Each student at the Bible College had chores to do. And Chris’s job was to take care of Archie. Besides the courses and the prayer meetings, the students had chores they were responsible for. They served God and His work such as being an assistant baker to prepare the bread and pastries for about 100 persons or paint the roofs of the dorms or taking care of the coal-fired boiler.
Serve God and Archie in the hospital
Chris was one of the brothers who did all of the above until someone found out he formerly worked in a hospital. So they asked him to take care of Archie. Archie was the former gardener of the College, but he had a stroke. He couldn’t talk anymore and could not put on his clothes. He also needed assistance to walk. But the light of the Presence of God was on his face.
Chris took care of him early in the morning to meet his toilet needs. And then during the day walked with him several times to bring him to a bench so he could admire the garden he had taken care of for so many years.
Chris slept on another hospital bed beside him so he could assist Archie if he needed to go to the toilettes during the night. Sister Martha, who was part of the intercessors, was the responsible person for this little 8-bed hospital. It was destined to care for sick students from the « Grammar School » and eventually for missionaries coming back from Africa who needed a time of convalescence. Help from this brother who was a former orderly was a big relief. And they decided to renew his mission several quarters.
God’s testing of several persons at the same time
But a doctor came back from Africa to finish his career in the field. He would now be part of the intercession team and live in a mobile home on the grounds of the College. According to the medical hierarchy, he should be the one who was responsible for the hospital.
However, Sister Martha had consecrated her whole life to keep the hospital functioning and didn’t want the doctor on her territory. She used Brother Chris as her pawn. She didn’t need the doctor in the hospital because the brother took care of Archie. All this is part of the story is so you can understand the events that followed.
Abraham (the friend of God) used by God as a test case (benchmark)
It was one of those hot evenings at the end of June, several days before the diploma ceremony.
Mr. Samuel Howells, the College Director was going to speak. While going to the meeting, and knowing Chris was soon to leave, the doctor passed by and said, “Pray that we find someone to take care of Archie”
Evidently, he didn’t want to be the solution himself, because he dreaded the confrontation with Sister Martha.
Everyone knew in the College, that for your prayer to be taken seriously by God, you need to make yourself available as a “first response” for your own prayers.
That evening, Mr. Samuel talked about the sacrifice that Abraham was about to make of his son in Genesis 22. God was putting Abraham through the test of obedience. (Verse 1):
« And God said to take
- Your son,
- Your only (unique) son,
- The one you love. » (verse 2)
The test of obedience
He couldn’t escape the test of obedience because God was so precise. It was the “Son of the Promise” that he had to sacrifice. The one through whom all the promises of God were to be accomplished. And through his Descendant (the Messiah) by whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. (Genesis 12.2-3)
But it was God who had promised this child. It was a total miracle that he could be born since Sarah had been sterile and was 90 years old! And now God was asking him to sacrifice Isaac voluntarily? Who could ask such a thing?
But God doesn’t ask for anything He hasn’t gone through Himself
Keep in mind that the Father, many years later, led his Son to the place of sacrifice that would obtain the blessing of salvation for all the families of the earth. (It was actually the same mountain!)
So Samuel Howells continued. You have plans and projects and promises God Himself has given you. How can you be sure that your calling has not become an idol?
On top of that, Abraham knew about the pagan practice to offer their first-born son in a holocaust to the god Moloch. This was completely diabolic since no man can offer another (even an innocent baby) for the sins of his family. So was this the voice of God or the temptation of the devil? But Abraham knew the voice of his God. And he obeyed.
“The genuineness of your faith (is) more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire.” (1 Peter 1.7)
The attitude of Abraham in the trial
We know about his attitude thanks to the apostle Paul in Romans 4 when he talks about Abraham being our father in the faith. « 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.» (Romans 4.20-22)
On the road to Morija with his son, the wood, and the fire, Isaac asked, “where is the lamb for the sacrifice”? Abraham answered: « God himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice. » Of course we know that God stopped his hand at the very moment he was going to plunge the knife into Isaac’s body. He said: « I (now) know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your only son from me.”
On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided
During this time, on the other side of the mountain, a ram was being led to the place of sacrifice. God’s solution got there a bit early so God made sure his horns were caught in a thicket until Abraham noticed him. (Verse 13).
No man is innocent, and no one can replace another to pay for his debt of sin. This is the reason God had to teach the necessity for an innocent lamb to be sacrificed in the place of one who is guilty.
But on the earth, he sought a man who could understand and follow the road that God the Father followed later with his Son who was “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1.29)
The key to successful Intercession (for Archie)
We can never do what only God can do. But successful intercession is to identify oneself with the subject for whom we are praying. How would you react if God asks you offer to sacrifice your calling, your ministry, and the promise of marriage that he already gave you? Is your relationship with God your most precious belonging? Or are you more attached to the blessings He gives you than … He who gives you the Blessing.
Abraham must have thought in the way: « What is Sarah going to think »? How can he explain that God was asking him to sacrifice her only son? » And Chris was thinking, « How will I be able to explain this to the young woman (and her parents) who I had just asked in marriage?
There are explanations that are better not to give and opinions of others that are better not to take into account.
Until death OR a Word that frees me from the commitment to Archie
Everything in this sermon touched Chris’ heart. It was evident for him to stay at the College as long as needed to take care of Archie. The decision he took was « I’ll stay until Archie’s death OR until God leads me further. »
After all, he said to himself, « I came to the College to find out if God exists and if He answers precise prayers in a precise way”. “If I really trust God, I can confide my future ministry and marriage between the hands of He who is the engineer of all our circumstances.”
Then he noticed in Genesis 22.5 that. He (Abraham) said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
If you trust God for your salvation you can trust Him for this Word
Though Abraham obeyed an order that seemed completely counter-intuitive, he was convinced that even if he had to go to the end of this commandment, God had the capacity to resurrect the son He had promised. (Hebrews 11.17-19)
17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, 18 of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” 19 He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead
And then Chris said to himself that if he could trust God for his salvation, he could also trust Him in this situation. It was a great opportunity to prove that God exists and that he watches over the accomplishment of his promises.
Find out what happened next in the second part of this article: Walk by Faith to please God only
Prayers
I recognize my Lord, that your ways are higher than mine. And when you have us walk in your ways, we can totally trust you to bring us where you want us to go. Even if it is counter-intuitive and clashes with our reasoning and those around us (even though Christians).
Thank you Jesus that you speak to us by your Word and through your Spirit. Heal us from our deafness and lack of obedience.