Genesis 22:1-8
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Background
We take time during the Christmas season to remember and reflect upon the biblical story of Jesus Christ being born as the Son of Promise, the fulfillment of thousands of years of biblical prophecy.
It is fitting that last week we looked at the birth of another son of promise, Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham had waited 25 years for God’s promise to be fulfilled, an heir born of his own body to him by his wife Sarah. Now we will see what comes next in their story.
1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
This interaction may seem a bit strange to us, and in fact it is quite uncharacteristic of the God of the Bible to make such a demand. According to Scripture, this practice goes against God’s nature.
21 ‘You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.
31 “You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.
35 “They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
So why did God command this? We see in v. 1, to test Abraham.
22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it as their fathers did, or not.”
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests hearts.
Abraham was to take Isaac, called here his only son, to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him as a burnt offering.
TIMELINE
TIMELINE
What about Ishmael? As we’ve seen previously, Isaac was the son that was promised to Abraham, and the son that God’s chosen descendants would come from.
4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.”
19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
It was in Isaac that Abraham saw the hopes and fulfillment of God’s promises, and he was now asked to sacrifice him and give him back to God.
Abraham was faithful, and did what he was asked.
Sometimes God asks us to give up that which is precious to us.
Sometimes God asks us to give up that which is precious to us.
4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance.
5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”
6 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 the two of them walked on together.
7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
After 3 days of traveling, they arrived where they were headed.
Abraham goes alone with Isaac to worship.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
18 it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.”
19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
Notice a few things here:
Isaac was Abraham’s only begotten son.
Abraham understood that Isaac, the son of promise, was going to die.
Abraham knows that God is faithful to keep His promises, so if Isaac was to die, God would raise him from the dead.
Isaac was to be received back as a type… what is taking place here is a shadow of what is to come.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
God uses our life circumstances to point us back to Him.
God uses our life circumstances to point us back to Him.
Isaac asks a very important question: Where is the sacrifice?
Notice Abraham’s answer: God will provide for Himself the lamb for the offering.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took on flesh and gave Himself up as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, so that we might have salvation.
Like Abraham, we put our hope in God’s fulfillment of His promises.
12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Sometimes God asks us to give up that which is precious to us.
God uses our life circumstances to point us back to Him.
Tomorrow, we will see how this story unfolds.