Resurrection Faith
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Text: Genesis 22
1 Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.
2 “Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
3 So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told his servants. “The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you.”
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. He himself carried the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.
7 Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” “Here I am, my son,” he replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” said Isaac, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place God had designated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 Just then the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram in a thicket, caught by its horns. So he went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
14 And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time,
16 saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
17 I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
18 And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
19 Abraham went back to his servants, and they got up and set out together for Beersheba. And Abraham settled in Beersheba.
20 Some time later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has also borne sons to your brother Nahor:
21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram),
22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
23 And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.
24 Moreover, Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
PRAY
Introduction
What in this world is most precious to you? What would be the hardest thing for you to give up if God asked you to?
Job
TV
Music
House
Country
Friend
Child
(My sister’s loss of a child?)
Background
Abraham had already left behind his native land. He left Ur of the Chaldeans with his family in response to God’s initial call, and then later he left Haran, leaving behind his parents and other family members to go to the land God would show him.
God had promised him a land, offspring, and universal blessing through his offspring. For 25 years he had waited for God to give him a son with Sarah, and as we saw in Genesis 21, their son Isaac was finally born. After waiting for 25 years, they had seen God fulfill His promise and give them a son. And God clarified to them that Isaac was indeed the son of promise through whom the ultimate seed would someday come. He said, “through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
With these things in mind, let’s look at the text in Genesis 22.
God’s Test (v. 1-2)
God’s Test (v. 1-2)
1 Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.
2 “Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
Although Abraham’s death is not recorded until chapter 25, this is the last recorded exchange between Abraham and the LORD here in Genesis.
If you remember from Genesis 12, we saw there that God’s first words to Abram began with a command in Genesis 12:1, and now we see that His final words to Abram in Genesis 22 also begin with a command. If we compare these commands, there are some remarkable similarities:
12:1: Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. 22:2: Take your son,… your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.
Both commands have a triple object (12:1 — country, kindred, father’s household; 22:2 — your son, your only son, Isaac)
Both commands relate to giving up something precious to Abraham
Both commands involve going to a different land
Both commands involve a place which God will show to Abraham.
In Genesis 12, God’s command seemed to make sense in light of the promises He made to Abraham. God commanded him to leave behind his homeland, his parents, and other family members, but God promised him that he would become a great nation — he promised him land and offspring, and he promised that the whole world would be blessed through his offspring. So there, the promises of God seem to fit nicely with His command to Abraham, and I think His promises enabled Abraham’s obedience to God’s command. It’s easier to obey when we know there’s a reward for doing so.
But in Genesis 22, God’s command seems to conflict with His promise. God has promised that worldwide blessing will come through Isaac’s descendants, and now He commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. How does that make any sense? It would seem that God cannot fulfill His promise if Abraham obeys God’s command.
Well v. 1 tells us that this is a test. What is God testing here?
Faith
God is testing Abraham’s faith in Him and His promises. Will Abraham trust God even when he doesn’t understand? Will he continue to believe God’s promises even when it doesn’t make sense?
Love
God is also testing Abraham’s love. Notice that phrase in v. 2: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love” and sacrifice him. Does Abraham love his son Isaac more than he loves God? Or does He love God with all his heart?
Obedience
And both faith and love lead to obedience. God is testing Abraham’s obedience. Will Abraham faithfully obey God’s command even when he doesn’t understand? As we have talked about previously, and as we’ll see in v. 18, Abraham’s obedience is vital to the fulfillment of God’s promise. Will Abraham obey?
We don’t have to wait long at all to see Abraham’s response to this test from the LORD.
Abraham’s Obedience (v. 3-10)
Abraham’s Obedience (v. 3-10)
(Springing from faith)
3 So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated.
Note two details in v. 3 about Abraham’s obedience — it was immediate (early the next morning), and it was detailed obedience — preparing everything necessary and going to the exact place God told him.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
Chapter 21 ended with Abraham living among the Philistines in the far southern portion of Israel, so this is quite a distance for him to travel to Moriah, in the region of Jerusalem. Along the way he would have had plenty of time to change his mind, but he kept going.
5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told his servants. “The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you.”
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. He himself carried the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.
