The Sacrifice of Faith: Isaac as a Type of Christ

Genesis 22

Bible Passage: Ge 22:1-24

One Chapter ago- Birth of Isaac.

25 years of waiting. Finally got him.

You would almost expect a few chapters in between the birth and what we are talking about tonight.

God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son.

C. S. Lewis says that pain is God’s megaphone to arouse a deaf world.

We know something isn’t right with this world. Even an atheist would agree with that.

Different reasoning behind it. different solution.

But for the Christian- why would God say to do this?

Finally- get the promise only for Him to lay it down?

25 years is a long time-

Star Wars Episode I

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was the top TV show.

Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial- we have had 7 presidential elections since Clinton’s last term.

George Strait had his 35th #1 Country Billboard song with “Write this Down.”

Tiger Woods won his first PGA championship

John Elway won his 2nd consecutive Superbowl and retired.

The Matrix was released

Y2K and the collapse of civilization as we knew it.

25 years is a long time when he think about it. It goes by quickly though.

Why would God do this?

J. I. Packer says it this way: “And still He seeks the fellowship of His people and He sends them both sorrows and joys in order to detach their love from other things and attach it to Himself.”

Summary: Genesis 22 narrates the story of Abraham's faith test when God commands him to sacrifice his son Isaac, showcasing both the gravity of faith and the foreshadowing of Christ's ultimate sacrifice.

Application: This passage calls Christians to reflect on their own trust in God's plans, even when they are difficult to understand. It encourages us to surrender our most cherished dreams and loves to God, knowing that His purposes are greater than our own.

Teaching: The sermon could teach about how Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac reveals profound truths about faith, obedience, and God's provision. It highlights that through obedience and trust, blessings and covenant promises are often realized, which is central to Christian belief.

How this passage could point to Christ: In Genesis 22, Isaac symbolizes the innocent sacrifice who carries wood for his own offering, foreshadowing Jesus who carries the cross for humanity's redemption. This typology demonstrates how the Old Testament prefigures the New Testament fulfillment in Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Big Idea: Faith in God often leads us to places that test our limits, yet within these trials, we discover that God is both our provider and the ultimate fulfillment of His promises through Jesus Christ.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider diving into the Hebrew text of Genesis 22:1-24 using Logos to examine the original words for sacrifice and provision. Investigate the theological significance of Isaac's role as a sacrificial figure, and explore how early Jewish interpretations shape our understanding of this passage. A comparison of the sacrifice of Isaac with the crucifixion narratives in the Gospels could also yield rich insights into the typological links.

1. Abraham's Astounding Obedience

Genesis 22:1–8 (ESV)

1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Verse 2: And God said, “Take your son, your only son.” Underline those words—we’re coming back to them. “Your only son Isaac, whom you love.” Underline “your only son.” “And go to the land of Moriah.” Circle that. “And offer…” Underline offer. “Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Now, let’s read it as a whole: “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.

God, in a test to Abraham, says, Bring your son, your only son, the one that you love—you’re going to take him to Moriah. You’re going to offer him as a burnt offering. And then in verse 3, look at what Abraham does: “Abraham rose early.”

That’s obedience

Delayed obedience is disobedience.

I don’t know about you, but when I feel like God is leading me to do something that’s going to be very difficult for me, I have to pray about it for a while. And I am pro prayer, unless you’re using prayer as an excuse to not be obedient to God.

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.”

Really, in Hebrew, he is saying, We will go and we will be back.

If you want to better understand your Bible, you can always interpret the Scriptures with the Scripture. Use the Bible as commentary unto itself.

In Galatians 3: 8, Paul tells us that God “preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham.”

And if you look in Hebrews 11: 17–19, the writer tells us that Abraham had faith in the resurrected Christ (see also Romans 4) even if he killed his own son, God was able to raise him from the dead.

What we know by name, Abraham believed by faith—that God was sending a Messiah for the salvation of all. Hebrews 11 and Romans 4 let us know that somehow Abraham trusted God and the power of His resurrection all the way back then.

In that moment, Abraham is believing—even when his circumstances give him no cause to believe—“ God, I will be obedient to You, and I will do what You say, because I know that You are who You say You are and You always keep Your promises.

And even if I go through with this, You are the God of the living and You can bring back my son.”

