Genesis - Lesson 8.....Abraham’s Test
1.Read Genesis 22. What was the test? What does the Bible say about God tempting man?
The test was God Requests Isaac as a Burnt Offering .we need to remember Abraham continued to believe and trust the God who had not only demanded the sacrifice of Isaac,but also who had promised the descendants through Isaac.
The word tempt here means, 'to try,' 'to test,' or 'to prove' (James 1:2, 3, 12). God brought this trial upon Abraham, not because he was angry at him, but because he loved him. The purpose of the trial was to prove to Abraham the reality of his faith and to reveal to Abraham the glory of his grace in Christ. When the trial was over, Abraham knew himself better than he did before. And he knew Christ better than he did before.
All through his life God had been preparing Abraham for this event. And now, 'it came to pass after these things.' Our great, sovereign God does all things 'in due time' (Rom. 5:6). And 'in the fulness of time' (Gal. 4:4). 'After these things' - After the fall, the flood, the exodus, the tabernacle, the law, the prophets, the kings, and the priests had all run their course, it pleased God to fulfil every prophecy, pattern, and promise of Holy Scripture by the sacrifice of his only begotten Son. All that came before were preparatory events, picturing and pointing to the hour when Christ would die (Acts 10:43; Lk. 24:27, 44-46).
2.What was Abraham’s response? What did this response show?
Abraham's response was immediate, without delay. He does not need to make excuses; he appears ready and waiting to hear from God. Don't you think God knew exactly where he was? and yet Abraham said 'here I am' as if he was eager to make connection.Genesis 12:2
Abraham’s Obedience (3-10)
Abraham Complies at Once (3-6)
He rose early in the morning.
Just as he rose early to cast out Hagar and Ishmael.
It is the command of God; he will not delay fulfilling it.
For even a delay prior to fulfilling would betray an unbelieving heart, hanging on to that which God has requested from him, as though he is wiser than God.
Abraham takes two servants with him
And he takes the very wood he will use to burn Isaac’s lifeless corpse.
What agony to this father to bring with him the implements of his son’s destruction!
What love from God the Father to create the tree on which his son, his only son, whom he loved, would be hanged and would die, perhaps less than a stone’s throw from Isaac’s altar.
On the third day, Abraham sees the place
He lifts up his eyes to that hill. Where will his help come from?
Here he is at the foot of the place and still God does not intervene.
From here, it is steep. They must proceed on foot.
With a sick feeling in his stomach he unloads the donkey and leaves it with the servants and tells them to wait.
He does not reveal his plans, but merely says that he and Isaac go to 'worship.'
How can they imagine what terrible heart-rending worship Abraham intends?
Yet with faith that God can bring Isaac back even from the dead and fulfill his promises through the seed of Abraham, Abraham says, 'We will return to you.'
He does not know how this may be possible.
But he has seen God do wondrous things
So he believes.
Children of God, must we not believe as well?
Whatever God does, however strange it seems…
Will he not make it right in the end?
Will he not fulfill all his promises to give us eternal life and an inheritance in heaven and everlasting fellowship with him in Christ?
So Abraham loads the wood on Isaac and they go
Just as he had laid water and bread on Hagar and sent her and his son away.
Yet those were implements of life. Here the implements are of death.
Isaac trudges up the hill, bearing his own cross. The wood he carries is the wood on which he will be slain and burned.
And he takes with him fire and a knife, the instruments with which he will destroy his son.
Abraham prepares to lay his iniquity on his son’s head, giving him as a sin offering.
Just as God himself will destroy his own son on the cross, laying on his head the iniquity of us all.
And they walk together, side by side, father and son. Companions who love one another.
God Tests Him further through Isaac (7,8)
Finally, Isaac breaks the silence with a plaintive question.
And really, it is God speaking through Isaac, testing Abraham further.
'My father,' Isaac says.
And just as Abraham had replied 'Here I am' to God, so now he replies 'Here I am, my son.'
'My son.' How that twists the knife in the wound. Even now, Abraham is not emotionally distancing himself from his beloved son, preparing for the inevitable.
Will Abraham survive this plea from his son? Will he do the will of God though it cost him all?
'Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb?'
What a poignant, sad, distressing question.
Does Isaac not yet know that HE is the lamb that will be slain?
He is innocent and unsuspecting as a sacrificial lamb ought to be.
He is being led as a sheep to the slaughter.
And as the sheep submits, not knowing the terror ahead, so Isaac.
Yet still, he wonders. Where will we find a lamb?
If we are here to make a sin offering, where is the lamb upon whose head we will place your sins and mine?
Who will die for our sins?
'God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.'
Hear that word order. The NKJV changes it, but this the way it is in Hebrew: 'God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.'
He ends with 'my son,' which is ambiguous
Is he saying 'Oh my son, God will provide the lamb'
Or is he saying 'God will provide the lamb [which is] my son'?
The statement deliberately goes both ways, revealing Abraham’s distressed realization that his son is the lamb to be slain for his sins, and his hope that God will provide another.
Isaac accepts this answer and they walk on in silence.
Abraham Prepares to Sacrifice Isaac (9,10)
The story slows down even more. Our suspense and terror grows. Abraham’s every action is recorded.
He comes to the place God told him of.
He builds an altar there as Isaac watches, perhaps even helps.
He arranges the wood on the altar so that he will be able to burn the offering, his son.
He binds Isaac his son
Not because he is afraid Isaac will escape.
For clearly a boy who can carry all that wood could easily escape from a 110 or so year old man who is feeble and weak.
No, Isaac submits willingly when he realizes that he is to be the sacrifice.
No doubt, he would desire that this cup pass from him.
Nevertheless, not what he wills but what his father wills.
He is bound and made helpless by his own compliance, even as our Savior on the cross.
He puts him on the altar he had made.
On the wood he had brought
And he raises the knife to slay him
Here it is Abraham! Here is what your sins deserve, transferred to Isaac.
Here it is Isaac! For your sins have deserved this as well and God is indeed just.
Here it is sinner! For you too must be slain like Isaac for your sins.
But How can this happen!
The hope of the world is about to come to an end!
This promised seed who should be the seed of the woman crushing the head of the serpent … he is about to be crushed!
The Lord had appeared to Abraham between Bethel and Ai and said 'To your seed I will give this land.' But how can a dead man inherit?
Had he not told Abraham Know for certain your descendants will possess this land?
And he had passed through the pieces of cut up animals to show his willingness to fulfill his word
But now it is Isaac who is about to become a cut up animal, symbolic of the wrath of God upon all covenant breakers.
He had told Abraham he would establish his covenant with Isaac as an everlasting covenant. Now Isaac is about to die.
We longed for Isaac. We waited for him with hope. We rejoiced to see him born by the power of God apart from Abraham’s ability. Shall he now be taken away, descending to the grave childless, having accomplished nothing that he was sent to do. How can we bear to see it happen? We were hoping that it was he who would save his people. For from him the Christ would be born.
Abraham! Abraham! God calls to you from heaven. Stop lest the hope of all the nations be extinguished and the world consigned to misery forever.
3.Which son was Abraham to take? Which son do the Muslims say he took?
'After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here am I.’ 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 upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you’.' (Genesis 22:1-2, R.S.V.).
'By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son ...' (Hebrews 11:17, R.S.V.).
'Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up his son Isaac upon the altar?' (James 2:21, R.S.V.).
Muslims on the other hand feel that Ishmael was the one offered up by Abraham. They believe that the Holy Bible supports this by its declaration that Abraham offered his only son (see above verses). Ishmael was Abraham's only son for over 13 years, which would make it impossible for Isaac to be the chld of sacrifice. (Cf. Genesis 16:16, 21:5).
