Somehow

Text:

Genesis 22:1-8:

1: And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2: And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3: 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.

 

Theme:

Somehow

 

Introduction:

• The LA Mass Choir teamed up with the late James Cleveland to write a monumental song in Gospel music history, “Things Are Gonna Work Out Somehow”. This song epitomized the expression of the Black Experience by painting the picture of the struggle of the black man or woman in its words:

“Somehow, someway, things are gonna work out somehow!”

• These words ring pertinent throughout history:
  • When Africans were stored on slave ships like sardines in a can on their way to economic quagmire of intelligence and ignorance…
  • When our forefathers and mothers labored up and down the agricultural roads of southern harvestry…
  • When activists walked arm in arm, hand in hand, step by step…all on one accord…
  • When Reaganomics gave birth to the Bush Administration which crumbled at the feet of the Clinton Era…
• These words ring pertinent in our present day:
  • When the daily news has become the modern day horror story causing us to not even want small children to see it…
  • When a 4% raise at a job is lost in 6% annual inflation and 6.25% being the cheapest interest rates around…
  • When the danger of global warming is distracted by the storms and rains of El Nińo and is forgotten when homes don’t have the money or sometimes even the materials to stay warm…
• These words ring pertinent in our daily lives:
  • When children don’t act right…
  • When bills and money are never at home at the same time…
  • When Jesus seems to be the only friend that we have…
• We have to cry out, “things are gonna work out somehow!”

• Somehow

 

Body:

• Webster defines the word SOMEHOW as, “in one way or another not known or designated”.
  • There are three characteristics of SOMEHOW from this definition:
    1. No knowledge
  • I don’t know!
  • Philippians 3:8, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”
    2. No requirements
       • I don’t have to know!
       • Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
    3. No preference
  • I don’t care to know!
  • That is why the old hymn says,

“Guide me, O, Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak, but Thou art mighty, hold me with Thy powerful hand”

• Then the other hymn says,

“I am weak and I need Thy strength and power to help me over my weakest hour.

Let me through the darkness Thy face to see.  Lead me, oh Lord, lead me.”

• Our text sheds further light on the understanding of the word SOMEHOW
  • Genesis is the first book of the Bible and the first book of the Old Testament which is why it is nominally known as the Book of Beginnings.
    • Creation
    • The beginning of mankind
    • The beginning of the Jewish nation, God’s chosen people.
  • Abraham is recorded in Genesis as the patriarch of the children of Israel in that he is the Father of their nation.
    • God made the promise to Abraham that from his seed would come a nation of people as great in number as the stars in the heavens.
    • God used Abraham and kept His promise to Abraham.
      • Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldees
      • He wasn’t perfect, just chosen.
      • Genesis 15:6 says, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” – The power of BELIEVING!
    • Our text picks up in Genesis after the birth of Abraham’s son, Isaac.
      • 1-2 – Abraham is tempted by God to take his only son whom he loved to the land of Moriah to offer Isaac as a burnt offering.
        • How difficult it must have been!
      • 3 – Abraham “rose up early in the morning” and prepared for the trip.
        • Obedience
        • Preparation
      • 4 – They traveled for three days
        • You have to go through some things even while you are going through
      • 5-6 – Abraham packed with just Isaac and the supplies and left the servants behind
        • Some things you have to go through alone!
      • 7 – Isaac innocent words give us the problem statement, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
        • They had the fire and the wood, but where was the lamb
        • They had the problem, but where was the answer
        • We have the burden, but where is the help
        • We have the bill, but where is the money
        • You have the boyfriend/girlfriend, but where is the husband/wife
      • 8 – Abraham responds in faith, hope, and obedience, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”
        • Abraham responds as the hymn says, “things are gonna work out somehow!”
        • Abraham does not give Isaac AN answer. He gives him THE answer – Jehovah-Jireh

 

Conclusion:

• As Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” – It’s all about trust!
• The end of verse 8 says, “so they went both of them together”
  • When you know that things are gonna work out SOMEHOW:
    • You press on
    • You toil on
    • You pray on
    • ….

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