1.9.10 "Dead Man Walking"

"Dead Man Walking"

Genesis 20:1-22:24
Matthew 7:15-29
Psalm 9:1-12
Proverbs 2:16-22

Note: I originally wrote "Dead Man Walking" 4 years ago. I find this Chapter to be one of the most intense emotional stories of the Old Testament. I believe that for the dreams God has placed in our lives to come forth, we must bring them to Mount Moriah.

The chapters in Genesis we've been reading recount the story of Abraham and his son of promise. We've heard it many times, and we must make sure to apply it's truths to our lives.

"Then God did as he had promised, and Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a baby son in his old age, at the time God had said; and Abraham named him Isaac (meaning 'Laughter!")." Gen 21:1-3

This is IT! you KNOW how long Abraham & Sarah have been waiting for this promise! You know what they've gone through in getting there. They made the mistake of trying to solve the promise on their own which resulted in Ishmael, they made the mistake of doubting and laughing AT God's promise. But now, in spite of all that, the promise is fulfilled. Their laughter is now that of the joy of a fulfilled promise.

In chapter 22, there's a new conversation between Abraham and the Lord.

"Abraham!" "Yes, Lord?" you can almost hear the joy in Abraham's voice his faith is so great because of seeing God's faithfulness. It's almost as if he can't wait to hear what God says next....

"Take with you your only son - yes, Isaac whom you love so much - and go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering..."

Scripture doesn't record Abraham replying to God. MY heart would cry, "BUT GOD!!!! THIS IS THE PROMISE!!!! YOU SAID!!!!"

There are things we can't understand. We have this silly notion that we have to understand, but the Lord only desires our obedience. EVERYTHING else pales in comparison to that.

Can you imagine what happened inside of Abraham's heart? Listen to his faithfulness:

"The next morning Abraham got up early, chopped wood for a fire upon the altar, saddled his donkey, and took with him his son Isaac..."

Verse 4 says, "On the third day of the journey..."

Can you imagine? walking 3 days toward the mountain where you are to sacrifice the most precious gift you have ever had?

I may not have the specifics right, but I believe that when a death row inmate walks down the corridor, someone yells, "Dead Man Walking!"

For Abraham to walk in obedience in this way, he has had to have died to his flesh. I'm certain that the journey carried all the painful intensity of the destination. The arrival would not have been the only thing painful. Every step of that 3 day walk is a devastating blow to the flesh.

Can you imagine what happened inside when Isaac looked up at him, met his eyes, and said, "Father," Isaac asked, "we have the wood and the flint to make the fire, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"

I can imagine a crack in his voice as he answered, "God will see to it, my son." And they went on...

I can hear heaven shouting, "DEAD MAN WALKING!" Those unknowing would think that these words branded Isaac, but to those who understand the life cycle of a dream, the proclamation wasn't for Isaac's death sentence. It was for the death of Abraham's flesh. It was for the death of his dream.

As horrible as this sounds, this should be our goal! We must die to the flesh. Isaac could so easily have become an idol in Abraham's life. If I were Abraham, my response would have so easily been, "NO, God! You promised him to me! He's MINE!" I say that because there are parts of me that need to die. How often we take the gifts and promises of God and we attach ourselves to them. We think they belong to us. They never do.

Needless to say, God does not call us all to literally take the path Abraham took. Family Child Services would definitely step in! However, the same death needs to occur within us in all things. We need to raise the knife to selfishness, insecurity, comfort, pride, image... Above all, we need to walk in obedience.

For Abraham, God stepped in. "Lay down the knife; don't hurt the lad in any way," the Angel said, "for I know that God is first in your life - you have not withheld even your beloved son from me." (Gen 22:12) in verse 16 it says, "I the Lord have sworn by myself that because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son from me, I will bless you with incredible blessings and multiply your descendants into countless thousands and millions..." verse 18 ends " - all because you have obeyed me."

Obedience is our objective. In Matthew 7 Jesus is talking about false teachers. He says in verse 21, "Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but still wont get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven".

What is does a Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship look like? It's a life of obedience. It's "Dead Man Walking!" When we make it a habit to die to the flesh, we learn to LIVE in the power of the Spirit! The first steps toward the mountain of sacrifice can seem so difficult, but when we live in the freedom of death to the flesh, life is AWESOME! There's nothing that can sway us from the plan of God! Circumstances that seemed so huge in the past are no longer giants. They are merely opportunities for God to make his name great!

"Dead Man Walking!"

Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