Muslims believe that scribes later corrupted the original reading from Ishmael to Isaac.
Since this idea stems from the Muslim misunderstanding of the phrase 'only son', it becomes necessary to explain what this phrase exactly means in relation to Isaac. A careful reading of the Holy Bible shows that the phrase is used to affirm Isaac's unique status, a status based on the following:
Isaac was the only promised child of Abraham, a fact which the Quran agrees with (cf. Genesis 17:15-21; Surah 11:69-73, 37:112-113, 51:24-30). Ishmael was never a promised child.
Isaac was conceived miraculously to a barren mother and a very aged father, with the Quran likewise agreeing (cf. Genesis 17:15-17, 18:9-15, 21:1-7; Galatians 4:28-29; Surah 11:69-73, 51:24-30). Ishmael was conceived normally without the need of any miraculous intervention.
God promised that it would be Isaac's descendants who would inherit the land given to Abraham. (Genesis 13:14-18, 15:18-21, 28:13-14). Ishmael had no part in the inheritance and promise given to Isaac through Abraham.
It is for these reasons that Isaac is called Abraham's only son since God himself reckoned him as the child of promise and blessings, an honor never bestowed upon Ishmael.
Even more amazing is the fact that the Quran never mentions the name of the sacrificial child; amazing indeed considering how overzealous some Muslims have been in their attempts to prove that Ishmael, not Isaac, was that son:
'He said: ‘I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me! O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!’ So we gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.
4.Where was Abraham to go? What is the significance of this place?
The story of Abraham's sacrifice has three sides: a historical side, a symbolic side and a prophetic side. In other words, to understand Abraham's sacrifice, we need to understand three things: 1.) What took place, 2.) what the sacrifice symbolized, and 3.) what Abraham prophesied concerning an event that was yet to take place.
Concerning the historical side, we have read today how God tested Abraham's faith and saved his son from death by means of a sacrificial ram. This happened about four thousand years ago in the place where Jerusalem is located today. That, in short, is the 'historical' side of the story of Abraham's sacrifice.
Concerning the symbolic side of the story, God's Word tells us that we are all like Abraham's son. We read that God, in His justice, condemned Abraham's son to death. We too are all condemned sinners and deserve God's judgment. But we also read how God, in His grace, saved Abraham's son from death. Similarly, God, in His grace, has come to our rescue in providing a means by which we can be saved. What is that way of salvation? The story of Abraham's sacrifice teaches us that the way of salvation established by God is the way of the Perfect Sacrifice.
In today's story, we saw how God provided a ram (sheep) to die in the place of Abraham's son. Only the horns of the sheep were caught in the bush; the sheep's skin was not torn. If the sheep had a single flaw, it could not have replaced Abraham's son on the altar. But the sacrifice which God provided was a perfect sheep, without blemish. In our study in the first chapters of the Torah, we learned about the way of salvation which God established. Do you remember what that way was? After Adam and Eve sinned, God decreed that, since the payment for sin is death, there could be no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. Thus, all who wanted to have their sins forgiven were required to take an animal without blemish, slay it, and present it to God as a burnt offering. The innocent animal had to die in the place of the guilty person. This was the only way by which God could forgive the sins of the sons of Adam, without compromising His justice.
Something else we must remember is this: The Scriptures say that sacrificial animals were merely 'symbolic of that which was to come; a shadow of the good things that are coming-not the realities themselves. Because it is impossible for the blood of [animals] to take away sins.' (Heb. 10:1,4) The blood of animals cannot pay for sin because animals and humans are not of equal value. Thus, we learn that the sheep which replaced Abraham's son on the altar was an illustration of a greater, more perfect sacrifice. The Word of God shows us that the sheep which died in the place of Abraham's son was a symbol of the holy Redeemer who was to come into the world and die for all sinners, so that God could forgive everyone who believes in Him. In short, this is what Abraham's sacrificial sheep symbolizes. It is an illustration of the Savior whom God promised to send into the world to save sinners from His righteous judgment!
Concerning the prophetic side of the story, do you remember what Abraham said to his son as they were climbing the mountain? He told him: 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.' And do you remember what Abraham announced after he had slain the ram, and burned it in place of his son? He called the place of sacrifice: 'The Lord will Provide.' And the prophet Moses, who wrote the Torah, adds: 'And to this day it is said: 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided!'' What was the reason for this? Why did the prophet Abraham say, 'The Lord will provide'? Why did he not say, 'Praise be to God! The Lord has provided a sacrifice!'? Friends, this is a question of tremendous importance, because the answer to it contains the Good News of God's Word, which each of us must understand and believe!
Why did Abraham call the place,'The Lord will provide'?
This is why: Abraham was announcing an event that was to yet take place on those same mountains where the sheep had replaced his son on the altar. In short, Abraham was declaring: 'I praise God, because he has provided a sheep to replace my son on the altar. However, I am telling you that one day, on this same mountain, God will provide another sacrifice which will be far greater than the ram which saved my son today from the knife and the fire. Yes, the Sacrifice which God will provide shall have the power to save the children of Adam from eternal death in the fire which never goes out! God will send down a holy Redeemer who will die as a sacrifice, the innocent for the guilty, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish!' This is God's Good News for all people which Abraham was announcing when he said, 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice!'
Before we conclude the story of 'Abraham's sacrifice' today, each of us needs to know that, approximately two thousand years after Abraham prophesied that God would provide a Sacrifice for sinners, God fulfilled Abraham's prophecy. We cannot say much about it today, but those of you who know the Gospel {Injil}, know the story of the Redeemer. You know that He was born of a virgin woman who belonged to the family line of Abraham and Isaac, just as God had promised. The Redeemer who was to die in the place of sinners had no earthly father. He came from heaven, and thus, did not inherit Adam's sinful nature. He had no sin; He had no blemish. That is why He was worthy to die as the Perfect Sacrifice; as a substitute for the guilty children of Adam. When we come to the Gospel, we will learn that this Savior's name is Jesus. The name Jesus means God saves. Some call Jesus 'Isa.' {see lesson #61 for more on this}
When we come to the Gospel Writings {Injil}, we will read how there was a prophet named John {Qur'anic name: Yahya} whom God sent to prepare the way before Jesus the Redeemer. One day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look! the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29) Why did the prophet John call Jesus 'the Lamb of God'? Because Jesus was born to shed His blood as a sacrifice which takes away sin. Like the sheep that died in the place of Abraham's son, the Redeemer came to die for all of Adam's descendants. Jesus is the perfect and final Sacrifice of whom Abraham prophesied when he said: 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.'
In the Gospel we will read how Jesus willingly delivered Himself up to his enemies, and how they nailed Him to a cross. Jesus the Redeemer, whom God provided, fulfilled the prophetic and the symbolic meaning of Abraham's sacrificial sheep. That is why, just before Jesus died, He cried out, 'It is finished!' (John 19:30) {Wolof: 'All is complete/perfect!'} And three days later, God confirmed the perfection and power of the Redeemer's sacrifice by raising Him from the dead! Jesus is the One who perfectly fulfilled the meaning of Abraham's sacrifice. And did you know that the location where Jesus died in the place of sinners was in the same mountains where Abraham slaughtered the sheep in place of his son? Do you know the location of those two sacrifices? Yes, it is Jerusalem.
5.How many days was the travel? What is the significance of this time?
