Substitutionary Sacrifice

Genesis 22:1–14 (ESV)

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

On May 2, 1962, Gladys Kidd placed a dramatic advertisement in the San Francisco Examiner, “I don’t want my husband to die in the gas chamber for a crime he did not commit. I will therefore offer my services for 10 years as a cook, maid, or housekeeper to any leading attorney who will defend him and bring about his vindication.”

Vincent Hallinan, one of San Francisco’s best lawyers saw the advertisement, felt pity, and contacted the woman. He took on the case and ended up getting the innocent man released from all charges. Afterward, the attorney refused the lady’s offer of ten years of service, noting that he was satisfied to have saved an innocent man from death.

One of the most touching shows of humanity is selfless love. Stories of kindhearted humans helping others with no kickback or reward offsets the grimness of news and gives hope of good in the world. Yet as Christians, we know a stronger kind of love, a love that gives the ultimate sacrifice.

But there was a substitutionary sacrifice made years before Christ. We see this picture in the faith, the obedience, the sacrifice, and the substitution made between Abraham and Isaac.

Faith

Genesis 22:1–3 ESV

1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Why would God tell Abraham to sacrifice his only son as an offering to God? God wanted to show—forever picture—that the sacrifice He wants is a spiritual and living sacrifice. God’s concern is the spiritual sacrifice of man’s body, not a human sacrifice. God wants man to offer his body as a living sacrifice. God does not want people offering their children and beautiful women to God by laying them upon altars and killing them. God wants people offering themselves and their families as living sacrifices to Him. God wanted to show—forever picture—the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary, the sacrifice of God’s very own Son for the sins of the world. There are many similarities between the offering of Abraham’s son, Isaac, and the offering of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Obedience

Genesis 22:4–8 ESV

4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

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God’s instructions had pierced Abraham’s heart, cut him to the core. He was hurting within, suffering the most severe pain imaginable. His thoughts were bound to be bouncing around wondering, questioning:

How could God tell me to offer my son as a sacrifice?

How can I sacrifice my own son, the son of my heart and of my life? Would I not rather die myself than him?

What about the promise? God, you promised and gave Your Word that Isaac was the promised son, that he was to be the father of nations, that through his descendents the promised seed would come, the Savior of the World? If I sacrifice Isaac, how can all this happen? How can you fulfill your promise?

On and on, the rampaging thoughts and questions must have flooded Abraham’s mind. But note: his questions—his inability to resolve the problem—did not keep Abraham from obeying God. Abraham obeyed God. He did not understand; nevertheless, he set about doing exactly what God had told him to do.

This fact is of extreme importance: while Abraham was thinking through the sacrifice, he was obeying God, and while he was obeying God, he was thinking through the sacrifice. Not understanding the problem did not keep Abraham from obeying God. Abraham was committed to obeying God whether he understood the problem or not.

Abraham believed that God would raise up Isaac from the dead, if need be. Abraham knew that God’s Word—His promise—was true: his son would live and give rise to nations of people and to the promised seed, the Savior of the world. Therefore, God would raise Isaac from the dead, if need be, to fulfill His promise. Abraham’s trust in God had grown so much that he actually believed that God would resurrect Isaac. He was learning—really learning—what total surrender meant. Abraham was casting himself completely upon God.

Abraham and Isaac had a tender walk together up to the top of the mountain. Abraham was bound to be hurting, his heart suffering a piercing pain as though a knife had been thrust into his soul. He would have been preoccupied, in deep, intense thought. As they walked along together, drawing closer and closer to the place of sacrifice, Isaac would have sensed that something was bearing ever so heavily upon his father. Note that Isaac asked where they were going to get a lamb for the sacrifice.

Abraham again showed his great trust in God by simply saying that God Himself would provide the lamb for the offering. True, Abraham knew that God could raise Isaac from the dead if need be. But Abraham also knew that God could stop him and provide a lamb if He so willed.

What is it that stirs us to sacrifice our lives to God, to make an absolute surrender to Him? Trust, believing that God has the power to raise us up and use us. And God does: He does have the power to take our lives, raise them up, and use them for good throughout the whole world. We must, therefore, trust God and sacrifice our lives in absolute surrender to Him—for the sake of the world, the needy and lost of the world.

Sacrifice

Genesis 22:9–12 ESV

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

It had been three days since God had instructed Abraham to make the supreme sacrifice, to offer his own son as a sacrifice to God. Abraham had three long days to agonize over the matter. For three days—days that had passed far too quickly—Abraham had taken weary step after weary step, with a heart so heavy that he must have felt as though it would burst. Now, father and son had reached the fatal place.

Abraham made final preparations. He built an altar and laid the wood on the altar, and then the fatal, final moment came to bind and offer the sacrifice. Would Abraham do it? Did Abraham love God enough to obey His Word, to make the supreme sacrifice to God? To offer his own son as a sacrifice to God? Scripture tells us in tense, graphic statements: “[Abraham] bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son”.

Abraham actually bound and laid the sacrifice, his own son, on the altar. But note also that Isaac willingly let his father bind and offer him. Abraham was an elderly man, and Isaac was probably around twenty years old. Isaac could have easily overcome his father and fled away, but Scripture says nothing about a struggle.

Abraham actually offered up the sacrifice, made the absolute surrender to God. He reached out and took the knife to slay his son. Abraham was obeying God: he loved God more than anything; therefore, he would obey God no matter the cost. He was willing to sacrifice everything, to give and offer everything to God.

God accepted the sacrifice and surrender of Abraham’s heart. He called out to stop Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. When Abraham reached out and took the knife to slay his son, God knew that Abraham was totally surrendered to Him. God knew that Abraham’s heart belonged to Him—totally and absolutely.

Within his heart, Abraham had offered the supreme sacrifice to God. Within his heart, Abraham had made the absolute surrender of himself to God.

God wants people to sacrifice their lives—their hearts, spirits, and bodies—to Him. He wants people to surrender themselves—totally and absolutely, but He wants them living, not dead. God accepts a living sacrifice, not a dead one.

Substitution

Genesis 22:13–14 ESV

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

God provided a substitute sacrifice. God gave Abraham a ram to offer as a substitute for Isaac. Abraham worshipped God and memorialized the place forever (v. 14). He named the place the mountain of the LORD, Jehovah-Jireh. The Hebrew means the LORD provides. And provide He did. The LORD met Abraham’s need: He gave Abraham a substitute sacrifice instead of his son.

Closing

Even though we see the picture of Abraham and Isaac, it prepared us for the coming sacrifice of God as Jesus would be the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. Today, He asks us to sacrifice ourselves - substituting self for a life to God. Jehovah-Jireh, The Lord Will Provide. We know The Lord HAS Provided - are we willing to die to self, to accept the substitution of Jesus for remission of our sins, and to die to self so that we can fully follow Him?

Romans 12:1 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Jehovah-Jireh, The Lord Will Provide. We know The Lord HAS Provided - are we willing to die to self, to accept the substitution of Jesus for remission of our sins, and to die to self so that we can fully follow Him?