The Binding of Isaac

We can look at Genesis in two divisions:

Chapters 1-11 are pre-history. God creates the world. Mankind rebels against God in the garden. The first murder is against the one God favors—but God spares Cain. The descendants of Cain rely on themselves instead of God. Mankind spreads across the face of the earth. Mankind is evil and even the line of Seth (vs. line of Cain) becomes corrupted (sons of God marry the daughters of men). The whole word is evil, except one man, Noah. Noah preaches for 400 years. God destroys the earth in a flood, but saves one man’s family. God re-creates the world and give a new command to Noah, an expanded version of the one he gave to Adam. Mankind does not want to spread across the earth this time, though. Men build a tower at Babel to become like God (like Eve did). God scatters mankind around the world through language.

Chapters 12-50 begin “history”. Now there are cities, kings, and other things we are familiar with. This also begins the history of Israel, the story of the family who would become Israel while living in Egypt. It is the story of how God created a people for himself at Hebron ( the “Hebrews”). God called Terah from out of Ur of the Chaldees (in Mesopotamia, just downriver from Babel/Babylon). Terah disobeys and his son, Abraham, is obedient to the promise instead. In chapter 12, God promises to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendents. But Abraham doesn’t have any descendants yet! But God promises that all the earth will be blessed through Abraham. Abraham will do what Adam could not.

Like everyone, though, Abraham is disobedient. God tells Abraham that his descendents will be like the stars of the sky. Abraham, despite his old age, will have a son. Abraham believes God, and “it is credited him as righteousness”. God tells Abraham that his descendents will live in a foreign land for 400 years, but then God will free them. Abraham disobeys God, taking Hagar the slave and having a son through her instead of his wife, Sarah. Only trouble comes from this.

Abraham has a son through Sarah (who laughed at the idea of a child in her old age, but soon had faith herself). This “only begotten” son Isaac will inherit all the promises from Adam to Abraham.

Terah could not let go of his past in Ur. Abraham has faith in God and lets go of his past. Abraham learns to have faith in God for his security, his family, and his body. But will Abraham believe the promises of God and have faith that God will bless the earth through his son? Will Abraham let go of his future this time, unlike his sin with Hagar?

Questions

How do you feel when people start acting differently?

Does God test us?

Do you ever feel like you are part of God’s plan for someone else?

Genesis 22:1–6 CSB

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together.

Genesis 22:7–11 CSB

Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.”

Genesis 22:12–19 CSB

Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.” Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies. And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.” Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-sheba.

Child sacrifice was common in the ancient world. Fertility gods demanded sacrifice of the produce that they helped produce, so people thought. This included grain, livestock, and children. God “hates” child sacrifice (Dt. 12:31, other places). Why did God command Abraham to do something that he himself hates?

Three answers:

By stopping the child sacrifice, God gave an example of what he really feels. He did not allow the child to be sacrificed. But he will sacrifice his own son...

God gave an example of how he will save through substitutionary atonement, that is, substituting something to take punishment or make payment in exchange for another who is saved/forgiven. OT priests substituted animals to atone for their own sins, a practice which foreshadowed the substitution of Jesus for the sins of the world.

By faith, Abraham really did understand this to be different than the child sacrifice of the Canaanites. Heb. 11:17-19 says that Abraham expected God to raise his son. James 2 says that Abraham’s faith was made complete through his works (esp. this one).

Do you have a harder time giving up your past, your present, or your future to God’s promises?