And did you know that the location where Jesus died in the place of sinners was in the same mountains where Abraham slaughtered the sheep in place of his son? Do you know the location of those two sacrifices? Yes, it is Jerusalem6.What did Abraham say in verse 22:5? What is the significance of this statement in terms of Hebrews 11? We might note that Gen. 22:5 says: 'And Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return to you.'' Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son and he expected the Lord to resurrect Isaac. This is what it says in Heb. 11:19, 'He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type.' So, God knew that Abraham was completely trusting in the Lord. Why then did God still need to test in Abraham? God makes statements often designed to reveal to us a truth that needs to be presented. In fact, God often asks questions He already knows the answer to. In Adam's case, the 'where' is dealing with spiritual condition, not physical location. In Abraham's case, God is simply relating to Abraham in terms consistent what Abraham would understand, particularly, after the actual event with Isaac on the altar
7.What was Abraham’s response to Isaac’s question about the Lamb? When did God supply the lamb?
My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering: Abraham knew God would provide a sacrifice, but where? Where was the lamb? That question had been asked by all the faithful, from Isaac to Moses to David to Isaiah, all the way to the time of John the Baptist when he declares: Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:298.Rule of first mention of a word establishes its meaning - the word worship is used for the first time when Abraham says “we go yonder to worship”. Give a definition of worship in this context. Abraham's response was immediate, without delay. He does not need to make excuses; he appears ready and waiting to hear from God. Don't you think God knew exactly where he was? and yet Abraham said 'here I am' as if he was eager to make connection.Genesis 12:2Other translations add 'your dear son' or 'yes - Isaac, whom you love so much'. What was so special about Isaac? He was a miracle son. He was born to Abraham and his wife Sarah in their old age as the result of a promise from God when he was 100 years old. Isaac also represents a covenant promise through which God would make Himself and His purposes known through Abraham's descendents. Gen. 17 says that Abraham would become the father of many nations through the birth of Isaac, and perhaps too the father of all worshipers - the original worship leader because he had a heart of worship. Romans 4:16 says Abraham, is the father to us all, in regard to our faith. That's what makes Isaac so special.Genesis 12:3
9.When and where was the true lamb of God offered? Explain any relationship to Genesis 22. (John 1:29)
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we find one of the better-known prophecies of the coming Lamb of God. In Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to offer his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. God is not endorsing child sacrifice among men -- He is foretelling His Child sacrifice for men. Abraham is obedient to God, not willing to keep anything from God, even his beloved son. This was a test for Abraham and a testimony to the world. On the way to the altar, Isaac asks his dad, 'Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?' In response, Abraham prophesied, 'My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together' (Genesis 22:7-8). When they arrive at the place of sacrifice, Abraham prepares to offer Isaac to the Lord, but before Abraham could slay his child, God stops him. We read, 'Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' So he said, 'Here I am.' And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me'' (Genesis 22:10-12). Before they leave the mountain top where Abraham was to offer Isaac, Abraham again prophesies the coming of the Lamb of God, 'And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, 'In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen'' (Genesis 22:14). Approximately 2,000 years later, upon that very same mountain just outside of Jerusalem, God offered His only Son, the Lamb of God, as a sin offering to reconcile fallen man to the Holy Living God Almighty.10.Do a simple sermon outline of a message from Genesis 22. Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love...' I want to spotlight the word 'love.' This is used of a father regarding his only son, whom he loves with all his heart. This is the first mention of the word 'love' in the Bible. As we noted in the first session on Abraham, a first mention is significant. When something is mentioned for the first time in the Bible, often the context in which it occurs sets the pattern for its primary usage and development throughout the rest of Scripture.With this principle in mind, let's look closely at the context: The type of love first spoken of in the Old Testament is not of a man for his wife, country, or brother, nor is it even his love for God. It's the love of a parent for his child, spoken of in connection with the sacrificial offering of that only and loved son or child. So in relationship to the principle of first mention,
The deep love of a parent for his/her only child—yet willingness to give him/her up completely to God's purposes and will—is inferred to be representative of the most complete and meaningful description of love
Genesis 22 profoundly illustrates God the Father's anguish of soul resulting from offering His only Son. On a theological note, it calls attention to the love existing among the persons of the Trinity. In harmony with this: The first mention of love in the New Testament is identical, calling our attention to God the Father's love for His Son: Matt. 3:17—And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' Mark 1:11—And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.' Luke 3:22—and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.' We are introduced (in the first three gospels) to a voice from heaven declaring His love for His Son. But then, introduced to the gospel of love—John's—we are silenced with an awe when we see his first mention of love. John 3:16—'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'
Three times God shouts from heaven that He loves His Son, but then we hear that He loves us (yes, us) so much that He is willing to sacrifice His only Son that we might be saved. In the lives of Abraham and Isaac, we are given a beautiful picture of God as Father and God as Son, their love for each other and for us (Gal. 3:16; John 3:16). Genesis 22:2, in fact, makes sense when you tie it with John 3:16. Gen. 22:2—Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.' John 3:16—'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' Certainly we must avoid excessive typology, but in this case there is a clear spiritual warrant for it in many places in Scripture—Heb. 11:17-19. Gal. 3:16—The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say 'and to seeds,' meaning many people, but 'and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Christ. Moving on to Genesis 22:3: Scripture stresses that Abraham did not delay. 'Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.' This immediate obedience completely baffles Satan in our lives, because he isn't given time to sow seeds of doubt. He can't bring into the picture all kinds of opinions. No, Abraham got up early and got going (Matt. 21:21: Heb. 3:12). He obeyed immediately, offering a beautiful example of how God expects every believer to obey Him, no matter how severe the test may be. Remember, Scripture makes it clear that only those who obey are called friends of God. We can be His children, without being His friends. John 15:14 —You are my friends if you do what I command. Abraham asked no questions of God, once he was sure of His will. He chose not to debate or plead for God to change His mind. (Does this sound familiar? 'Oh, God, I know it's not Your will for me to marry a non-Christian, but Lord, please change your mind.') Abraham had such resolve that he gathered the wood from home. He probably didn't know if there would be wood available on Mt. Moriah, and he didn't want to get there and find none. He didn't want any possible excuse not to obey God! v. 4—On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. The journey to Mt. Moriah was approximately 30 miles, and would have taken about two and a half days. It would have been one thing to offer a sacrifice 500 feet from the place where Abraham received directions, but it was totally different to have to wait three days.
It's easy to obey God in the glow of a recent revelation or spiritual experience; it's not so easy after the impact has worn off.This walk to the mountain purified Abraham's action; it became an act of his will, not an emotional response. He determined, 'Come what may, I will obey.' Can you relate to the test that happens in the delay? Can you think of a time when you were ready to do something for God and then, a few days later, were rethinking if you could or would do what you said you would do? For example:
You know you should break off an inappropriate relationship, but when you get together with the person, you can't.
You purpose not to enter into demeaning jokes or language at work, but when you get there, you still do.
You decide to practice some spiritual health habits, but you can't find the time or the discipline.
How can we change our inconsistencies in decisionmaking? The name of the mountain—Moriah—is helpful to us. It means 'foreseen of Jehovah.' The plan of God isn't put together at the last minute, jotted on Post-it notes. God knew the potential in man's heart when He created him; He was not taken by surprise by Adam's sin. The manufacturer of a watch knows that watch will run down, so part of the provision is a mechanism, or battery, to recharge/rewind the watch. Likewise, God built into His plan of creation a plan of redemption (Rev. 13:8). Long before God put a sun in the sky, He made provision for the fall. Rev. 13:8 reveals, All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. God has seen your struggles with obedience, and has provided a solution if you will move forward and trust Him! When we walk in obedience with resolve, God offers provision in the walk, so just start walking.
