Genesis 22:1-2 Some time later God tested Abraham. . . . Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.
Abraham must’ve wondered what kind of God would give him a child, and then demand the child be killed. The God of the Bible is not who we expect, and Abraham doesn’t seem any better. Anyone who kills his son because he thinks God told him to is mentally unstable. This story is off to a terrible start.
Genesis 22:3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
As Abraham cut the wood that morning he probably wondered, What kind of God would ask me to do this? How can I explain this to my wife? What will people think of me? Should I trust God, or run away from him?
The Bible hadn’t been written yet, but Abraham personified an important truth. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6), says Proverbs.
Genesis 22:4-5 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He 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.
Over the course of their journey, Abraham worked through the question, How could a good God tell me to kill my son? He concluded that God would raise him from the dead. This is why he said, We will worship and then we will come back to you (Hebrews 11:19). Abraham was so convinced that God was good, if God told him to sacrifice his son, it would result in a resurrection.
Genesis 22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife.
But Isaac grew suspicious. The fire and wood are here . . . but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? (Genesis 22:7), he asked. God himself will provide the lamb (Genesis 22:8), said Abraham. In fact, Abraham spoke better than he knew. God would provide the perfect lamb: the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
We shouldn’t miss the parallel between Isaac carrying the wood to his sacrifice, and Jesus carrying the wood to his sacrifice. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ (Colossians 2:17), wrote Paul.
If you stand outside on a sunny afternoon, you’ll cast a shadow that portrays your likeness. And if you read the Old Testament carefully, you’ll find the shadow of Christ in many places. Abraham and Isaac had no idea of the greater significance their story would have. But here we see the shadow of Christ in Isaac and, to some degree, the heavenly Father in Abraham.
This is also a mark of inspiration. The Bible has many human authors, but only one divine author. It has many little stories, but only one big story that binds them all together. If the Bible was a puzzle, there’d be many pieces, but only one picture. And right in the center would be the crucifixion of the Son of God.
Genesis 22:9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
Isaac was at least an adolescent by this time, since he was able to carry the wood (Genesis 22:6). We might expect a struggle as Abraham tied him up, since most people would fight for their lives. But Isaac trusted his father even in death. Jesus could’ve also fought for his life, but he also trusted his Father in death. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me (John 5:39), he said.
Genesis 22:10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
Abraham’s son was laying on the altar, and the knife was now unsheathed. From Abraham’s perspective, his son was good as dead. Nothing is harder than the death of a child, as many parents will testify. Obedience to God isn’t always easy, but nothing less will do.
Genesis 22:11-12 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham! Here I am, he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.
Because he was willing to sacrifice his son, Abraham’s loyalty could never again be questioned. And because God was willing to sacrifice his Son, his loyalty can never be questioned either. Some things can only be proven through sacrifice.
Genesis 22:14 Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.
Abraham looked up and saw a ram in a bush which he sacrificed in place of Isaac. He called that place, The Lord Will Provide, and five hundred years later, when Moses wrote this story down, they were still saying: On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided—on that particular mountain—in the region of Moriah.
Moriah is only mentioned twice in the Bible. Take your son . . . to the region of Moriah (Genesis 22:2) and the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem [was built] on Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1).
It was just a hilltop when Abraham arrived but, centuries later, it’s where the temple of God was built. It’s where God provided a ram for Isaac, and where thousands of sheep were sacrificed. Then came Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who also died in the region of Moriah. So on the mountain of the Lord, it really was provided.
The people in the story had no idea they were foreshadowing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son seemed morally repugnant at first. But when we see that God provided a substitute (first the ram, then his Son) we perceive the glory of God and his purpose for this story.
Notice again the many parallels between the shadow in Isaac, and the reality in Christ. Isaac was the dearly loved son of Abraham, and Jesus is the dearly loved Son of God. Isaac went to the region of Moriah, and Jesus went to the region of Moriah. Isaac went willingly for his father, and Jesus went willingly for his Father.
Isaac carried the wood for his sacrifice, and Jesus carried the wood for his sacrifice. Isaac trusted his father unto death, and Jesus trusted his Father unto death. Isaac rose from the dead figuratively, and Jesus rose from the dead literally. Isaac was the son promised to Abraham, and Jesus was the Son promised to world.
But there’s also an important difference: Isaac didn’t have to die because God provided a substitute; Jesus did have to die because he was the substitute. [God] did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all (Romans 8:32), wrote Paul. Jesus died for our sins so that we could live forever. He is our substitute.
Reflection and Review
What is disturbing about this story?
How is the Bible like a puzzle?
