Dear Friends,

As many of you will know, my father Victor Smadja passed away on December 25. I would like to share with you part of his last sermon that he prepared based on Genesis 22:1-19 and asked my nephew to translate into English. I know that this is long but it is worth reading!   

"Dear brothers and sisters,

It is known that Abraham was the friend of the LORD, chosen by Him to be the head of a great and mighty nation. Through him, blessing and salvation would come to the Jews and Gentiles who have chosen to be God's servants. In this great chapter of Genesis, we read about an unbelievable trust, an unconditional and immediate obedience which is difficult to comprehend. Actually, it's a picture of God Himself, who not only gave His Son, but through His Son wore flesh and blood and was sacrificed on the cross for our sake.

 Abraham was called (Gen. 22:2) to sacrifice his son as a "burnt offering" (עולה, "Olah" in Hebrew). This kind of offering was an animal that would be consumed completely by fire, 100-percent given to God. By asking this of His friend, God had chosen to share a glimpse of His future plan to Abraham.

When God asked for Abraham's firstborn, He had already sacrificed His own Firstborn, Jesus; as it is written, "His works were finished from the foundation of the world." (Heb.4:3) The prophecy of Zechariah 12 also says that Israel will recognize this relationship: "They will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."

Nothing in our life catches God by surprise. He planned it all before the foundation of the world, and He is fulfilling it step by step right now. Paying closer attention to our trials unveils the fact that God has already passed through any trial He allows us to go through. We must also bear in mind that when God allows us to go through trials and tribulations, the solution is already there - it is waiting to unfold in the timing He chooses. Each and every one of these troubles has a very specific role in His plan. Every morning in which we wake up was precisely planned down to the smallest detail. God has no need to change His plans, for they are perfect; He does not patch his plans, for they are complete. So we can securely follow His path, knowing that this is exactly what He wants for us.

Furthermore, as we learn from the prophet Isaiah, God is afflicted in all of our affliction (Isaiah 63:9). He is not a stranger to us in our sufferings, and we are not bearing them alone. On the other hand, we were not created to live according to our own worldly, shortsighted desires and passion. Jesus has certainly freed us, but freedom from sin does not mean freedom from serving. God has freed us from sin in order to be His slaves and servants. God's will is good and perfect, not corrupted by sin as our will is. We are to live our lives according to His plan, serving Him as He purifies and refines us, as it is written in Malachi chapter 3.

 Who is the messenger sent to Abraham in Genesis 22? In verses 11 and 15 we read of "the Angel of the LORD". Who is this Angel who has sworn in the name of God (v.16)? Which angel could speak for the LORD in such a manner as in verse 12 ("you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me"), other than the LORD Himself? He is the "messenger" Malachi said we would seek, the One who prepares the way before the LORD. He is not coming to listen to our self-praise: "I said, I did, I prayed, I gave...." Malachi 3:2 tells us that He intends to refine us in a "refiner's fire" and purify us with "fuller's soap" (a strong whitening agent used in ancient times).

"And He shall sit..." (Malachi 3:3). The LORD does not rush through His refining process like we would often want Him to. We want it all now, right now - we can't wait, we have no endurance. But the LORD takes His time to purify His servants. For what reason? Verse 3 continues: "...so that they may offer to the Lord offerings (מנחה

A Mincha was one of five kinds of sacrifices made to God. Unlike the Olah, it was without an animal or blood. The LORD has sacrificed the ultimate Olah, His Son, on the Cross. His blood is covering and forgiving our sins for eternity. In spite of that, we are still being refined and purified in order to bring an acceptable Mincha offering. What is its spiritual parallel? The LORD is rightfully the center of our life. He is the reason we live, and for Him we exist. What is really the center of your life? Is it the LORD - or your health, your money? Is it the LORD, or your plans?  

Whenever life is harsh or difficult, we Israelis say in response, "The main thing is health." This is a lie! The "main thing" is the LORD - and more than ever when we are not healthy. Our motto should be: "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21)

The story in Genesis 22 tells us that the LORD commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, and how did he react? Verse 3: "Abraham rose early." Isn't this unconditional and immediate obedience an unbelievable demonstration of trust? Abraham does not question God's plan, he does not look back. He does not even pause. Would we rise in obedience and give our son to God so quickly?

After marching for three days, Abraham and Isaac arrived. The father stretched out his hand and took the knife to slit the throat of his son. When the Angel of the LORD stopped him, Abraham looked up (v.13) to see a ram that will be sacrificed instead of his son. This ram is a clear picture of Jesus, who was sacrificed for each and every one of us.

What about Abraham's descendents? God has made His love for Israel known in Jeremiah 31:3, which says: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you." God's love is not like ours, fading and changing. The LORD Himself IS Love, everlasting and unchanging. We must not question the love of God towards Israel and her people that would mean questioning the same love extended to each and every one of us. It is an everlasting love - even when we are rebellious, walking in a way that is not good, according to our own thoughts (Isaiah 65:2).

God's commands are clear, but we turn our backs to Him. We do not feel like serving Him right now... it does not sit well with our Ego. Being servants does not feed our pride. But I promise you: His hand is reaching out to us, even then.  

I tell you the truth: Sin will not separate you from the promise to sit at the right hand of our Lord. If it could, then none of us would make it: we are all sinners! Paul said (1 Timothy 1:15) that he was the biggest sinner of them all. He wrote it not as something in the past ("I was") but in the present tense ("I am"). Was he a liar? Was he a braggart showing a false humility?

No one will go to Hell because of his sins.

You will tell me, "Victor, you have lost your mind - this is not according to the word of God!" I answer: Yes, it is according to the word of God! While God is reaching out His hand to us, each and every one of us has the opportunity to receive God's everlasting love and be saved! A day will come when those who refuse God's saving hand will suffer the consequence of their sins. But for as long as God's hand is reaching towards us, we can still be saved. We will not be saved by saying the right words, or by entering the water in baptism. Nor will taking the bread and wine of communion save us. Do not judge others' salvation by what they did or didn't do. The LORD commanded us to sacrifice ourselves on the altar for Him, not to slaughter others on it.

Gen.22:6 and 8: "The two of them went together." Isaac followed his father closely, without knowing what was to come. "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3:3) We are called to unite with the LORD, to follow His lead on His path, to walk in agreement with His decisions. Do we place conditions on that walk? Must we know why or where we are going? Must we know when or how we will get there? Isaac trusted and went with his father, simply because he knew him.

Will you follow your Father the same way? Trust our LORD, knowing that what He is doing with you is all Love."

With blessings from Jerusalem,