Arrival at the Mountain v. 5—He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.' There are two key phrases in this verse:
'We will worship...'
'...we will come back to you.'
Both are plural. What does that tell us about Abraham and his faith? Simply, he planned to participate in worship, and he planned on coming back with Isaac from Mount Moriah. Even though he fully intended to obey, he knew that both of them would come back together. He had learned beyond question that God's Word was true, and therefore one way or another his son would live—even if he was raised from the dead. Heb 11:17—By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18] even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring [Greek seed] will be reckoned.' 19] Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Let's look at these phrases: 'We will worship...' How could sacrifice be considered worship? How could the offering of your son be considered worship? Romans 12: 1-2 teaches of sacrifice as worship. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2] Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. So whether in the New Testament, the Old Testament, or today, sacrifice and worship are always tied together. Certainly it may mean waiting or suffering, and it will involve dying to self, but in whatever form, we must offer our selves as a sacrifice to God.
Worship Principles
Worship without offering ourselves as living sacrifices to God is not His will, nor is it worship.
Worship is more than music and/or singing.
God sees beyond exterior words or actions and looks at the heart.
If worship is to be pleasing to God, it must include all we are!
Sacrifice, therefore, is a very accurate measuring stick of our worship. In fact, our submission to God's will is the ultimate act of worship. Matt. 26:39b—...My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will. Abraham and Isaac were going to worship God. They didn't have understanding, but they were believing, and were willing to sacrifice to do His will. That made their journey up Mount Moriah an act of worship. 'We will come back to you...'—Gen. 22:5b Abraham believed both he and Isaac would return. God had told him that Isaac would become a great nation, and this could not happen if Isaac were dead. Therefore, Isaac must live. God Himself would provide a sacrifice. Heb. 11:17-19—By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18] even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned' (Gen. 21:12). 19] Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Gen. 22:6'Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together...' This phrase is mentioned both here and in verse 8b. It must be intentional and significant. I believe the author wants us to know beyond question that Abraham was not compelling his son to go; Isaac was going willingly. Isaac was not a boy; we know this because he carried the wood. He was probably approaching his 20s, maybe even older. No doubt he was stronger than his father, but he submitted to Abraham's (thus God's) plan. v. 7-9—Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here,' Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Do you see how Isaac submitted? It is just like Jesus did. John 10:17-18—The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. Why would Abraham build an altar? No previous one would do; this was a new experience. Here again Abraham would proclaim who God was. The wood was on Isaac's back, and he was bound, no longer able to free himself. If Isaac had previously misunderstood his father's intentions, he now knew what (who) the sacrifice was. Bound and laid on the altar, as Isaac gazed into his father's eyes, no doubt flowing with tears, he also saw the knife in Abraham's hand. Never was such a loving father or obedient son put to such a test as this. Remember, Abraham obeyed God because he believed God. James refers to this incident in James 2:21-24—Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22] You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23] And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' [Gen. 15:6] and he was called God's friend. 24] You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. Abraham had imputed righteousness by faith alone, but his faith was tested by his works. God tested Abraham and he passed the test. Likewise, we will have tests to show the quality of our faith. Will we be obedient?
God's Intervention in the Testing vv. 10-13a—Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11] But 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,' he said. 'Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.' 13a] Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns... Praise God! Abraham had demonstrated he believed, loved and trusted God…so much that he would not withhold his only son from Him. God did provide a ram, but notice, not a lamb. The complete fulfillment must await the true lamb, the Lamb of God. The ram was offered as a substitute for Isaac, as Jesus was offered as a substitute for us.
The Implications of the Testing This experience was proof of Abraham's faith. He truly is the father of faith, as I have tried to outline for you already. Applications: Testing is always for our good. It may involve something dear to us, but if we are faithful and believe God, He will be faithful to bring the test around for our good. Testing will come especially to those who have reached maturity and have shown great faith and victory in the past. Abraham is the supreme example of this principle. Lot, on the other hand, didn't take advantage of small tests and thus was unprepared for any test of his faith. I pray you will remember not only that testing will come, but that in the test God will provide (strength, wisdom, insight, help, etc.). This event is the preview of the ending of religion and the substitution of relationship. v. 13b—He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Religion is man's approach to God (or his god) through ritual; Christianity is God's approach to man, through relationship with His Son. To fully understand this implication: We need to understand the setting and context of Abraham's life. Child sacrifice was very common in this time period. (see Elijah and the prophets of Baal). Archaeology has revealed that child sacrifice was practiced by the Moabites, Egyptians, Babylonians and Assyrians. God's request to use Isaac as the sacrifice would have had this religious backdrop. Ironically, it was the first child that was always sacrificed for fertility rites. So when Abraham went to the mountain with his son, he would have been (apart from his faith in and relationship with God) a typical religious figure of his day, like so many who made great sacrifices/painful contributions to their gods. The difference was that he came down the mountain radically different from religious men! God had taken on Himself the total responsibility of providing the sacrifice for Abraham. That's the big event; it's why God called Mt. Moriah, 'the Lord will provide.' Abraham went up the mountain thinking he had to provide the sacrifice, but God made the provision, not only providing the sacrifice, but breaking the back of the horrible practice of child sacrifice. I'm convinced that beyond the first reason, God allowed Abraham to climb the mountain to show that his God was not pleased with human sacrifice. Once and for all, he illustrated that it is not through the sacrifice of those dear to us we are made acceptable in God's sight, but by a sacrifice of His blood; by one He will choose. We see the parallel today through the sacrifice of unborn children and the abuse of children through every means imaginable. These types of sacrifice still go on because the god of this world demands it! The Satanic systems of this world revere and honor only the productive. If something/someone is not productive, it/he is expendable. Blind and worldly religionists, who have erected their own god of self-gratification and selfishness, sacrifice children and family because their system of values demands it. The modern, technological, western world aborts unborn babies because they are inconvenient and interrupt our quests and allegiances to our gods of indulgence and selfishness. We also eliminate those on the other end of the age spectrum because they are not productive. The greatest sign of our degeneration, however, is how we treat children. The only way we will see the hearts of parents turn to their young is through repentance.
Luke 1:16-17—Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.Finally, there is one more implication to this event: Mt. Moriah takes on particular significance. God had Abraham travel to the mountain for a specific reason. Mt. Moriah was the site (2 Chron. 3) of Solomon's temple (destroyed in 70 A.D.) and is now the great Dome of the Rock. Both Jews and Arabs revere this place, and most believe the temple will be rebuilt here just before Christ's return. This mountain was a shadow of what is to come. What's more, Mt. Calvary is less than one mile away. But there would be differences between the two mountains:
Moriah
Calvary
Represents the end of a religion. The trouble with all religions and sacrifices is lack of relationship to the lamb. It is just a victim, a scapegoat.
Represents the beginning of a new relationship. God became the Lamb.
Isaac carried the wood for his sacrifice and was spared.
Jesus carried His cross and was killed.
Here there was a cry from heaven to earth, to save the son of Abraham ('Abraham, Abraham').
Here there was a cry from earth to heaven ('My God, My God'), but the cry did not save the Son. There was no intervention.
This became a site of many animal sacrifices for the Jewish people's sins.
This became the site of one sacrifice, once and for all, for all sins and all people.
Isaac was spared and eventually died.
Jesus died but rose again on the third day.
Moriah was the future site of the temple.
Calvary no longer has significance, because we are the Holy of Holies; God lives in us and will return to set up a new kingdom and a new earth, where we won't go to a place to worship. We'll go to a person to worship for eternity.
So what Abraham experienced in a shadowy way, less than one mile away, was made clear, actual, universally relevant, totally personal.
