Drawing Near: Mt Moriah

Intro

Good morning and welcome to Iglesia Bautista Horeb. If everyone can turn their bibles to Genesis 22. Thank you so much again for joining us this morning as we continue our series in Mountain tops. There was something Nohan said last week that really stuck with me and it was something to the extent that God draws near at the mountain top. This week we are going to look at how God draws near at Mt. Moriah.

Genesis 22:1–19 ESV

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 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.” 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. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 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.” 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. 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?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 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. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 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.” 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. 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.” And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

I know that was a lot of text to get through, but if I fail anywhere in this sermon, at least you heard the Word of God.

Wha hap you?

There are a few things that I want us to know as we dive in. I’m not gonna do an exhaustive historical theology, I promise. First is, who wrote this? Does anyone know who wrote Genesis? Moses. Now, something we have to remember is that Moses wrote Genesis, and really the Pentateuch, to teach God’s people about the God that had rescued them from Egypt. And as we heard last week, God rescued Israel from bondage but they didn’t know their rescuer, which is where the commandments step in, where the fear comes from and how even though God was drawing near to them, they didn’t know him. So how does this portion of scripture help us know God better? I’m glad you asked, but don’t get ahead of me!

Moses writes this story about Abraham the father of the whole nation. The one to who God promised a nation that would bless nations and so far in this story it’s looking quite stark. Abraham and Sarah finally have the promised child after 25 years of trying.

I don’t know how many of you are trying to have kids right now, but I know that for priscilla and I it took a while to conceive, but not 25 years. We started having kids in our 30’s and for us that was a struggle. But I will say this, if you are in this season of trying to have kids, take heart, not because it’s funny to say at least it didn’t take 25years, but because their age and the amount of time it took, abraham and sarah, after 25years of trying and going around God, they had their own child. Take heart and seek God’s will in this season for you.

So, getting back to it, imagine that after 25years of trying, then having and enjoying your child for several years. Some say a teenager or a young adult. God comes to you and asks you to do to us the unthinkable, to abraham, the thinkable but saddening. Meaning this, in His time human sacrifice was thing. Not saying that it was happening all day long, but that in certain Pagan religions this was something that happened, so to Abraham it would’ve sucked but probably wasn’t too surprising. And kind of like how God resets Israel in the desert by providing and reshaping their thoughts, God does that here. God, by providing a sacrifice for Abraham, proves himself to be a provider and someone who doesn’t want his people to sacrifice someone created in the image of God. So here we see the precedent set and drives whom the point that we to not murder.

So now put yourself in their mindset, how would they have seen this story? I beleve they would’ve seen three things: 1. God is faithful and his promises are true, the promised child was born

2.God doesn’t want anyone offered to him in worship. There was something dope that Nohan had brought to mind. That in this 3 day hike Abraham had the time to soak in what God was asking him to do. What would he call it, worship.

Genesis 22:5 ESV

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.”

Abraham understood that he would be offering up worship to God.

3. Last but not least they would’ve seen that God provides. Just as they experieinced his provision in the desert, Abraham was provided a offering in place of his son.

What about us?

Now how should we look at this as people of the covenant of grace? Firstly, we should look at it the same was as Israel, God is faithful and his promises are true, doesn’t want us to sacrifice humans and that God ultimately provides.

Another way to look at this as new covenant believers is from a redemptive historical lens. Meaning this, That all of the bible is the history of God’s plan for salvation unfolding and that every Story in the OT in one way or another leads to christ and that in it we see types and shadows of the coming reality. A quick and easy one, david and Goliath. A quick redemptive historical view of it is this, We are Israel cowering before Goliiath, sin and death, Jesus is David slaying Goliath(sin and death). David , got the glory, Jesus gets the glory and receive freedom from sin and death. The connection in that story goes so much deeper, but you get the picture. We are never the hero in these stories.

So what are some connections? Glad you asked, Nohan sent me this and it was too good not to share. here are some similarities

1. Both fulfilled PROMISES: Isaac was the long-promised son to Abraham (Genesis 12:3) Jesus was the long-promised Messiah and Son of God (Genesis 3:15; 13:3, John 1:1-12) 2. Both were the ONLY SON of their father: God said that Isaac was “Your son, your only son, whom you live…” to Abraham(Genesis 22: 2) God said “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!” (Matthew 3:16, 17). 3. Both had a MIRACULOUS BIRTH: Isaac was born to parents who were very old - Genesis 18:13. Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary, and conceived by the Holy Spirit - Luke 1:34-35. 4. Both had a conception and birth that was PRE-ANNOUNCED - Genesis 18:10 & Luke 1:30–31. 5. Both were NAMED before their birth - Genesis 17:19 & Matthew 1:21. 7. Both were UNDESERVING of their sacrificial death - Genesis 22:2, Luke 23:41. 8. Both were sacrificed near the very SAME PLACE - Genesis 22:3 & Matthew 27:33. 9. Both were LOVED by their fathers (Genesis 22:2; Matthew 3:16, 17). 10. Both had a THREE-DAY experience: Isaac had a 3-day hike to Mt. Moriah. Jesus had 3 days from the cross to the grave to the resurrection. 11. Both WERE accompanied by TWO MEN: Isaac by two servants (Genesis 22:3) Jesus by two thieves (Matthew 27:38) 12. Both carried their own WOOD: Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice (Genesis 22:6). Jesus carried the crossbeam of his cross (John 19:17). 13. Both SUBMITTED to their father: Isaac willingly laid down his life, submitting to his father (Genesis 22:9). Jesus submitted to his Father’s will and laid down his life for our sin (Luke 22:42, Romans 5:8). 14. Both asked a QUESTION of their father: Isaac asked Abraham “Here is the fire and the wood, Father, but where is the lamb? (Gen. 22:7). Jesus cried “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” from the cross (Matthew 27:46). 15. Both were BROUGHT BACK from the dead: Isaac was “brought back” figuratively (Genesis 22:12) Jesus rose from the dead 3 days after he was crucified (Matthew 28:6-7).

Those are some providential similarities. But lets go next level with it. Jesus is more like the ram that was bound and offered up in place of Isaac. Jesus was foreshadowed by Isaac, but more than that JEsus was foreshadowed in the ram. Death was meant for one and the other substituted. Death was meant for us, Jesus stepped in. Another interested tidbit is that Isaac is the only sacrifice that was tied down on the altar and offered up. In tabernacle/Temple worship the sacrifices we slaughtered outside and offered inside. Guess who else fits this sacrificial discription? Jesus. Jesus was bound and sacrificed, for us, In our place. Where we as isaac were bound and held down to die by the weight of our sin, Jesus died in our place, bound physically, but more importantly he was bound by our sin and his offering was the ultimate sacrifice and substitution for us.

God spoke to abraham again and said:

Genesis 22:17–18 ESV

I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

We are recipients of this blessing poured on to abraham. We are part of “all the nations”, a gentile non-Jewish people have been purchased by the blood of christ. From foreshadow to reality. Where God spoke in this Land of appearance, which is what moriah means, We get to experince God as faithful promise maker who saves and preserves his people and provides for our needs. He spoke that then on that mountain and we here it resounding in our lives now. Experiencing these truths in Jesus Christ.

There is nothing stronger Of the wonder working power of the blood That calls us sons and daughters We are ransomed by the Father Through the blood