Consider another detail here:
How old was Isaac? I don’t know what you picture when you imagine this story, but I usually think of him being pretty young. But the word translated “boy” is the same word translated “servants” just two words earlier (it can refer to either a young man or sometimes more specifically a young man who is a servant).
But I believe that most of the time this refers to a boy who is at least a teenager. The fact that Isaac was strong enough to carry the wood also indicates he was not just a little boy. He was a strong young man. He could have easily resisted if he had chosen to, but he willingly submitted to God’s command.
7 Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” “Here I am, my son,” he replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” said Isaac, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two walked on together.
Abraham demonstrates faith in God’s provision of a substitute.
9 When they arrived at the place God had designated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
Notice again Abraham’s complete obedience to God’s command, despite how hard this must have been for him. Abraham trusted God, and he loved God more than anything, so he obeyed, even though he didn’t understand.
The Substitute (v. 11-14)
The Substitute (v. 11-14)
But Isaac didn’t have to die. God provided a substitute.
11 Just then the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
What does it mean to fear God? We often find the phrase “the fear of the LORD” in the OT, but what does it mean? I think this passage is one of the most helpful in explaining what it looks like to fear the LORD.
To fear the LORD is to
Listen to His voice
Trust what He says
Love Him more than anything
Obey His commands
God Himself affirms to Abraham that he feared God because Abraham had not withheld his only son from God. Instead, Abraham had heeded God’s Word, trusting in God’s promise, valuing God more than than he loved his son Isaac, and obeying God’s command even when he didn’t understand.
This is what it means to fear the LORD.
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram in a thicket, caught by its horns. So he went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
14 And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
God provided a substitute — a sacrifice to die in Isaac’s place.
God’s Oath (v. 15-19)
God’s Oath (v. 15-19)
15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time, 16 saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
17 I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
18 And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
God Swore by Himself (Hebrews 6:13–14 “When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.””)
Just as God had previously passed between the animal halves to guarantee His unwavering commitment to His covenant with Abraham, now He swears on His own life that He will surely bring about the fulfillment of His promises. There is no greater way for God to confirm the certainty of His promise than to guarantee it by His own life.
Three Promises Confirmed
Once again, God confirms to Abraham the three main promises of the covenant: land, offspring, and blessing.
Abraham’s offspring will be multiplied like the stars in number.
They will conquer the cities of their enemies — they will possess the land.
Through his offspring all nations of the world will be blessed.
Because You Have Obeyed My Voice
And God says all of this will happen, Abraham, “because you have obeyed My voice.”
As a result of Abraham’s obedience, God guaranteed the fulfillment of His covenant.
Before we go back to consider some more details from this first section, the chapter ends with a genealogy from Abraham’s brother Nahor. This will be significant later on.
The Sons of Nahor (v. 20-24)
The Sons of Nahor (v. 20-24)
20 Some time later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has also borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
23 And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.
24 Moreover, Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
We’ll see in Genesis 24 how Rebekah becomes the wife of Isaac in an amazing act of God’s providence.
But perhaps the most important thing about Genesis 22 is how it so clearly points forward to Jesus Christ.
Christ the True and Better Isaac
Christ the True and Better Isaac
Jesus Christ, Our Substitute — the True and Better Isaac
Christ, the true and better Isaac
Humble son of sacrifice
Who would climb the fearful mountain
There to offer up his life
Laid with faith upon the altar
Father's joy and only son
There salvation was provided
Oh, what full and boundless love
Phrases and details from Genesis 22 that point to Jesus:
Phrases and details from Genesis 22 that point to Jesus:
There are very few if any passages in the OT that more clearly point forward to Jesus than Genesis 22. Let’s look at 17 ways that this passage directs us toward Jesus.
Here I am v. 1, 7, 11; Isaiah 52.
Typology: Understanding the Bible’s Promise-Shaped Patterns; How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ §5.2. The Suffering Servant Recapitulates the Patterns
In the narrative when God tested father Abraham by calling on him to offer his son, his only son, whom he loved, Isaac, as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of Moriah (
Only Son v. 2, 12, 16
5 times, in John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9: Jesus is called “the one and only Son” or “only begotten Son” of God.
Beloved Son v. 2;
God the Father refers to Jesus as the beloved Son:
At Jesus’s baptism: (Matthew 3:17) “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
At the Transfiguration: (Mark 9:7) “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!”