The test was God Requests Isaac as a Burnt Offering .we need to remember Abraham continued to believe and trust the God who had not only demanded the sacrifice of Isaac,but also who had promised the descendants through Isaac.
The word tempt here means, 'to try,' 'to test,' or 'to prove' (James 1:2, 3, 12). God brought this trial upon Abraham, not because he was angry at him, but because he loved him. The purpose of the trial was to prove to Abraham the reality of his faith and to reveal to Abraham the glory of his grace in Christ. When the trial was over, Abraham knew himself better than he did before. And he knew Christ better than he did before.
All through his life God had been preparing Abraham for this event. And now, 'it came to pass after these things.' Our great, sovereign God does all things 'in due time' (Rom. 5:6). And 'in the fulness of time' (Gal. 4:4). 'After these things' - After the fall, the flood, the exodus, the tabernacle, the law, the prophets, the kings, and the priests had all run their course, it pleased God to fulfil every prophecy, pattern, and promise of Holy Scripture by the sacrifice of his only begotten Son. All that came before were preparatory events, picturing and pointing to the hour when Christ would die (Acts 10:43; Lk. 24:27, 44-46).
2.What was Abraham’s response? What did this response show?
Abraham's response was immediate, without delay. He does not need to make excuses; he appears ready and waiting to hear from God. Don't you think God knew exactly where he was? and yet Abraham said 'here I am' as if he was eager to make connection.Genesis 12:2
Abraham’s Obedience (3-10)
Abraham Complies at Once (3-6)
He rose early in the morning.
Just as he rose early to cast out Hagar and Ishmael.
It is the command of God; he will not delay fulfilling it.
For even a delay prior to fulfilling would betray an unbelieving heart, hanging on to that which God has requested from him, as though he is wiser than God.
Abraham takes two servants with him
And he takes the very wood he will use to burn Isaac’s lifeless corpse.
What agony to this father to bring with him the implements of his son’s destruction!
What love from God the Father to create the tree on which his son, his only son, whom he loved, would be hanged and would die, perhaps less than a stone’s throw from Isaac’s altar.
On the third day, Abraham sees the place
He lifts up his eyes to that hill. Where will his help come from?
Here he is at the foot of the place and still God does not intervene.
From here, it is steep. They must proceed on foot.
With a sick feeling in his stomach he unloads the donkey and leaves it with the servants and tells them to wait.
He does not reveal his plans, but merely says that he and Isaac go to 'worship.'
How can they imagine what terrible heart-rending worship Abraham intends?
Yet with faith that God can bring Isaac back even from the dead and fulfill his promises through the seed of Abraham, Abraham says, 'We will return to you.'
He does not know how this may be possible.
But he has seen God do wondrous things
So he believes.
Children of God, must we not believe as well?
Whatever God does, however strange it seems…
Will he not make it right in the end?
Will he not fulfill all his promises to give us eternal life and an inheritance in heaven and everlasting fellowship with him in Christ?
So Abraham loads the wood on Isaac and they go
Just as he had laid water and bread on Hagar and sent her and his son away.
Yet those were implements of life. Here the implements are of death.
Isaac trudges up the hill, bearing his own cross. The wood he carries is the wood on which he will be slain and burned.
And he takes with him fire and a knife, the instruments with which he will destroy his son.
Abraham prepares to lay his iniquity on his son’s head, giving him as a sin offering.
Just as God himself will destroy his own son on the cross, laying on his head the iniquity of us all.
And they walk together, side by side, father and son. Companions who love one another.
God Tests Him further through Isaac (7,8)
Finally, Isaac breaks the silence with a plaintive question.
And really, it is God speaking through Isaac, testing Abraham further.
'My father,' Isaac says.
And just as Abraham had replied 'Here I am' to God, so now he replies 'Here I am, my son.'
'My son.' How that twists the knife in the wound. Even now, Abraham is not emotionally distancing himself from his beloved son, preparing for the inevitable.
Will Abraham survive this plea from his son? Will he do the will of God though it cost him all?
'Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb?'
What a poignant, sad, distressing question.
Does Isaac not yet know that HE is the lamb that will be slain?
He is innocent and unsuspecting as a sacrificial lamb ought to be.
He is being led as a sheep to the slaughter.
And as the sheep submits, not knowing the terror ahead, so Isaac.
Yet still, he wonders. Where will we find a lamb?
If we are here to make a sin offering, where is the lamb upon whose head we will place your sins and mine?
Who will die for our sins?
'God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.'
Hear that word order. The NKJV changes it, but this the way it is in Hebrew: 'God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.'
He ends with 'my son,' which is ambiguous
Is he saying 'Oh my son, God will provide the lamb'
Or is he saying 'God will provide the lamb [which is] my son'?
The statement deliberately goes both ways, revealing Abraham’s distressed realization that his son is the lamb to be slain for his sins, and his hope that God will provide another.
Isaac accepts this answer and they walk on in silence.
Abraham Prepares to Sacrifice Isaac (9,10)
The story slows down even more. Our suspense and terror grows. Abraham’s every action is recorded.
He comes to the place God told him of.
He builds an altar there as Isaac watches, perhaps even helps.
He arranges the wood on the altar so that he will be able to burn the offering, his son.
He binds Isaac his son
Not because he is afraid Isaac will escape.
For clearly a boy who can carry all that wood could easily escape from a 110 or so year old man who is feeble and weak.
No, Isaac submits willingly when he realizes that he is to be the sacrifice.
No doubt, he would desire that this cup pass from him.
Nevertheless, not what he wills but what his father wills.
He is bound and made helpless by his own compliance, even as our Savior on the cross.
He puts him on the altar he had made.
On the wood he had brought
And he raises the knife to slay him
Here it is Abraham! Here is what your sins deserve, transferred to Isaac.
Here it is Isaac! For your sins have deserved this as well and God is indeed just.
Here it is sinner! For you too must be slain like Isaac for your sins.
But How can this happen!
The hope of the world is about to come to an end!
This promised seed who should be the seed of the woman crushing the head of the serpent … he is about to be crushed!
The Lord had appeared to Abraham between Bethel and Ai and said 'To your seed I will give this land.' But how can a dead man inherit?
Had he not told Abraham Know for certain your descendants will possess this land?
And he had passed through the pieces of cut up animals to show his willingness to fulfill his word
But now it is Isaac who is about to become a cut up animal, symbolic of the wrath of God upon all covenant breakers.
He had told Abraham he would establish his covenant with Isaac as an everlasting covenant. Now Isaac is about to die.
We longed for Isaac. We waited for him with hope. We rejoiced to see him born by the power of God apart from Abraham’s ability. Shall he now be taken away, descending to the grave childless, having accomplished nothing that he was sent to do. How can we bear to see it happen? We were hoping that it was he who would save his people. For from him the Christ would be born.
Abraham! Abraham! God calls to you from heaven. Stop lest the hope of all the nations be extinguished and the world consigned to misery forever.
3.Which son was Abraham to take? Which son do the Muslims say he took?
'After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here am I.’ 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 upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you’.' (Genesis 22:1-2, R.S.V.).
'By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son ...' (Hebrews 11:17, R.S.V.).
'Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up his son Isaac upon the altar?' (James 2:21, R.S.V.).
Muslims on the other hand feel that Ishmael was the one offered up by Abraham. They believe that the Holy Bible supports this by its declaration that Abraham offered his only son (see above verses). Ishmael was Abraham's only son for over 13 years, which would make it impossible for Isaac to be the chld of sacrifice. (Cf. Genesis 16:16, 21:5).
