3 DAYS TRAVEL TO OFFER HIS SON IN WORSHIP
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. Then on the third day, Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar offâ€.
GENESIS 22:3-4 NKJV
Abraham’s Background In Idolatry
Abraham was a descendant of Noah. After Noah’s worship, soon after the works of rebuilding the nations began, sin and curse crept back into the world as soon as Noah got drunk and his son, Ham saw his nakedness. This incident, the drunkenness of a worshipper, set the rebuilding of the nation backward. Though Noah’s family continued to multiply, right from the time of Noah’s drunkenness, human wickedness resumed and multiplied. The evil had increased and men were determined and focused on building towers into the heavens. They had fallen back into Lucifer's state of mind - wanting to steal God’s glory and make a name for themselves.
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This evil continued, but God’s covenant with Noah held the hand of God against destroying the earth a second time. People continued in their atrocious acts. It was out of this darkness that Abraham’s father, Terah was led out by the Lord and set upon the journey to Haran, however, Terah never made it to the set destination.
Abraham’s Call to Worship
Terah’s country of birth was so full of evil, but the existing covenant made with Noah hindered God from eliminating evil from the world. God made a better way, He called Terah’s son, Abraham, entirely out of the idolatrous country for God to begin a new nation of worshippers. God says to Abraham, formerly called Abram;
Genesis 9:20 NKJV
The Lord had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you..
Battle for Worship
There comes a time when the worship will have to make a choice and battle for worship. There is never a standing in between. The worshipper requires a clear, broad, and distinct separation from darkness, from all ways of old. Hardly will any worshipper continue association with idolatrous family altars and successfully worship the Lord. Only a few can work in this breakthrough of obedience.
Battle #1: Goodbye to the Old: There is never a mix and match with God. No worshipper sets out to worship God who is not called out of the older ways. Usually, some relationships that will hinder worship will be ended, and some doors will be shut for worship to advance. This is a battle for worship.
Abraham had to leave his country, his people, his father’s household, and everything behind, and go into the unknown.
In our prophetic ministry journey, one of the reasons why worshippers lay dormant in perpetual affliction is holding on to the old. This battle is one of the toughest and only a few, very few people win this battle. Unfortunately, anyone who disobeys and hangs on to the old ways.
Battle #2: Rare faith: A worshipper worships in a different kind of faith. It is faith. God releases the entire plan to the worshipper. Then in navigation, only the road to the next destination on the map is released to the worshipper and God awaits obedience. After obedience, the journey continues. Abraham set out into a place unknown. This is radical faith. The worship of the worshippers becomes more delightful to God with such a massive faith, and it pleases God. (Note, the word radical faith has been updated to radical faith)
Battle #3: The Journey of Worship: Abraham will not worship in mediocrity, and will give all it takes to get to the site of worship, even when the object of the worship was his only son. When a man waits until his old age before the heir to his empire is born; then He hears from God to go offer him in worship to the Lord. What does he do? Abraham journeyed for 3 days to the place of sacrifice. The way of worship is very costly. A worshipper will not withhold anything from the Lord.
Isaac: The Son Who Submitted
At the time of Abraham’s journey to worship God with his only son Isaac, Isaac was possibly in his early teenage years. He knew when they were going for sacrifice, they carried along the wood, and all the other needed items for the sacrifice. Yet Isaac asked, Father where is the lambâ€. Isaac knew the way of worship. He knew a lamb was needed, but there was no lamb in view. Isaac could have disappeared into thin air, afterall his father was an old man who may not be able to run as fast as he could. However, IIsaac surrendered to the will of his own father who was surrendering to the will of the Heavenly Father. No wonder was Isaac the child of promise. The child of the covenant did not struggle, but surrendered to the will of his father.
Worship, Prophecy, Grace, Mercy, and Intercession
Abraham was a worshipper, an intercessor, and a man filled with the grace and mercy of the Most High. As with Abraham; anyone who breaks through into worship also breaks through into intercession. In the sphere of worship and intercession, grace and mercy is released upon the life of the worshiper.
Intercessors are Heaven’s diplomats and lawmakers of YHWH on earth. When decrees are established in heaven; intercessors on earth can stand before the Lord and present their reasons for the Lord to change His mind and not bring destruction upon the lives of sinners. There is a deep integration between Worship, intercession, grace and mercy. Without worship, there is no intercession. Worship, being diverse in the description, has been described as the contriteness of heart, the humility of heart, because without humility there is no worship.
Intercession & Grace
In Abraham’s life was an abundance of grace. There were countless favors upon his life and he also had righteousness imputed upon him. A person lacking in grace cannot stand before God to intercede for others. God is just, fair, and true to His word. Before God does a thing; He confides in His friends. That continues until right now. He confides in intercessors about upcoming plans for the people, cities, and nations whether good or bad. He tells of the evil that has been wrecked and tells His intercessors the things that are to unfold.
The grace of God can overturn judgment upon the lives of a people. In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah; the grace upon Abraham had no jurisdiction over the city facing the judgment of destruction from the Lord. Abraham and the Lord get into a conversation:
Genesis 18:26-32 NKJV
If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.†If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.†I will not do it for the sake of forty.†I will not do it if I find thirty there.†I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.†I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.†So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
HOW MANY WORSHIPPERS ARE IN YOUR CITY? WE NEED WORSHIPPERS.
For a city set for destruction, Abraham estimated there ought to be 50 whose grace would be sufficient for the entire city; but it was not so. He estimated there would be at least 45, but there was none, and then he went down to 40, 30, and 20 and then 10. If there were 10 people found righteous, 10 people with a heart like Abraham's, the grace upon their lives could have saved the entire city of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Abraham had a history of interceding with the Lord; although he could not get God to change His mind concerning Sodom and Gomorrah; but for the sake of Abraham, Israel still stands today. Israel’s sin is no different from Gomorrah’s evil. But why was one chosen and favored and one utterly destroyed from the surface of the earth? There was a worshipper who was an intercessor who received a vast amount of God’s grace and His mercy. The spirit of worship and intercession in the life of Abraham is upon the remnant seed of Israel until this moment. The intercession of Abraham was a blessing such that it was written:
Romans 9:29 NKJV
Unless the lord Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom and we would have been made like Gomorrah s
Every intercessor is a worshipper. Those who intercede at no cost, praying over peoples, communities and nations even when there seem to be no return on investment, but out of God’s pure love.
Culled from: Worship is Expensive - Ebenezer Gabriels Theological Notes
