. (Gen. 14:4-5).
They also attacked and subdued the HORITES in their Mount Seir as far as EL-PARAN, which is on the border of the wilderness - then turned back attacking and subduing ALL the COUNTRY of the AMALAKITES and also the AMORITES. (Gen. 14:6-7).
Then the five kings of Sodom, Gemorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela went out together and joined battle with the Babylonian kings in the Valley of Siddim - a valley full of slime or bitumen pits and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they were overthrown there and the remainder of the kings fled to the mountains. (Gen. 14:8-10).
The Babylonian kings took all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the supply of provisions and departed. They ALSO TOOK LOT and his goods away with them. (Gen. 14:11-12).
IN FAITH ABRAM RESCUED LOT:
When the news was given Abram by one of the men that escaped, the Amorite Mamre, a brother of Eshcol and of Aner - the allies of Abram, Abram armed his 318 trained servants born in his own house and pursued the enemy as far as Dan. There he divided his forces AGAINST them by night and he and his servants attacked and routed them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
TO YAH (GOD) ALL THE HONOR:
Abram brought back all the goods and his kinsman Lot and Lot's possessions, the women and people that were taken - and had the people and goods restored back from where they/it was taken - making it clear that he had first CONSULTED with his GOD, the Most High, the Possessor and Maker of heaven and earth before he went on the rescue mission. (Gen. 14:13-24).
YAHWEH is Abram's Shield (his Protector):
And after all these things, Yahweh God said to Abram, "Fear not Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation and your reward shall be exceedingly great." (Gen. 15:1b).
The childless Abram had now taken Eliezer (his stewart) as heir of his house, but Yahweh said to him, "This man shall NOT be your heir, but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir." (Gen. 15:2-4). Then Yahweh said to Abram, to go outside and "...Look now toward the heavens and count the stars - if you are able to number them. ... So shall your descendants be." (Gen. 15:5).
ABRAM TRUSTED in GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY:
The Bible tells us that Abram BELIEVED in, TRUSTED in, RELIED ON and REMAINED STEADFAST to Yahweh and Yahweh counted it to him as RIGHTEOUSNESS and RIGHT STANDING with Yah. (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3, 18-22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23).
It would eventually take 25 years from Abram had set foot in Canaan at age 75 till Isaac would be born (Abram 100 years old).
ISHMAEL'S HAND prophesied to BE AGAINST EVERY MAN:
Through the years that passed, with Abram still living in Mamre at the terebinth trees, Ishmael was born when Sarai took matters in her own hands to secure a son for Abram. Ishmael's hand was eventually against every man and every man's hand against him, living to the east and on the borders of all his kinsmen as it was prophesied by the Angel of Yah (Yahshua Himself) in Gen. 16:11-12.
LIVE HABITUALLY BEFORE Me Abram - Make Me your LIFESTYLE:
In Genesis 17 - Abram 99 years old (Ishmael 13 years of age) - Sarai 89 years old, Yahweh told Abram to WALK and LIVE HABITUALLY BEFORE Him, and STRIVE to be PERFECT - WHOLEHEARTED and COMPLETE. He said to Abram, if he do that, HE WILL MAKE His COVENANT with Abram - a SOLEMN PLEDGE between Him and Abram. It was a pledge Yahweh made with ALL OF US - EVERY ONE WHO WOULD EVER COME to BELIEVE. Gen. 17:1 "I am the ALMIGHTY YAH; WALK and LIVE HABITUALLY BEFORE Me and be PERFECT (blameless, wholehearted and complete. :2 "And I WILL MAKE My COVENANT (SOLEMN PLEDGE) BETWEEN Me and you and will multiply you exceedingly.:4 "As for Me, behold, My COVENANT is with you ..."
ABRAM'S NAME CHANGED to ABRAHAM:
(From high exalted father to father of a multitude)
Gen 17:5 "... nor shall you name any longer be Abram (high, exalted father); but your name shall be Abraham (father of a multitude). :5 And I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you and kings will come from you."
SARAI'S NAME CHANGED to SARAH:
(From Sarai to SARAH - PRINCESS)
Gen. 17:15 "And Yah (God) said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai; but SARAH [PRINCESS] her name shall be. :16 And I will BLESS her and give you a SON ALSO by her. YES, I WILL BLESS her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her."
SODOM AND GOMORRAH DESTROYED:
Yah (God) disclosed his plans to DESTROY the WICKED CITIES:
In the events that followed in Gen. 18 and 19 - Abraham pleaded before Yah (God) to spare the righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, but eventually only Lot and his two daughters reached safety before judgment) for the SINS of SODOM and GOMORRAH were EXCEEDINGLY GRIEVOUS. (Gen. 18:20).
ISAAC was BORN:
Gen. 21:2 "And Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the SET TIME YAH (God) had TOLD him. :3 Abraham named ... him ISAAC (laughter). :8 And the child grew up and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast ...
THE ULTIMATE TEST of ABRAHAM'S FAITH - the FOURTH ALTAR - PROVISION:
The FOURTH ALTAR that Abraham built was the ULTIMATE TEST in Abraham's life - and the MOST IMPORTANT of it ALL - also for US TODAY.
AS A BURNT OFFERING:
EMOTIONAL PRESSURE was PRESSING HARD on Abraham in OBEDIENCE to the VOICE of YAHWEH - to take his only son (from Sarah) - the son who will be his heir - bloodline of the Messiah and the Hebrew nation - up to Mount Moriah to be slain. Isaac was not only to be slain but BURNT to ASHES as a BURNT OFFERING.
Heb. 11:17 "By faith Abraham, when he was PUT TO THE TEST, while the TESTING OF HIS FAITH WAS STILL IN PROGRESS, had already brought Isaac for an offering; he who had gladly received and welcomed Yah's promises was ready to SACRIFICE his only son [Gen. 22:1-10], of whom it was said, THROUGH ISAAC shall YOUR DESCENDANTS be RECKONED [Gen. 21:12].
Abraham was TESTED to EXPOSE his HEART - if he REALLY BELIEVE in YAHWEH God's ALMIGHTINESS - and he passed this test with a HEART THAT BEATS for HIS CREATOR - it was a LONG JOURNEY for Abraham - from UR of the Chaldeans (Babel or ancient Babylon) to MORIAH - from the IDOLATROUS practices of the Chaldeans of ancient Babylon of which Abraham's father was a pagan priest - to Moriah - to WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.