Muslims believe that scribes later corrupted the original reading from Ishmael to Isaac.
Since this idea stems from the Muslim misunderstanding of the phrase 'only son', it becomes necessary to explain what this phrase exactly means in relation to Isaac. A careful reading of the Holy Bible shows that the phrase is used to affirm Isaac's unique status, a status based on the following:
Isaac was the only promised child of Abraham, a fact which the Quran agrees with (cf. Genesis 17:15-21; Surah 11:69-73, 37:112-113, 51:24-30). Ishmael was never a promised child.
Isaac was conceived miraculously to a barren mother and a very aged father, with the Quran likewise agreeing (cf. Genesis 17:15-17, 18:9-15, 21:1-7; Galatians 4:28-29; Surah 11:69-73, 51:24-30). Ishmael was conceived normally without the need of any miraculous intervention.
God promised that it would be Isaac's descendants who would inherit the land given to Abraham. (Genesis 13:14-18, 15:18-21, 28:13-14). Ishmael had no part in the inheritance and promise given to Isaac through Abraham.
It is for these reasons that Isaac is called Abraham's only son since God himself reckoned him as the child of promise and blessings, an honor never bestowed upon Ishmael.
Even more amazing is the fact that the Quran never mentions the name of the sacrificial child; amazing indeed considering how overzealous some Muslims have been in their attempts to prove that Ishmael, not Isaac, was that son:
'He said: ‘I will go to my Lord! He will surely guide me! O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!’ So we gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.
4.Where was Abraham to go? What is the significance of this place?
The story of Abraham's sacrifice has three sides: a historical side, a symbolic side and a prophetic side. In other words, to understand Abraham's sacrifice, we need to understand three things: 1.) What took place, 2.) what the sacrifice symbolized, and 3.) what Abraham prophesied concerning an event that was yet to take place.
Concerning the historical side, we have read today how God tested Abraham's faith and saved his son from death by means of a sacrificial ram. This happened about four thousand years ago in the place where Jerusalem is located today. That, in short, is the 'historical' side of the story of Abraham's sacrifice.
Concerning the symbolic side of the story, God's Word tells us that we are all like Abraham's son. We read that God, in His justice, condemned Abraham's son to death. We too are all condemned sinners and deserve God's judgment. But we also read how God, in His grace, saved Abraham's son from death. Similarly, God, in His grace, has come to our rescue in providing a means by which we can be saved. What is that way of salvation? The story of Abraham's sacrifice teaches us that the way of salvation established by God is the way of the Perfect Sacrifice.
In today's story, we saw how God provided a ram (sheep) to die in the place of Abraham's son. Only the horns of the sheep were caught in the bush; the sheep's skin was not torn. If the sheep had a single flaw, it could not have replaced Abraham's son on the altar. But the sacrifice which God provided was a perfect sheep, without blemish. In our study in the first chapters of the Torah, we learned about the way of salvation which God established. Do you remember what that way was? After Adam and Eve sinned, God decreed that, since the payment for sin is death, there could be no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. Thus, all who wanted to have their sins forgiven were required to take an animal without blemish, slay it, and present it to God as a burnt offering. The innocent animal had to die in the place of the guilty person. This was the only way by which God could forgive the sins of the sons of Adam, without compromising His justice.
Something else we must remember is this: The Scriptures say that sacrificial animals were merely 'symbolic of that which was to come; a shadow of the good things that are coming-not the realities themselves. Because it is impossible for the blood of [animals] to take away sins.' (Heb. 10:1,4) The blood of animals cannot pay for sin because animals and humans are not of equal value. Thus, we learn that the sheep which replaced Abraham's son on the altar was an illustration of a greater, more perfect sacrifice. The Word of God shows us that the sheep which died in the place of Abraham's son was a symbol of the holy Redeemer who was to come into the world and die for all sinners, so that God could forgive everyone who believes in Him. In short, this is what Abraham's sacrificial sheep symbolizes. It is an illustration of the Savior whom God promised to send into the world to save sinners from His righteous judgment!
Concerning the prophetic side of the story, do you remember what Abraham said to his son as they were climbing the mountain? He told him: 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.' And do you remember what Abraham announced after he had slain the ram, and burned it in place of his son? He called the place of sacrifice: 'The Lord will Provide.' And the prophet Moses, who wrote the Torah, adds: 'And to this day it is said: 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided!'' What was the reason for this? Why did the prophet Abraham say, 'The Lord will provide'? Why did he not say, 'Praise be to God! The Lord has provided a sacrifice!'? Friends, this is a question of tremendous importance, because the answer to it contains the Good News of God's Word, which each of us must understand and believe!
Why did Abraham call the place,'The Lord will provide'?
This is why: Abraham was announcing an event that was to yet take place on those same mountains where the sheep had replaced his son on the altar. In short, Abraham was declaring: 'I praise God, because he has provided a sheep to replace my son on the altar. However, I am telling you that one day, on this same mountain, God will provide another sacrifice which will be far greater than the ram which saved my son today from the knife and the fire. Yes, the Sacrifice which God will provide shall have the power to save the children of Adam from eternal death in the fire which never goes out! God will send down a holy Redeemer who will die as a sacrifice, the innocent for the guilty, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish!' This is God's Good News for all people which Abraham was announcing when he said, 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice!'
Before we conclude the story of 'Abraham's sacrifice' today, each of us needs to know that, approximately two thousand years after Abraham prophesied that God would provide a Sacrifice for sinners, God fulfilled Abraham's prophecy. We cannot say much about it today, but those of you who know the Gospel {Injil}, know the story of the Redeemer. You know that He was born of a virgin woman who belonged to the family line of Abraham and Isaac, just as God had promised. The Redeemer who was to die in the place of sinners had no earthly father. He came from heaven, and thus, did not inherit Adam's sinful nature. He had no sin; He had no blemish. That is why He was worthy to die as the Perfect Sacrifice; as a substitute for the guilty children of Adam. When we come to the Gospel, we will learn that this Savior's name is Jesus. The name Jesus means God saves. Some call Jesus 'Isa.' {see lesson #61 for more on this}
When we come to the Gospel Writings {Injil}, we will read how there was a prophet named John {Qur'anic name: Yahya} whom God sent to prepare the way before Jesus the Redeemer. One day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look! the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29) Why did the prophet John call Jesus 'the Lamb of God'? Because Jesus was born to shed His blood as a sacrifice which takes away sin. Like the sheep that died in the place of Abraham's son, the Redeemer came to die for all of Adam's descendants. Jesus is the perfect and final Sacrifice of whom Abraham prophesied when he said: 'God Himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.'
In the Gospel we will read how Jesus willingly delivered Himself up to his enemies, and how they nailed Him to a cross. Jesus the Redeemer, whom God provided, fulfilled the prophetic and the symbolic meaning of Abraham's sacrificial sheep. That is why, just before Jesus died, He cried out, 'It is finished!' (John 19:30) {Wolof: 'All is complete/perfect!'} And three days later, God confirmed the perfection and power of the Redeemer's sacrifice by raising Him from the dead! Jesus is the One who perfectly fulfilled the meaning of Abraham's sacrifice. And did you know that the location where Jesus died in the place of sinners was in the same mountains where Abraham slaughtered the sheep in place of his son? Do you know the location of those two sacrifices? Yes, it is Jerusalem.
5.How many days was the travel? What is the significance of this time?