And Paul speaks of “the kingdom of [God’s] beloved Son” in Colossians 1:13.
Offer him as an offering (v. 2, Rom 8:3; Eph 5:2; Hebrews 7:27, 9:14, 28)
Paul says in Romans 8:3, “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin.”
And he tells us in Ephesians 5:2 that “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.”
And the author of Hebrews speaks several times of how Christ offered up Himself as the offering for our sins.
The third day v. 4
8 times in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke we are told of Christ’s resurrection “on the third day.”
He told His disciples, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”
Wood for sacrifice placed on Isaac (v. 6)
Just as Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice, Jesus bore the wooden cross on which He would be sacrificed. Although we know that Simon of Cyrene was forced to help Jesus carry His cross, John 19:17 tells us that at least part of the way Jesus carried His own cross.
My father v. 7
Because we so often address God as Father, we may not realize how unusual it was when Jesus did so. The Jews of His day did not address God this way, so when Jesus addressed God this way, they knew He was claiming a special relationship with God. And He taught His disciples to address God this way too.
God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering (v. 7-8; John 1:29)
John the Baptist said of Jesus in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Jesus is the perfect, spotless Lamb sent from God to take away our sin.
Peter says in 1 Peter 1:18-19 that we have been redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.”
The book of Revelation refers to Christ as the Lamb 35 times. He is the Lamb that God has provided as an offering to take away our sin.
Author Steve Wellum says in his book Christ From Beginning to End,
“Whatever Abraham had in mind in saying, “God himself will provide the lamb,” he spoke better than he knew. In truth, God did provide a substitute for Isaac, hinting that God himself must ultimately provide the proper substitute to pardon human sin… God declares us just by grace through faith, yet the basis of our righteousness is found not in our righteous deeds but in the righteousness of God’s own provided substitute for us, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaac’s silence in v. 8-10; after asking about the lamb and receiving Abraham’s answer, he was silent the rest of the time as he was led to the slaughter. This implies Isaac’s willingness to obey God and be sacrificed.
Speaking of the coming Messiah, Isaiah 53:7 says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.”
And this is exactly what Jesus did as He was led to the slaughter: Matthew 27:12–14 records, “And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?” But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement.”
Bound (v. 9) — Abraham bound his son Isaac
Matthew 27:2 tells us how Jesus was bound: “They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.”
Atop the wood (v. 9) - as Isaac was placed on top of the wood, Jesus was placed on a wooden cross — the altar where He would give His life.
Galatians 3:13 tells us how Jesus was hung on a tree to bear the curse for us.
1 Peter 2:24 tells us how Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree.
Withheld your only son (v. 12; Rom 8:32) — Abraham is commended because He did not withhold his only son from the LORD.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:32 how God demonstrated His love to us: “He … did not spare [withhold] His own Son but gave Him up for us all…”
In place of (v. 13) — the ram God provided was a substitute. An offering to take the place of Isaac. Jesus is our substitute.
Romans 5:6 “For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for [in place of/instead of] the ungodly.”
Romans 5:8 “But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for [in place of/instead of] us.”
The LORD will provide (v. 14) — He names the place Yahweh Yireh — Yahweh will see to it.
From the beginning, since sin first entered the world in Genesis 3, God makes it clear that only He can take care of our sin problem. And He has committed Himself to doing so. He will see to it. He will provide the sacrifice to take away sin and restore His people to Himself.
On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided (v. 14)
For me one of the most fascinating details of this story has to do with the location of this sacrifice and its connection to two other sacrifices in the Bible.
With one exception, the phrase “the mountain of the LORD” in the OT refers to Jerusalem. (The one exception is in Numbers when it refers to Mt. Sinai)
Verse 2 tells us that the sacrifice would take place on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. Where is Moriah? Well, it’s only mentioned one other time in the Bible, in 2 Chronicles 3:1, where it says “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”
So Mount Moriah is one of the mountains of Jerusalem, the mountain chosen for the location of the temple. So Solomon’s temple was built on the mountain of the LORD — Mount Moriah, Jerusalem.
And although the Scriptures don’t indicate to us the exact place of Jesus’s crucifixion, we know it was on the mountains of Jerusalem — very possibly in a similar location to where Isaac was placed on the altar.