NOTICE

The son carries the wood. The father carries the instrument of death and fire for the sacrifice.- I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself but this is a foreshadowing.

Same mountain- much bigger event.

They got the word- they got the fire. Where is the lamb?

Key question.

Most theologians and commentators say Isaac was seventeen or eighteen years old. Strong enough to carry the wood, and he had the cognitive reasoning to look and ask questions.

Not only is Abraham trusting that God is who He says He is and that He always keeps His promises, but Isaac is trusting in his dad.

2. God's Gracious Provision

Genesis 22:9–14 (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.”

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.”

And so Abraham called the name of the place, the LORD will provide, Jehovah-jireh. And it is said, to this day, on the mountain of the LORD, it shall be provided.

God intervenes- providing a Ram.

A substitute sacrifice.

Perhaps you could delve into the moment when Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac and God intervenes, providing a ram instead. This symbolizes God's provision and prefigures Christ as the ultimate sacrifice. This point suggests that in the midst of our trials, we can trust that God will provide and will not ask of us more than we can bear. It also invites listeners to see Jesus as the Lamb provided for our salvation, reinforcing the notion of substitutionary atonement.

3. Promises Amidst Provings

Genesis 22:15–19 ESV

15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 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, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

This is messianic prophecy spoken by God some fifteen hundred years before Jesus: Abraham, one day, this boy of yours is going to have a couple kids, and one of his kids is going to have twelve kids, and those twelve boys will become twelve tribes.

And then one day those tribes will become a nation, and out of that nation will come the Messiah for the entire world. And because of Him, the very ends of the earth will be blessed.

Remember when Abraham says, And on this mountain, the Lord shall provide a lamb? Remember where he’s standing when he says that. On Mount Moriah. The word Moriah means “foreseen by God.” You can’t make this stuff up. I mean, really—think about it.

The real point of Genesis 22, and the point of the entire Bible, is the gospel of Jesus Christ to the glory of God.

Maybe you could discuss how God's reaffirmation of His promises to Abraham follows Abraham's demonstration of faith. Highlight God's covenant and how it points to the blessings found in Christ. This encourages believers to cling to God's promises, trusting that faithfulness and obedience lead to blessings. Reference the theme of God's unfolding promise, fulfilled ultimately through Jesus, as a way to inspire hope and assurance in God's faithfulness.

4. Future Foreshadowed

The most famous Christian verse ever. The point is John 3: 16. Even if you’re new to Bible study, you’ve probably heard this one. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal

Genesis 22- Isaac wasn’t the only son of Abraham

Jesus is the only begotten son of God the Father.

1. The most important thing about you is what do you think about when you think about God.- AW Tozer

Jesus refers to God as heavenly Father 189 times in the New Testament.

There is no clearer picture of the Cross and the sacrifice the Father made for us in Christ than Genesis chapter 22. Notice the powerful parallels between Isaac and Christ. Isaac is one of the clearest types of Christ in the Old Testament.

Where is the lamb?

John 1:29 ESV

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

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)

Test of Faith

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.

Test of Faith

Both had a THREE-DAYexperience:

•Isaac had a 3-day hike to Mt. Moriah.

•Jesus had 3 days from the cross to the grave to the resurrection.

Test of Faith

Both WERE accompanied by TWO MEN:

•Isaac by two servants (Genesis 22:3)

•Jesus by two thieves (Matthew 27:38)

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).

The Father is the one who held the

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).

Test of Faith

Both were BROUGHT BACK from the dead:

Isaac was “brought back” figuratively (Genesis 22:12) by the faith of Abraham.

Jesus rose from the dead 3 days after he was crucified (Matthew 28:6-7).

It takes place on the same mountain.

David took the Ark to Jerusalem on Mount Moriah- threshing floor

Solomon built the temple on that Threshing Floor.

Jesus took his cross- His Wood- to Golgotha the place place of the skull which is the same area where God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

God provided a substitute for Isaac.

Jesus is our substitute for us.

Romans 8:32 (ESV)

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

To understand the trinity is to lose your mind- to deny the Trinity is to lose your soul.

God sent God to fully and completely satisfy the Wrath of God so whoever put their trust in God can be in eternal relationship with God.

Jehovah Jireh- The God Who Provides

“So 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.”

Genesis 22:14