And did you know that the location where Jesus died in the place of sinners was in the same mountains where Abraham slaughtered the sheep in place of his son? Do you know the location of those two sacrifices? Yes, it is Jerusalem6.What did Abraham say in verse 22:5? What is the significance of this statement in terms of Hebrews 11? We might note that Gen. 22:5 says: 'And Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and return to you.'' Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son and he expected the Lord to resurrect Isaac. This is what it says in Heb. 11:19, 'He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type.' So, God knew that Abraham was completely trusting in the Lord. Why then did God still need to test in Abraham? God makes statements often designed to reveal to us a truth that needs to be presented. In fact, God often asks questions He already knows the answer to. In Adam's case, the 'where' is dealing with spiritual condition, not physical location. In Abraham's case, God is simply relating to Abraham in terms consistent what Abraham would understand, particularly, after the actual event with Isaac on the altar
7.What was Abraham’s response to Isaac’s question about the Lamb? When did God supply the lamb?
My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering: Abraham knew God would provide a sacrifice, but where? Where was the lamb? That question had been asked by all the faithful, from Isaac to Moses to David to Isaiah, all the way to the time of John the Baptist when he declares: Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:298.Rule of first mention of a word establishes its meaning - the word worship is used for the first time when Abraham says “we go yonder to worship”. Give a definition of worship in this context. Abraham's response was immediate, without delay. He does not need to make excuses; he appears ready and waiting to hear from God. Don't you think God knew exactly where he was? and yet Abraham said 'here I am' as if he was eager to make connection.Genesis 12:2Other translations add 'your dear son' or 'yes - Isaac, whom you love so much'. What was so special about Isaac? He was a miracle son. He was born to Abraham and his wife Sarah in their old age as the result of a promise from God when he was 100 years old. Isaac also represents a covenant promise through which God would make Himself and His purposes known through Abraham's descendents. Gen. 17 says that Abraham would become the father of many nations through the birth of Isaac, and perhaps too the father of all worshipers - the original worship leader because he had a heart of worship. Romans 4:16 says Abraham, is the father to us all, in regard to our faith. That's what makes Isaac so special.Genesis 12:3
9.When and where was the true lamb of God offered? Explain any relationship to Genesis 22. (John 1:29)
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we find one of the better-known prophecies of the coming Lamb of God. In Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to offer his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. God is not endorsing child sacrifice among men -- He is foretelling His Child sacrifice for men. Abraham is obedient to God, not willing to keep anything from God, even his beloved son. This was a test for Abraham and a testimony to the world. On the way to the altar, Isaac asks his dad, 'Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?' In response, Abraham prophesied, 'My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together' (Genesis 22:7-8). When they arrive at the place of sacrifice, Abraham prepares to offer Isaac to the Lord, but before Abraham could slay his child, God stops him. We read, 'Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' So he said, 'Here I am.' And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me'' (Genesis 22:10-12). Before they leave the mountain top where Abraham was to offer Isaac, Abraham again prophesies the coming of the Lamb of God, 'And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, 'In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen'' (Genesis 22:14). Approximately 2,000 years later, upon that very same mountain just outside of Jerusalem, God offered His only Son, the Lamb of God, as a sin offering to reconcile fallen man to the Holy Living God Almighty.10.Do a simple sermon outline of a message from Genesis 22. Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love...' I want to spotlight the word 'love.' This is used of a father regarding his only son, whom he loves with all his heart. This is the first mention of the word 'love' in the Bible. As we noted in the first session on Abraham, a first mention is significant. When something is mentioned for the first time in the Bible, often the context in which it occurs sets the pattern for its primary usage and development throughout the rest of Scripture.With this principle in mind, let's look closely at the context: The type of love first spoken of in the Old Testament is not of a man for his wife, country, or brother, nor is it even his love for God. It's the love of a parent for his child, spoken of in connection with the sacrificial offering of that only and loved son or child. So in relationship to the principle of first mention,
The deep love of a parent for his/her only child—yet willingness to give him/her up completely to God's purposes and will—is inferred to be representative of the most complete and meaningful description of love
Genesis 22 profoundly illustrates God the Father's anguish of soul resulting from offering His only Son. On a theological note, it calls attention to the love existing among the persons of the Trinity. In harmony with this: The first mention of love in the New Testament is identical, calling our attention to God the Father's love for His Son: Matt. 3:17—And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' Mark 1:11—And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.' Luke 3:22—and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.' We are introduced (in the first three gospels) to a voice from heaven declaring His love for His Son. But then, introduced to the gospel of love—John's—we are silenced with an awe when we see his first mention of love. John 3:16—'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'
Three times God shouts from heaven that He loves His Son, but then we hear that He loves us (yes, us) so much that He is willing to sacrifice His only Son that we might be saved. In the lives of Abraham and Isaac, we are given a beautiful picture of God as Father and God as Son, their love for each other and for us (Gal. 3:16; John 3:16). Genesis 22:2, in fact, makes sense when you tie it with John 3:16. Gen. 22:2—Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.' John 3:16—'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' Certainly we must avoid excessive typology, but in this case there is a clear spiritual warrant for it in many places in Scripture—Heb. 11:17-19. Gal. 3:16—The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say 'and to seeds,' meaning many people, but 'and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Christ. Moving on to Genesis 22:3: Scripture stresses that Abraham did not delay. 'Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.' This immediate obedience completely baffles Satan in our lives, because he isn't given time to sow seeds of doubt. He can't bring into the picture all kinds of opinions. No, Abraham got up early and got going (Matt. 21:21: Heb. 3:12). He obeyed immediately, offering a beautiful example of how God expects every believer to obey Him, no matter how severe the test may be. Remember, Scripture makes it clear that only those who obey are called friends of God. We can be His children, without being His friends. John 15:14 —You are my friends if you do what I command. Abraham asked no questions of God, once he was sure of His will. He chose not to debate or plead for God to change His mind. (Does this sound familiar? 'Oh, God, I know it's not Your will for me to marry a non-Christian, but Lord, please change your mind.') Abraham had such resolve that he gathered the wood from home. He probably didn't know if there would be wood available on Mt. Moriah, and he didn't want to get there and find none. He didn't want any possible excuse not to obey God! v. 4—On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. The journey to Mt. Moriah was approximately 30 miles, and would have taken about two and a half days. It would have been one thing to offer a sacrifice 500 feet from the place where Abraham received directions, but it was totally different to have to wait three days.
It's easy to obey God in the glow of a recent revelation or spiritual experience; it's not so easy after the impact has worn off.This walk to the mountain purified Abraham's action; it became an act of his will, not an emotional response. He determined, 'Come what may, I will obey.' Can you relate to the test that happens in the delay? Can you think of a time when you were ready to do something for God and then, a few days later, were rethinking if you could or would do what you said you would do? For example:
You know you should break off an inappropriate relationship, but when you get together with the person, you can't.
You purpose not to enter into demeaning jokes or language at work, but when you get there, you still do.
You decide to practice some spiritual health habits, but you can't find the time or the discipline.
How can we change our inconsistencies in decisionmaking? The name of the mountain—Moriah—is helpful to us. It means 'foreseen of Jehovah.' The plan of God isn't put together at the last minute, jotted on Post-it notes. God knew the potential in man's heart when He created him; He was not taken by surprise by Adam's sin. The manufacturer of a watch knows that watch will run down, so part of the provision is a mechanism, or battery, to recharge/rewind the watch. Likewise, God built into His plan of creation a plan of redemption (Rev. 13:8). Long before God put a sun in the sky, He made provision for the fall. Rev. 13:8 reveals, All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. God has seen your struggles with obedience, and has provided a solution if you will move forward and trust Him! When we walk in obedience with resolve, God offers provision in the walk, so just start walking.