How does Isaac remind us of Christ?
Abraham must’ve wondered what kind of God would give him a child, and then demand the child be killed. The God of the Bible is not who we expect, and Abraham doesn’t seem any better. Anyone who kills his son because he thinks God told him to is mentally unstable. This story is off to a terrible start.
Genesis 22:3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
As Abraham cut the wood that morning he probably wondered, What kind of God would ask me to do this? How can I explain this to my wife? What will people think of me? Should I trust God, or run away from him?
The Bible hadn’t been written yet, but Abraham personified an important truth. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6), says Proverbs.
Genesis 22:4-5 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He 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.
Over the course of their journey, Abraham worked through the question, How could a good God tell me to kill my son? He concluded that God would raise him from the dead. This is why he said, We will worship and then we will come back to you (Hebrews 11:19). Abraham was so convinced that God was good, if God told him to sacrifice his son, it would result in a resurrection.
Genesis 22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife.
But Isaac grew suspicious. The fire and wood are here . . . but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? (Genesis 22:7), he asked. God himself will provide the lamb (Genesis 22:8), said Abraham. In fact, Abraham spoke better than he knew. God would provide the perfect lamb: the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
We shouldn’t miss the parallel between Isaac carrying the wood to his sacrifice, and Jesus carrying the wood to his sacrifice. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ (Colossians 2:17), wrote Paul.
If you stand outside on a sunny afternoon, you’ll cast a shadow that portrays your likeness. And if you read the Old Testament carefully, you’ll find the shadow of Christ in many places. Abraham and Isaac had no idea of the greater significance their story would have. But here we see the shadow of Christ in Isaac and, to some degree, the heavenly Father in Abraham.
This is also a mark of inspiration. The Bible has many human authors, but only one divine author. It has many little stories, but only one big story that binds them all together. If the Bible was a puzzle, there’d be many pieces, but only one picture. And right in the center would be the crucifixion of the Son of God.
Genesis 22:9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
Isaac was at least an adolescent by this time, since he was able to carry the wood (Genesis 22:6). We might expect a struggle as Abraham tied him up, since most people would fight for their lives. But Isaac trusted his father even in death. Jesus could’ve also fought for his life, but he also trusted his Father in death. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me (John 5:39), he said.
Genesis 22:10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
Abraham’s son was laying on the altar, and the knife was now unsheathed. From Abraham’s perspective, his son was good as dead. Nothing is harder than the death of a child, as many parents will testify. Obedience to God isn’t always easy, but nothing less will do.
Genesis 22:11-12 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, Abraham! Abraham! Here I am, he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.
Because he was willing to sacrifice his son, Abraham’s loyalty could never again be questioned. And because God was willing to sacrifice his Son, his loyalty can never be questioned either. Some things can only be proven through sacrifice.
Genesis 22:14 Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.
Abraham looked up and saw a ram in a bush which he sacrificed in place of Isaac. He called that place, The Lord Will Provide, and five hundred years later, when Moses wrote this story down, they were still saying: On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided—on that particular mountain—in the region of Moriah.
Moriah is only mentioned twice in the Bible. Take your son . . . to the region of Moriah (Genesis 22:2) and the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem [was built] on Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1).
It was just a hilltop when Abraham arrived but, centuries later, it’s where the temple of God was built. It’s where God provided a ram for Isaac, and where thousands of sheep were sacrificed. Then came Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who also died in the region of Moriah. So on the mountain of the Lord, it really was provided.
The people in the story had no idea they were foreshadowing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son seemed morally repugnant at first. But when we see that God provided a substitute (first the ram, then his Son) we perceive the glory of God and his purpose for this story.
Notice again the many parallels between the shadow in Isaac, and the reality in Christ. Isaac was the dearly loved son of Abraham, and Jesus is the dearly loved Son of God. Isaac went to the region of Moriah, and Jesus went to the region of Moriah. Isaac went willingly for his father, and Jesus went willingly for his Father.
Isaac carried the wood for his sacrifice, and Jesus carried the wood for his sacrifice. Isaac trusted his father unto death, and Jesus trusted his Father unto death. Isaac rose from the dead figuratively, and Jesus rose from the dead literally. Isaac was the son promised to Abraham, and Jesus was the Son promised to world.
But there’s also an important difference: Isaac didn’t have to die because God provided a substitute; Jesus did have to die because he was the substitute. [God] did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all (Romans 8:32), wrote Paul. Jesus died for our sins so that we could live forever. He is our substitute.
Reflection and Review
What is disturbing about this story?
How is the Bible like a puzzle?
How does Isaac remind us of Christ?