From Christ from Beginning to End:
Abraham’s walk with his son to Mount Moriah foreshadows the journey of another Father and Son on another mountain many years later… Isaac needed a substitute to die in his place, and God provided. Abraham hears the voice from heaven say, “Stop! There is another to take his place.” Yet when the Father and Son walk to Calvary, there is no voice saying, “Stop. Here is another.” The types and patterns of the Old Testament give way to fulfillment in the New, and no person can act as our substitute other than Jesus, God’s own Son.”
In the case of Abraham & Isaac in Gen. 22, before Abraham could kill his son, the angel of the LORD said, “Stop! Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him.” And a substitute was provided.
A thousand years later, in the same general location, it happened again, this time with David. In the case of David in 1 Chronicles 21, after he sinned in numbering the people, the angel of the LORD began destroying the people of Jerusalem, “but as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented from the calamity, and He said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!”
Remarkably similar, isn’t it? And David built an altar there and bought that location on Mt. Moriah for the temple.
Then, fast forward another thousand years, to the greater Son of Abraham and David. Although Jesus said in Matthew 26 that He could ask His Father to put at His disposal 12 legions of angels — 60 to 70 thousand angels — to stop His arrest and crucifixion, He was committed to His Father’s will and the fulfillment of the Scriptures. And so in Jesus’s case, unlike with Abraham and David, there was no voice saying, “Stop! Withdraw your hand now!”
Instead, Jesus bore the full fury of God’s wrath and judgment against sinners. He willingly suffered in our place in order to reconcile us to God. He became the substitute sacrifice for us.
On the mountain of the LORD it was provided, once and for all.
Covenant blessing because of obedience (v. 15-18; Rom 5:18-19)
In response to Abraham’s obedience, God confirms His covenant with him again, swearing an oath on the basis of His own life that He will fulfill His promises of land, offspring, and universal blessing through Abraham.
Abraham’s obedience here is incredible — perhaps greater than any act of obedience we’ve done — and yet we see that several times before this he has fallen short of perfect obedience.
And yet, someday, Abraham’s greater Son would come, whom the Scriptures repeatedly affirm to us is without sin. And by His perfect obedience He has gained eternal covenant blessing for all who trust in Him.
Paul contrasts Christ’s obedience with Adam’s sin in Romans 5:18–19 “So then, just as one trespass brought condemnation for all men, so also one act of righteousness brought justification and life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
And Hebrews 5:8-9 tells us that because of the obedience of Jesus, “He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”
Paul also tells us in Galatians 3:29, “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.”
Figurative Resurrection (v. 5, 12-13; Heb 11:17-19)
Abraham confidently said to his servants in Genesis 22:5, “We will return,” and in v. 12-13 God stopped him from killing Isaac and provided a substitute sacrifice, so they did in fact both return.
The author of Hebrews tells us what Abraham was thinking in Hebrews 11:17–19: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.”
Abraham believed in the resurrection.
Abraham had seen God resurrect Sarah’s dead womb to produce a son. And he believed that if God could do that, He is also able to raise Isaac from the dead if necessary in order to fulfill His promise.
And although Isaac’s resurrection was only figurative since he didn’t really die, Jesus really died and really rose from the dead. Isaac’s figurative resurrection was pointing forward to the real resurrection accomplished by Jesus.
I have to wonder if it was this specific event Jesus had in mind when He declared to the Jews in John 8:56,
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.”
Through this test, Abraham experienced perhaps the greatest foreshadowing of what his offspring, the Messiah, would one day come to accomplish.
Application:
Receive Jesus as your substitute
Receive Jesus as your substitute
Receive Jesus as your substitute. Trust His sacrifice in your place to take away your sins. Believe that He died for you and rose again. And for those who do already believe, give thanks for God’s amazing love in the gift of His Son, and for the beautiful way He foreshadowed it in this story.
Fear God like Abraham
Fear God like Abraham
Fear God like Abraham — listen to God’s Word; trust what He says; love Him more than anything, and obey His commands.
Check your heart. Is there anything that is more important to you than God? Is there anything God has told you to do that you are not willing to obey? If so, repent — trust and obey the Lord.