Arrival at the Mountain v. 5—He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.' There are two key phrases in this verse:
'We will worship...'
'...we will come back to you.'
Both are plural. What does that tell us about Abraham and his faith? Simply, he planned to participate in worship, and he planned on coming back with Isaac from Mount Moriah. Even though he fully intended to obey, he knew that both of them would come back together. He had learned beyond question that God's Word was true, and therefore one way or another his son would live—even if he was raised from the dead. Heb 11:17—By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18] even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring [Greek seed] will be reckoned.' 19] Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Let's look at these phrases: 'We will worship...' How could sacrifice be considered worship? How could the offering of your son be considered worship? Romans 12: 1-2 teaches of sacrifice as worship. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2] Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. So whether in the New Testament, the Old Testament, or today, sacrifice and worship are always tied together. Certainly it may mean waiting or suffering, and it will involve dying to self, but in whatever form, we must offer our selves as a sacrifice to God.
Worship Principles
Worship without offering ourselves as living sacrifices to God is not His will, nor is it worship.
Worship is more than music and/or singing.
God sees beyond exterior words or actions and looks at the heart.
If worship is to be pleasing to God, it must include all we are!
Sacrifice, therefore, is a very accurate measuring stick of our worship. In fact, our submission to God's will is the ultimate act of worship. Matt. 26:39b—...My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will. Abraham and Isaac were going to worship God. They didn't have understanding, but they were believing, and were willing to sacrifice to do His will. That made their journey up Mount Moriah an act of worship. 'We will come back to you...'—Gen. 22:5b Abraham believed both he and Isaac would return. God had told him that Isaac would become a great nation, and this could not happen if Isaac were dead. Therefore, Isaac must live. God Himself would provide a sacrifice. Heb. 11:17-19—By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18] even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned' (Gen. 21:12). 19] Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Gen. 22:6'Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together...' This phrase is mentioned both here and in verse 8b. It must be intentional and significant. I believe the author wants us to know beyond question that Abraham was not compelling his son to go; Isaac was going willingly. Isaac was not a boy; we know this because he carried the wood. He was probably approaching his 20s, maybe even older. No doubt he was stronger than his father, but he submitted to Abraham's (thus God's) plan. v. 7-9—Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here,' Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Do you see how Isaac submitted? It is just like Jesus did. John 10:17-18—The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. Why would Abraham build an altar? No previous one would do; this was a new experience. Here again Abraham would proclaim who God was. The wood was on Isaac's back, and he was bound, no longer able to free himself. If Isaac had previously misunderstood his father's intentions, he now knew what (who) the sacrifice was. Bound and laid on the altar, as Isaac gazed into his father's eyes, no doubt flowing with tears, he also saw the knife in Abraham's hand. Never was such a loving father or obedient son put to such a test as this. Remember, Abraham obeyed God because he believed God. James refers to this incident in James 2:21-24—Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22] You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23] And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' [Gen. 15:6] and he was called God's friend. 24] You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. Abraham had imputed righteousness by faith alone, but his faith was tested by his works. God tested Abraham and he passed the test. Likewise, we will have tests to show the quality of our faith. Will we be obedient?
God's Intervention in the Testing vv. 10-13a—Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11] But 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,' he said. 'Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.' 13a] Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns... Praise God! Abraham had demonstrated he believed, loved and trusted God…so much that he would not withhold his only son from Him. God did provide a ram, but notice, not a lamb. The complete fulfillment must await the true lamb, the Lamb of God. The ram was offered as a substitute for Isaac, as Jesus was offered as a substitute for us.
The Implications of the Testing This experience was proof of Abraham's faith. He truly is the father of faith, as I have tried to outline for you already. Applications: Testing is always for our good. It may involve something dear to us, but if we are faithful and believe God, He will be faithful to bring the test around for our good. Testing will come especially to those who have reached maturity and have shown great faith and victory in the past. Abraham is the supreme example of this principle. Lot, on the other hand, didn't take advantage of small tests and thus was unprepared for any test of his faith. I pray you will remember not only that testing will come, but that in the test God will provide (strength, wisdom, insight, help, etc.). This event is the preview of the ending of religion and the substitution of relationship. v. 13b—He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Religion is man's approach to God (or his god) through ritual; Christianity is God's approach to man, through relationship with His Son. To fully understand this implication: We need to understand the setting and context of Abraham's life. Child sacrifice was very common in this time period. (see Elijah and the prophets of Baal). Archaeology has revealed that child sacrifice was practiced by the Moabites, Egyptians, Babylonians and Assyrians. God's request to use Isaac as the sacrifice would have had this religious backdrop. Ironically, it was the first child that was always sacrificed for fertility rites. So when Abraham went to the mountain with his son, he would have been (apart from his faith in and relationship with God) a typical religious figure of his day, like so many who made great sacrifices/painful contributions to their gods. The difference was that he came down the mountain radically different from religious men! God had taken on Himself the total responsibility of providing the sacrifice for Abraham. That's the big event; it's why God called Mt. Moriah, 'the Lord will provide.' Abraham went up the mountain thinking he had to provide the sacrifice, but God made the provision, not only providing the sacrifice, but breaking the back of the horrible practice of child sacrifice. I'm convinced that beyond the first reason, God allowed Abraham to climb the mountain to show that his God was not pleased with human sacrifice. Once and for all, he illustrated that it is not through the sacrifice of those dear to us we are made acceptable in God's sight, but by a sacrifice of His blood; by one He will choose. We see the parallel today through the sacrifice of unborn children and the abuse of children through every means imaginable. These types of sacrifice still go on because the god of this world demands it! The Satanic systems of this world revere and honor only the productive. If something/someone is not productive, it/he is expendable. Blind and worldly religionists, who have erected their own god of self-gratification and selfishness, sacrifice children and family because their system of values demands it. The modern, technological, western world aborts unborn babies because they are inconvenient and interrupt our quests and allegiances to our gods of indulgence and selfishness. We also eliminate those on the other end of the age spectrum because they are not productive. The greatest sign of our degeneration, however, is how we treat children. The only way we will see the hearts of parents turn to their young is through repentance.
Luke 1:16-17—Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.Finally, there is one more implication to this event: Mt. Moriah takes on particular significance. God had Abraham travel to the mountain for a specific reason. Mt. Moriah was the site (2 Chron. 3) of Solomon's temple (destroyed in 70 A.D.) and is now the great Dome of the Rock. Both Jews and Arabs revere this place, and most believe the temple will be rebuilt here just before Christ's return. This mountain was a shadow of what is to come. What's more, Mt. Calvary is less than one mile away. But there would be differences between the two mountains:
Moriah
Calvary
Represents the end of a religion. The trouble with all religions and sacrifices is lack of relationship to the lamb. It is just a victim, a scapegoat.
Represents the beginning of a new relationship. God became the Lamb.
Isaac carried the wood for his sacrifice and was spared.
Jesus carried His cross and was killed.
Here there was a cry from heaven to earth, to save the son of Abraham ('Abraham, Abraham').
Here there was a cry from earth to heaven ('My God, My God'), but the cry did not save the Son. There was no intervention.
This became a site of many animal sacrifices for the Jewish people's sins.
This became the site of one sacrifice, once and for all, for all sins and all people.
Isaac was spared and eventually died.
Jesus died but rose again on the third day.
Moriah was the future site of the temple.
Calvary no longer has significance, because we are the Holy of Holies; God lives in us and will return to set up a new kingdom and a new earth, where we won't go to a place to worship. We'll go to a person to worship for eternity.
So what Abraham experienced in a shadowy way, less than one mile away, was made clear, actual, universally relevant, totally personal.
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